United Nations
United Nations Development Programme and the Unied Nations Population Fund
 
DP/CCF/CMB/2
 
Distr: General
22 December 2000
Original: English
 
First regular session 2001
New York, 29 January-6 February 2001
Item 3 of the provisional agenda
Country cooperation framework and related matters
 
 
 
Second country cooperation framework for Cambodia (2001-2005)
 
I. Development situation from a sustainable human development perspective
 
 
 A. Development goals and priorities.
 
 
1. Since 1993, the Royal Government of Cambodia has made important strides
in re-establishing political and economic stability. The successful conduct
of national elections in July 1998 led to the installation of a coalition
government and the integration of the Khmer Rouge into the Royal Government
Armed Forces. At last, Cambodia is at peace with a unified territory under
one government. The country regained its seat and representation at the
General Assembly and in 1999 became a full member of the Association of
South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). These achievements are impressive
considering the suffering that the country and its people have experienced
during the past quarter of a century.
 
2. Reducing poverty is the overarching development objective of the Royal
Government of Cambodia. At the national workshop, held on 18 May 2000, to
launch the preparation of the second socio-economic development plan,
2001-2005, the Prime Minister stated that the Government's main
poverty-reduction strategy is geared towards achieving: (a) long-term
sustainable economic growth; (b) equitable distribution of the fruits of
economic growth among all socio-economic groups, between urban and rural
areas and between women and men; and (c) sustainable management of the
utilization of the environment and natural resources.
 
3. Following the restoration of political stability in 1998, the Government
adopted a reform programme, which forms part of the Government's Platform
for the Second Term, 1998-2003, and endorsed by the National Assembly in
November 1998. Accountability, sustainability, transparency, and
participation are key concepts in the implementation of the reforms.
Specifically, over the next three years, government priorities will be to
focus on deepening the economic reforms by placing emphasis on fundamental
economic and political issues, to include: fiscal and revenue mobilization;
rationalization of expenditure; administrative reform; military
demobilization; and improved forestry management. A draft governance action
plan has been prepared with a set of actions to be taken to enhance
governance in key areas such as the judicial and legal systems,
anti-corruption, and public finance.
 
4. The international community has endorsed the strategy for state reforms
proposed by the Government. The World Bank's Country Assistance Strategy
was subsequently approved. Furthermore, relations were normalized with the
International Monetary Fund (IMF), which re-established its presence in
Phnom Penh in October 1999. A three-year programme (1999-2002) totalling
$81.6 million was approved under the Poverty-Reduction and Growth Facility.
An interim poverty reduction strategy has been presented to the World Bank
and IMF boards by December 2000, and the country operation strategy of the
Asian Development Bank (AsDB) has been approved by the Bank Board.
 
5. A new development cooperation partnership paradigm was presented to the
donor community at the Consultative Group meeting held in May 2000. The
Government is determined to strengthen its leadership role further in the
implementation of the development agenda and to ensure that this agenda is
nationally owned. In establishing mutually beneficial partnerships, the
Government intends to utilize the guidelines and criteria established by
the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD/DAC), for donor agencies in implementing
partnership and capacity-development activities as well as the principles
for strengthening development partnerships and simplifying and harmonizing
donor procedures, which were agreed on by all donor agencies and countries
at the 1999 OECD/DAC Conference.
 
6. The areas where the United Nations system intends to concentrate its
efforts during the next programming period have been identified by the
United Nations Country Team through the common country assessment (CCA) for
Cambodia. This document pinpoints critical concerns and challenges facing
the country, in particular in the areas addressed at the major United
Nations global conferences. The United Nations Development Assistance
Framework (UNDAF) for Cambodia was finalized in June 2000 and covers the
period 2001-2005. It serves as a frame of reference for the specific
programmes of the United Nations development organizations working in
Cambodia and it reflects their overall objectives and areas of
concentration. It is to be noted that the programming periods of UNDP, the
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) are harmonized ? precisely for
the period 2001-2005 ? and that, consequently, all their programmes will
start in 2001.
 
7. The second country cooperation framework (CCF) is the result of close
consultations with the Royal Government and the major United Nations and
donor partners. It reflects the major recommendations of the review of the
first CCF, which was completed in November 1999. Its objectives are in line
with the socio-economic development requirements as expressed by the
Government at the  Paris Consultative Group Meeting (May 2000), with the
overall goals of the Government's upcoming socio-economic development plan,
and with the UNDAF objectives.
 
