Quarterly Member Meeting in July 2020

On Wednesday July 22nd, 2020, the NGO Forum on Cambodia (NGOF) conducted its second QMM in a half-day started from 8:00AM to 12:00PM at Phnom Penh Ecumenical Diakonia Centre (PPEDC/ICF). There were 90 participants (31 women) attended this meeting. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Norng Sivouthan, Management Committee members of the NGOF and the Country Director of HEKS/EPER. There were three guest speakers from the Ministry of Planning (MoP), the Ministry of Economic and Finance (MoEF), and the Cambodia National Mekong Committee (CNMC) to update on 1. The progress of the implementation Cambodian Sustainable Development Goals (CSDGs) 2016-2030, 2. The Public Financial Management Reform Program; and, 3. The Hydro-power dam development in Mekong Basin.

The meeting started welcoming remark by Mr. Norng Sivouthan, shared participants on the purpose of the meeting and he raised the challenges due to Covid-19 outbreak. Furthermore, he advised all participants to adhere to the high sanitation to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. He also encouraged the members to follow the social distancing, respect the precaution of the Ministry of Health. Moreover, he shared about the NGOF’s planning on the mid-term evaluation of a-six-year strategy plan, which this need full participation from all members and network members.

Dr. Tek Vannara shared the progress update of the NGOF within the last quarter as the following:

1. The NGO Forum on Cambodia participated in the consultative meeting on the Luang Prabang, Lao which coordinated by the Mekong River Commission committee.

2. The NGO Forum on Cambodia, under the National Development Program (NDP), provided the training course on how to produce a video that focuses on National Budget Process at Rattanakiri province.

3. The networks of the NGOF: Land Resettlement and Housing Right Network (LARIN), Budget Working Group (BWG), Development Policy Working Group (DPWG), Indigenous People Forest Network (IPFN), River Coalition Cambodia (RCC), NECA and ND-FC conduct its regular quarterly meeting.

4. Cooperated with local authorities in Areng, Koh Kong province, and Promouy, Veal Veng district, Pursat province to celebrate the World Environment Day.

5. The NGOF cooperated with the Ministry of Rural Development conducted the technical meeting to collect the inputs on the last draft of Conservation and Development of Strategic Plan for Indigenous People.

6. Coordinate to conduct the validation workshop on Non-Communicable Diseases, which conducted at Hotel Cambodiana, Phnom Penh, in which 14 ministries have been invited to attend.

7. The NGOF conducted its Mid-Year Reflection at Kirirom, while the budget revision responding to Covid-19 has been amended.

8. LAHRiN Network, IPFN, and CSO REED+ conducted a consultative meeting to collect inputs for the draft of the action plans for the investment and implementation of REDD+ Strategy in Cambodia.

9. Conducted a Validation Workshop on the draft research study on the impact of Natural Rubber Investment in Cambodia.

10. Conducted a consultative meeting on Wetland, Water Resource and Climate Change for Cambodia in Mekong Delta.

11. Conducted a Validation Workshop on the Good Practices and Challenges in the primary mapping process.

H.E Poch Sovandy, Deputy Director General of Planning of the Ministry of Planning (MoP) shared on the implementation of the CSDGs, in which his presentation covered 1) History background of the preparation of the SDGs in Cambodia 2) The Monitoring on the Implementation of CSDGs, and 3) the Indicator revision. First, his excellency shared about the historical background of the SDGs, in which the CSDGs in Cambodia has been approved by the Council Minister on 9 November 2018, and the Royal Government of Cambodia registered and approved by the United Nation to prepare Voluntary National Review (VNR), while so far, the Ministry of Planning has coordinated relevant ministries to prepare this documents and presented in 2019 at New York City, USA. Secondly, H.E shared the participants on the monitoring of the implementation of the CSDGs which he mentioned about the three division of results: 1) over the target, 2) With target and below the target. Throughout his presentation, he confirmed that in 2018, with the 26 targets equivalent to 29.5% over the target, and 17 targets equivalent to 19.32% with the target and expected to achieve, and 7 targets in equivalent to 8% below the target, while 38 targets in equivalent to 43.2% lacked data. In 2019, he shared with the 29 targets equivalent to 32.95% over the target, and 26 targets equivalent to 29.55% with the target and expected to achieve, and 16 targets in equivalent to 18.18% lacked data.

Mr. Met Ramon, an official from the Ministry of Economic and Finance shared the participants on the PFMRP in Cambodia. He mentioned, the PFMRP was promulgated by Prime Minister Hun Sen in 2004 with the purpose of change the PFM system in Cambodia from “Input-Centralized to output-decentralized” followed with the international best practices. Mr. Ramon also shared on the situation of the economy of Cambodia from 1993 to date which Cambodia has clear vision by changing from a country industrialized country who has a large labour force to a- skill industrialized by 2025, a country with Medium High Income by 2030 and High Income in 2050. To achieve the above mission, Mr. Ramon raised about the PFMRP which has four steps and stages, and so far, each ministry implemented both national and sub-national. He confirmed that up to now we are in the step and stage 3 is the linkage of budget to the policy. Mr. Ramon shared the ways forward to achieve this, the MEF established some of the strategies including Public Finance Management Reform Program Strategy (2018-2025), Resource Mobilization Strategy (2019-2023), Sub-National Administrative Budget System Reform Strategy 2019-2025, Public Procurement System Reform Strategy 2019-2025, Strategy for Public Investment Management System Reform 2019-2025 and Way forward, Sub-Decree 81-82 continues to apply and congestion and related debts over 60.

H.E Kol Vathana, Deputy General Secretary of Cambodia National Mekong Committee – CNMC, updated on hydropower dam development in Mekong Basin, progress and challenges and combine actions for sustainable development. His presentation covered on 1) introduction, 2) Legal Framework for the 1995 Mekong River Agreement and Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation and Consent,3) Current status of project development and Mekong River Basin, 4) Current status of 3S Development (Sesan, Srepok and Sekong)

At the end of the meeting, Dr. Tek Vannara summarized the results of the meeting and thanked all the distinguished guests and participants for exchanging wisdom and experiences related to the topics raised. The meeting ended as planned and got a proud result. Finally, Dr. Vannara wished the participants to meet the four blessings: age, class, health and strength finitely.