Cambodia has made considerable progress in economic growth and poverty reduction. As the country draws closer to middle-income status, it will be important for Cambodia’s development trajectory to be based on a foundation of sustainable development. To contribute to this effort, the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) co-organised a Workshop on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on 5-6 November 2015 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The event was organised in cooperation with the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) Viet Nam and the Cambodian Ministry of Environment (MOE) as part of the Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum) project series focused on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This workshop brought together participants from various ministries in Cambodia involved in implementing the post-2015 development agenda, including the Ministry of Environment; Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; the Ministry of Planning; the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training; the Ministry of Mine and Energy; and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. The workshop provided a forum for policy-makers to discuss important considerations in mainstreaming sustainable development in Cambodian policy-making in the coming years.
Welcome remarks included a speech from Mr Thierry SCHWARZ, Director of the Political and Economic Department, Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), who remarked that the goal of the workshop would be to discuss how Cambodia could incorporate the 17 SDGs into national policies. H E Dr Tin PONLOK, Secretary General of the National Council for Sustainable Development in the Cambodian Ministry of Environment underlined the importance of sustainable development in Cambodia’s future national planning.
The workshop also included participatory working groups on thematic areas such as addressing climate change, improving human capital, and promoting sustainable agriculture. The working groups identified solutions in these areas to promote sustainable development in Cambodia.
The event was also an opportunity for the ENVforum to present the findings of its upcoming publication, Who will pay for Sustainable Development Goals? Addressing Development Challenges in ASEM countries.