 
 
 B. Current problems and challenges
 
 
8. As Cambodia enters the new millennium, it is faced with the greatest
challenge of creating an environment of good governance in order to
consolidate peace, justice and the national democratization process. More
specifically, the following elements provide the underlying framework of
national challenges: promoting participation and consensus-building,
promoting transparent and accountable public institutions, developing
capabilities, creating opportunities and reducing social exclusion and
vulnerability. The following analysis is drawn largely from the Cambodian
socio-economic surveys of 1997 and 1998-1999, the CCA, the United Nations
system consultative group paper on poverty and human development, the
national human development report, and other key poverty assessments and
profiles prepared by the Government and its development partners.
 
 
 Poverty
 
9. With an estimated 36 per cent of the overall population and 40 per cent
of the rural population living below the poverty line and with a per capita
gross domestic product of about $280, addressing poverty constitutes a
critical challenge in Cambodia. Poverty in Cambodia has many determinants.
Major among them are the lack of opportunity for sustainable sources of
income, the lack of access to productive assets such as land and the low
return on these assets because of the difficulty in accessing credit, the
depleted rural infrastructure, etc. Furthermore, low purchasing power,
remoteness and weather conditions have an adverse impact on food security.
The very large number of mines and unexploded ordnance in Cambodia is also
a major hurdle to food security and the economic reintegration of returning
and landless populations.
 
10. Cambodia's greatest loss was the depletion of human capital due to a
major human tragedy and the large-scale exodus of the educated citizens
during the years of the Khmer Rouge. A recent study funded by UNDP and
carried out by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport/the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reported
that functionally literate people make up only 37 per cent of Cambodia's
adult population. In addition, only 10 per cent of the population is
engaged in skilled occupation. These factors place severe limitations on
labour productivity. It should be noted in this connection that, given the
total fertility rate of 4.2 per woman and the fact that 40.8 per cent of
the population is below the age of 15, the demands on the employment market
are high, and employment opportunities are grossly insufficient. Poverty in
Cambodia is also a consequence of the low access to and high cost of
quality basic services such as education, health and clean water,
particularly for the poor themselves.
 
11. More challenges are emerging as Cambodia moves upwards on the scale
of economic development. The lack of access to decision-making has
prevented the poor from participating actively in community activities,
created gaps between government policies and their implementation, and
resulted in conflicts between the local authorities and the local
population (e.g., land disputes).
 
12. With this legacy of suffering and devastation, the human development
index (HDI) for Cambodia is understandably one of the lowest in Asia:
according to the Human Development Report 1999, Cambodia ranks 137 of 174
countries. There are lacunae in the gender development index and the gender
empowerment measures. There is a huge gap between the rich and the poor and
36 per cent of the country's population, which totals 11.4 million people,
live below the poverty line. Rural households account for nearly 90 per
cent of the country's poor but urban population growth may lead to an
increase in the number of urban poor. The high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in
Cambodia poses a major threat to development and predicted increases will
lead to a deterioration in the current human development situation.
 
13.  The importance of fighting against poverty is fully recognized by
the Government. The goals of the socio-economic development plan,
1996-2000, were the reduction and eventual eradication of poverty; speedy
poverty alleviation and economic progress were the most important agenda
items of the 1998-2003 Royal Government platform issued in November 1998.
To date, however, Cambodia does not have a comprehensive national
poverty-reduction strategy. Several initiatives are under way to address
this institutional gap, through the preparation of the second five-year
socio-economic development plan, 2001-2005, the interim poverty reduction
strategy paper and the PRSP itself, all of which are expected to form the
Government's national poverty reduction strategy.
 
14. To combat poverty and seek accelerated growth rate, Cambodia joined
the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) in 1999. Accession to AFTA is a
potentially important step in the development of the country. It will open
new markets and will raise the efficiency of firms by exposing them to
greater competition. It is also a positive factor for attracting foreign
direct investment and increasing the rate of acquisition of new
technologies and management skills. Cambodia has also started a negotiation
process for accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). However, trade
is not a panacea and requires a deepening of domestic policy reforms in
order to ensure pro-poor growth. Efforts need to be carried out
simultaneously to create an enabling environment for enterprise development
and to strengthen the response of national firms to incentives offered by
the multilateral trading system. Without building the appropriate
capacities for policy formulation and implementation, there is a risk that
the positive impact of the new trade regime will be neutralized and will
even contribute to increasing social inequalities.
 
 
 Governance, peace and justice
 
15. The process of transition from a centralized economy to a
market-based economy represents an additional challenge for the country.
Since 1993, Cambodia has enjoyed sustained economic growth (with the
exception of 1997-1998, following the Asian financial crisis and domestic
political problems). As part of its socio-economic development objective,
the Government is committed to facilitating the emergence of the private
sector as the key engine of growth and to promoting social development
through the provision of effective public services to all citizens. The
redefinition of the role of government and non-state actors (private
sector, civil society, etc.) in a market-oriented economy is therefore
central to Cambodia's public administration reforms. The objective is to
foster a new partnership between the public sector and other national
players and to lay the foundation for active and effective participation in
all spheres of public life (i.e., economic, political and administrative).
In particular, the Government plans to hold commune elections, which will
lead to the establishment of commune councils with authority to raise
revenue, receive funding and manage local development.
 
16. The absence of the rule of law and a very weak capacity to
administer justice contribute to a climate of impunity, corruption and lack
of respect of human rights. The Government recognizes the need to establish
the rule of law and to improve public governance and promote a fully
participatory democracy within which human rights will be upheld.
 
17. Cambodia is also witnessing the emergence of vibrant civil society
organizations (CSOs) representing different segments of the population and
promoting their rights. However, after years of repression and of fear, the
social fabric is still weak and mistrust still exists at all levels in
society. The Government recognizes that after decades of conflict, one of
its main challenges is to rebuild national life and to consolidate the
achievements of the process of national reconciliation, which has begun in
recent years.
 
 
 Environment
 
18. Environmental degradation and the unsustainable exploitation of
natural resources continue to be serious concerns in Cambodia. The
overriding issue is how to achieve sustainable utilization of natural
resources in an equitable manner for the benefit of the local communities
and the national economy while maintaining the integrity of the resources
and the conservation of local flora and fauna. A concerted and continuous
effort from the Government supported by development partners is needed to
obtain a sustainable balance between development and conservation. In
addition, by converting illegal environmental activities into legal ones,
the Government can earn legal revenues from Cambodia's rich natural
resources in a sustainable fashion, which, in turn, will finance important
reform processes.
 
19. In early 1998, the Government adopted the national environment
action plan (NEAP), the stated goal of which is to improve environmental
management. The NEAP states that the common problems relating to
environmental management are inadequacy of environmental regulations and
the limited institutional capacity and/or political will to enforce them.
 
 
 Gender
 
20. Cambodian women represent 53 per cent of the active labour force and
head 25 per cent of Cambodian households. However, women face constraints
in all areas of life. They are seriously under-represented at the level of
national decision-making, representing only 10 per cent of all elected
leaders at provincial and village levels. Of 25 ministers, only two women
hold a ministerial portfolio and there are four women Secretaries of State
out of 50; of the 122 members of the National Assembly, 10 are women.
Women continue to face substantial discrimination on the labour market,
earning 30 to 40 per cent less than men. Literacy rate for men is 40 per
cent higher than for women; male school enrolment is 50 per cent greater
than that of girls by age 15, and nearly three times as large by age 18;
maternal mortality is one of the highest in Asia.
 
21.  In recent years, the rapid increase in the number of sex workers and
trafficking of women and children have become acute problems. Cross-border
trafficking and illegal migration from Cambodia to Thailand is widespread
although no statistics are available. Conditions of poverty, social
upheaval, underdeveloped legal infrastructure and weak law enforcement are
all contributing to the rapid growth of the sex industry.
 
 
 
II. Results and lessons of past cooperation
 
 
22. As reflected in the findings of the mid-term review of the first CCF
(1997-2000), UNDP has facilitated Cambodia's transition towards stability
and the support provided through the Programme has been consistent with the
country's development objectives. The first CCF focused on: (a) enabling
environment for sustainable human development (SHD); (b) poverty
eradication and sustainable livelihoods; (c) environment (d) gender
equality and the advancement of women; and (e) special  development
situations.
 
23. The CCF country review report (2000) recommends that the focus of
the second CCF be on (a) intervention at the national level to support
improved governance and development management, including public
administration reform and aid coordination and (b) continued
capacity-building for participatory development and poverty reduction at
the local level. The number of projects should be smaller and, as much as
feasible, activities dealing with the same area of concentration should be
grouped under the same programme. The following paragraphs outline main
results and lessons of past cooperation.
 
 
 
 Enabling environment for sustainable human development.
 
 
24. Policy dialogue and analysis. UNDP cooperation focused on raising
people's awareness and creating analytical capacity with regard to SHD
issues. These interventions have been instrumental in stimulating
discussion and debate within the Government and between the Government and
civil society on important poverty-related issues. However, concerted
long-term efforts are still necessary to build national capacity and
improve the Government's leadership in the formulation and monitoring of
SHD policies and strategies in participation with civil society and the
private sector.
 
25. Institutional capacity for elections. The importance of elections in
the process of the reintegration of all peoples into Cambodian society and
their empowerment to influence the decisions that affect their daily lives
can hardly be exaggerated. In this regard, as Cambodia progresses towards
more decentralized forms of government, continued support to legal
frameworks for elections at communal council levels and definitions of the
role of these decentralized entities would enable further strengthening of
the democratization process.
 
26. Reform of legal structures, respect for human rights, and tolerance.
Cambodia's recent history of political conflict and the destruction of its
judiciary and legal institutions means that the respect for the primacy of
the rule of law is perhaps the primary challenge in the area of governance.
It is a difficult task and UNDP-financed efforts in this area have thus far
had mixed results. UNDP cooperation was intended to strengthen, inter alia,
the capacities of the National Assembly and its Commission on Human Rights
but met with less success owing to insufficient commitment on the
counterpart side. Further, it was found that to improve the quality of
legislation in the National Assembly requires the development of a broader
understanding and discussion of policy formulation issues rather than a
focus on the techniques of legislative drafting.
 
27. Promotion of an efficient civil service. Improving public sector and
strengthening civil service capacity are key elements for Cambodia's
future. UNDP support to national public administration reform did not lead
to the expected results. The reasons for this failure include the earlier
political instability, the lack of consensus on the scope and objectives of
the reform at the political level and the fact that the project objectives
themselves were too ambitious, considering the absorptive capacity of the
Government at the time. It is now fully recognized that the transformation
of the government machinery into a transparent and efficient public
administration must be considered in a longer-term perspective. The
Government has given UNDP the leadership among donors to support the
implementation of a revised strategy for public administration reforms. The
prospects for future multi-bi cooperation in this area are promising.
 
 
 
 Poverty eradication and sustainable livelihoods
 
 
28. Support for monitoring of human poverty and income poverty. UNDP
focused on developing the capacity of the Government in the collection,
collation, monitoring and analysis of data on poverty. The publication of
key statistical and analytical documents on the evolution of poverty is
highly valued by the Government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and
donors as it allows  for enhanced policy dialogue, support to national
decision-making processes and effective comparison of poverty trends over
time. However, additional efforts are required to ensure that poverty
monitoring and analysis inputs are effectively integrated into the national
policy decision-making system, especially in the context of preparation for
the second five-year socio-economic development plan and the PRSP.
 
29. Promotion of participation (including that of women) in development
planning and other decision-making processes, development of the capacity
of local authorities and support for increased allocation of public support
to the sub-national and national levels. UNDP support to decentralized and
participatory planning, finance, and management of rural development (the
Cambodian Resettlement and Reintegration Programme (CARERE)) has been
perceived by the Government as a potential model programme in promoting
decentralization and local governance. It has brought about social cohesion
and socio-economic progress at the provincial and local levels while
generating some positive policy-level impact in the wider context of
decentralization. This confirms that participatory and decentralized
development does  contribute to local progress and poverty reduction.
However, the policy impact at the national level depends on the extent of
the Government's institutional capacity-building. Another key lesson is the
importance attached to adopt a pilot-based approach in testing alternative
development models.
 
30. Promotion of access of the poor and women to microfinance services.
UNDP support to the Association of Cambodian Local Economic Agencies
(ACLEDA) is a success story in UNDP cooperation with Cambodia. ACLEDA is
now by far the largest provider of micro-credit and small business credit
in Cambodia. In particular, the systems and methodology for administering
cost-effective micro-credit are considered best practice for development.
 
31.  Support self-organization of the urban poor. UNDP work focused on
creating an effective forum for dialogue between the Municipality of Phnom
Penh, urban poor communities, and NGOs. Consolidation of this innovative
initiative requires a comprehensive urban poverty reduction strategy, that
will strengthen the institutional framework for donor support.
 
 
 
 Environment
 
 
32. UNDP focused its support on enhancing national awareness on climate
change and bio-diversity-related issues and building capacity for the
sustainable management of forests. Such intervention led to more open
policy dialogue and expanded public awareness on matters of resource
conservation and sustainability. The key lesson is to foster
interministerial collaboration and dialogue to ensure the proper
coordination of national resource management and increased awareness on
fundamental environmental concepts such as the management of protected
areas, biodiversity and climate change.
 
 
 
 Gender equality and the advancement of women
 
 
33. UNDP has been an active player and advocate in Cambodia for
gender-mainstreaming both at the policy and grass-roots levels. Gender has
been appropriately treated as a cross-cutting concern in practically all
UNDP projects. UNDP has provided major support to CARERE and projects
dealing with governance, democracy and human rights, the urban poor, and
micro-credit, as well as HIV/AIDS-related activities. UNDP involvement in
supporting gender- mainstreaming, whether at the policy level or through
grass-roots activities, has led to effective results. In this regard, it is
critical to pursue efforts aimed at developing a national capacity for
gender-mainstreaming at all levels of the national development process.
 
 
 
 Special development situations
 
 
34. UNDP focused its support through technical cooperation for the
management of the Cambodian Mine Action Centre. The tasks remaining in land
clearance, mine awareness and related activities are enormous and must be
approached by everyone concerned in a long-term time frame. Further
technical cooperation will be needed for some time to come and UNDP
cooperation should be appropriately scheduled to shift from the use of
long-term expatriate technical advisers to more focused advisory support in
selected interventions to assist Cambodian managers to upgrade their
capacities and systems.
 
 
 
 Programme management
 
 
35. The systematic evaluation of programme activities has been carried
out for all programmes and projects to draw lessons learned and to provide
strategic direction for improvement. Development partners have been
encouraged and invited to participate in the Government and UNDP evaluation
and formulation exercises, leading to positive results in terms of
partnerships and collaborative arrangements with United Nations partner
agencies and others (e.g., AsDB parallel funding for the "Building
together: Gender equity" programme; financial support from Australia and
the United Kingdom to the "Forest-Crime Monitoring" trust fund; and support
from the Department for International Development (DFID) to the programme
of support to the Municipality of Phnom Penh urban poverty-reduction
strategy).
 
36. The UNDP focus needs to be narrowed with a view to making the best
possible use of scarce resources and to make a real difference. Greater and
greater emphasis is to be placed on partnerships and, increasingly, the
country office is to play a catalytic, brokering role. Along the lines of
the Administrator's Business Plans, UNDP will direct its assistance more
and more towards policy advocacy, institution- strengthening and other
upstream activities such as knowledge networking and support for
empowerment.
 
 
 
III. Objectives, programme areas and expected results
 
 
37. For the past decade, Cambodia has enjoyed sustained economic growth
and at last the country is at peace. For this situation to be consolidated
and sustained, the country will need to forge a shared national vision
through consensus-building and social cohesion around key development
priorities. To this end, people-centred development processes and good
governance for poverty reduction are the major challenges identified by the
United Nations system in Cambodia. The UNDAF indicates that these
challenges could be best addressed under the following mutually supportive
areas of concentration: (a) governance, peace and justice; (b) poverty
eradication; (c) human development; and (d) sustainable management of
natural resources. Other cross-cutting areas include human rights, gender
equality and women's empowerment, minority groups, children and youths'
rights, participation and democracy, regional cooperation, and
reintegration of demobilized soldiers.
 
38. In line with overall objectives of the United Nations system for the
period, the objective of the second CCF (2001-2005) is to focus on creating
a pro-poor environment conducive to openness, transparency, accountability
and participation in the national development process both at the central
and local levels, with a view to achieving the shared goal of sustainable
poverty reduction. This objective is fully in line with both the
objectives of the Government's second five-year socio-economic development
plan. It is also fully in line with the Secretary-General's agenda for
development, which aims at halving, by 2015, the proportion of the world's
poor, and with the global focus of UNDP to providing upstream support and
advising Governments on policies and institutions to meet their development
challenges.
 
39. UNDP will focus its interventions in the following three areas of
concentration: (a) strengthening governing institutions (national and local
level); (b) reduction and monitoring of poverty; (c) management of natural
resources. Gender will be a cross-cutting theme in all areas of
concentration. Systematic monitoring and analysis of poverty and welfare
indicators and trends in the context of the national development process
will be at the core of UNDP policy and institutional development work
during the second CCF. Governance enhancement and systematic support for
open and participatory processes of policy-making, priority-setting,
resource allocation and the  monitoring of implementation will be at the
heart of all development interventions. The three areas of concentration
under the CCF will provide the main sources of knowledge-building on UNDP
technical cooperation in Cambodia.
 
40. The strategy underlying the second country cooperation framework
will include in particular the following principles:
 
 (a) Priority will be given to programmes and projects likely to have
multiple effects and a significant impact on the kinds of policies and
institutions that will help most to eradicate poverty, ensure gender
justice, and strengthen human rights;
 
 (b) Programmes and projects will be policy-driven, promote the piloting
of innovative ideas and produce strategic policy analyses and options;
 
 (c) Every effort will be made to have a clear, two-way connection
between the policy advice given at the central level and field-level
activity;
 
 (d) Capacity-building will continue to be a key element of all
interventions supported by UNDP in order to enhance national ownership and
leadership of the development process. In this regard, special emphasis
will be given on nationally driven execution of all technical
interventions;
 
 (e) Special attention will be given to strategic partnership-building
for the enhanced impact of development interventions and the mobilization
of critically needed complementary technical cooperation resources;
 
 (f) All UNDP interventions in Cambodia will be results-oriented with a
view to promoting effective knowledge-building, knowledge-sharing and
access to best practices.
 
A detailed review of each area of concentration is given below.
 
 
 
 A. Strengthening governing institutions
 
 
41. To support the efforts of the Government to promote good governance
and create an environment for peace, justice and development, UNDP will
concentrate its efforts in the following four programme areas and expected
results:
 
 
 1. Promoting efficiency, effectiveness and accountability in the public
 administration (central and provincial levels) to address effectively the
 challenges of national transformation, respond better to the population's
 needs and deliver services more efficiently.
 
42. The expected results in this programme area are:
 
 (a) Strengthened capacity of the Council of Administrative Reforms to
plan, implement, monitor and coordinate public administration reforms;
 
 (b) Effective dissemination of information and mechanisms for policy
consultation, including central and local policy networks, to reach
national consensus on public reform priorities and advise the Government on
policy options, including gender representation and participation in the
public sector.
 
 (c) Adoption of the necessary laws and regulatory texts for
decentralization and deconcentration by the relevant authorities, based on
lessons learned under CARERE and the national programme on decentralized
government (SEILA);
 
 (d) Establishment of a legislative and regulatory framework for commune
council elections and commune administration;
 
 (e) Improved central and local policy dialogue and connectivity for
informed national  policy and legislative reforms in support of lessons
learned from local successes;
 
 (f) Enhanced fiscal deconcentration and budget processes based on the
budget priorities and plans of provinces and districts (pilot initiative:
health sector);
 
 (g) Improved capacity of local institutions to meet poverty-reduction
and gender justice needs through effective mobilization, allocation and
management of resources;
 
 (h) Enhanced capacity of the rural and urban communities in the
monitoring and implementation of local development projects;
 
 (i) Increased participation of urban and rural communities (including
women organizations, civil society organizations (CSOs), NGOs, and the
private sector) in local authority decision-making processes and in the
planning and budgeting of priority development interventions.
 
Partnerships will be formed in the Government and with the Donor Working
Group on Public Administration Reform, as well as with the German Agency
for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), the Ministry of Development Cooperation of
the Netherlands, the Swedish Agency for International Development (SIDA),
the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom,
the European Union, the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD), the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF),
the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) and the
World Food Programme.
 
 
 2. Strengthening institutional capacity of parliamentary structures,
 systems and processes (National Assembly and Senate)
 
43. The expected results in this programme area are:
 
 (a) Increased effectiveness of parliament to perform its legislative and
oversight functions as a contribution to the strengthening of the country's
democratization process, the promotion of the rule of the law and the
protection of vulnerable groups. In particular, increased capacity of the
Senate and the National Assembly to understand and discuss draft
legislation; set policy priorities, allocate scarce resources and monitor
policy implementation, including informed budgetary processes in the health
sector (pilot initiative);
 
 (b) Increased participation of civil society, especially women and
disadvantaged groups, in the law-making process and monitoring of the
implementation of laws, especially in matters of human rights and the
rights of women.
 
Partnerships will be formed with the Government and with the Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
France, Asian parliaments, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Office
of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) and the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
 
 
 3. Enhancing administration of, and access to, justice.
 
44. The expected results in this programme area are:
 
 Increased capacity of the judiciary and the courts to act independently,
uphold the rule of the law and ensure gender justice (judicial mentors
initiative).
 
Partnerships will be formed with the Government, CIDA, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of France, the Ministry of Development Cooperation of the
Netherlands, the Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD),
AsDB, the World Bank and UNHCHR.
 
 
 4. Strengthen the Government's capacity for effective and efficient aid
 coordination and management
 
45. The expected results in this programme area are:
 
 (a) Enhanced role for the Government in the formulation, implementation
and monitoring of policy papers and public investment programmes;
 
 (b) A strengthened partnership framework for the effective coordination
and management of external assistance, including common modalities and
procedures for programme execution and information sharing.
 
Partnerships will be formed with the Government and with the donor
community. UNDP will act as facilitator.
 
 
 
 B. Poverty reduction and monitoring
 
 
46. The success of the national poverty-reduction strategies (including
the second five-year socio-economic development plan and the PRSP) is
predicated on an efficient and participatory poverty-monitoring and
analysis system and enhanced access to information and knowledge. In this
regard, and in order to support the Government's objective to promote
growth with equitable redistribution, UNDP will concentrate its efforts in
the following three programme areas and expected results.
 
 
 1. Promoting pro-poor and gender-sensitive national and sectoral
 policies and strategies
 
47. The expected results in this programme area are:
 
 (a) Enhanced capacities of the Government to conduct socio-economic
household surveys and other data-collecting exercises, thereby supporting
the compilation of comprehensive and gender-disaggregated poverty and
welfare data and contributing to targeted pro-poor programming;
 
  (b) Strengthened capacities of the Government to monitor the evolution
of the socio-economic situation and assess the effectiveness of national
poverty reduction policies and strategies (including the second five-year
socio-economic development plan and the PRSP) as well as government- and
donor-funded anti-poverty interventions;
 
 (c) A strengthened national/provincial capability to learn, research,
analyse, plan, and evaluate multisectoral and multidimensional responses to
the HIV/AIDS epidemic in order to understand and respond better to the
development implications of the HIV/AIDS epidemic;
 
 (d) National and sectoral poverty-reduction policies and strategies,
including the HIV/AIDS strategy, are developed and implemented through a
participatory process, giving priority attention to the poor and vulnerable
groups, including women;
 
 (e) Acceptance and use of survey and participatory methodologies for
planning, implementing and monitoring anti-poverty policies and programmes;
 
Partnerships will be formed with the Government and with DFID, AsDB, the
World Bank and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
 
 (f) Trade-related matters are mainstreamed in the second five-year
socio-economic development plan and the PRSP and pro-poor trade and
investment policy reforms and programmes are formulated and implemented,
making sure that the country and the poor benefit from the integration in
the global economy; (This programme intervention will be part of a
multilateral effort, the Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical
Assistance to Least Developed Countries.)
 
Partnerships will be formed with the Government and with the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Trade Centre (ITC), the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Trade
Organization (WTO) and the World Bank.
 
 (g) A comprehensive mine action plan developed and integrated into
Cambodia's overall national socio-economic planning, and formulated with
community participation in the identification of mine-clearance priorities.
 
Partnerships will be formed with the Government and the Australian Agency
for International Development (AusAID), EU, DFID, the Department for
International Development Cooperation of Finland (FINNIDA), the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of France, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency
(JICA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and
the European Union).
 
 
 2. Enhancing access to, and effective utilization of, information and
 knowledge for enhanced impact of poverty-reduction efforts
 
48. The expected results in this programme area are:
 
 (a) A national and multisectoral assessment of the potential needs,
practical solutions, partnership options and potential impact of
information and communication technologies on the national development
process;
 
 (b) Increased national capacity to access and process trade-related
information, and effectively engage in multilateral trade negotiations in
coordination with other subregional groupings, especially in the context of
pro-poor and equitable trade.
 
Partnerships will be formed with the Government Civil Society Organizations
(CSOs), NGOs and the private sector.
 
 
 3. Promoting improvements in the livelihoods of the poor.
 
49. The expected results in this programme area are:
 
 (a) Greater access for the poor and other vulnerable groups, including
women, in rural and urban areas to sustainable income-generating
opportunities, employment and productive assets (including land);
 
 (b) Strengthened national capacity for disaster preparedness and
contingency planning (natural and man-made disasters).
 
Partnerships will be formed with the Government and DFID, AsDB, the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), IFAD, the United
Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS), the World Food Programme
(WFP) and NGOs.
 
 
 
 C. Management of natural resources.
 
 
50. Environmental degradation and unsustainable exploitation of natural
resources continue to be serious concerns in Cambodia. UNDP support will
concentrate on the following three programme areas and expected results.
 
 
 1. Promoting national policy, legal and regulatory framework for
 environmentally sustainable development.
 
51. The expected results in this programme area are:
 
 Legal framework reformed to strengthen provincial and local-level
capacity to ensure more equitable access to natural resources (forestry and
fisheries) and better integration of natural-resources management in local
development planning. (Emphasis on links with other ongoing
decentralization initiatives such as CARERE/SEILA).
 
Partnerships will be formed with the Government and with the Danish
International Development Agency (DANIDA), DFID, AsDB, FAO, The Global
Environment Facility (GEF), the Mekong River Commission (MRC), the World
Bank and NGOs.
 
 
 2. Strengthening the monitoring and assessment of environmental
 sustainability.
 
52. The expected results in this programme area are:
 
 Improved national capacity for proper monitoring and reporting of
illegal logging and wildlife activities, in concession and non-concession
forestlands, as well as in national parks and protected areas.
 
Partnerships will be formed with the Government and with DANIDA, DFID,
AsDB, the World Bank, Global Witness; FAO and NGOs.
 
 
 3. Enhancing national capacity for participation in global conventions,
 regulatory regimes and funding mechanisms for environmentally sustainable
 development.
 
53. The expected results in this programme area are:
 
 Improved national capacity to fulfil commitments to global environmental
conventions (national strategy and action plans, national communication for
biodiversity and climate change) and nomination for a natural world
heritage site (Cardamom mountains).
 
Partnerships will be formed with the Government and with AsDB, FAO, GEF,
MRC and UNESCO.
 
 
 
 D. Gender
 
 
54. The Platform for Action (PFA) adopted by the Fourth World Conference
on Women in 1995 and reconfirmed at the recent Beijing + 5 Conference in
New York, indicates clearly the need for the establishment and
strengthening of a national machinery for the advancement of women. The
Government, which is a signatory of the PFA, has recently reconfirmed its
commitment in this regard. UNDP has assisted the Government to achieve this
goal by providing support for the preparation of the Government's policy
strategy on the advancement of women. During the second CCF, UNDP will
concentrate on promoting gender equality as a cross-cutting issue in the
decision-making process at all levels (central, provincial, and district).
In addition, UNDP will concentrate on the following programme area and
expected results.
 
 
 Strengthening advocacy, networking and partnerships for gender equality
 
55. The expected results in this programme area are:
 
 (a) A strengthened advocacy capacity of the Ministry of Women's and
Veterans' Affairs;
 
 (b) A strengthened gender-mainstreaming capacity at both central and
provincial levels.
 
Partnerships will be formed with the Government and with GTZ, the Ministry
of Development Cooperation of the Netherlands, AsDB, the International
Organization for Migration (IOM), UNFPA, and the United Nations Development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM).
 
 
 
IV. Management arrangements
 
 
 A. Programme management
 
 
56. In conjunction with the new partnership paradigm of the Government,
UNDP will focus all its efforts on strengthening the Government's ownership
of the development agenda and leadership of the development process.
Specifically, UNDP will provide technical cooperation to the Government in
strengthening national capacity for the enhanced coordination and
management of external assistance. In addition, most UNDP-funded programmes
will be nationally executed and the responsibility for management will be
shifted more and more to national institutions and/or Government
counterpart units on the basis of capacity assessments. For all ongoing
agency-executed projects, an exit strategy will be developed to facilitate
the gradual transfer of programme/project management to the national or
Government institutions.
 
57. Furthermore, the Government has indicated that there appears to be
some momentum in creating a road map for more collaborative partnerships,
whether these become adaptations of the sector-wide appraisal programme
(SWAP) or other types of approaches. UNDP acknowledges the importance of
greater integration of development interventions. However, practical
solutions are still to be identified owing to the very nature of the
challenges of adopting the SWAP or other similar approaches. UNDP therefore
intends to make every effort to ensure the integration of all its
activities into a large framework of support to the particular area. In
addition, joint or parallel programmes will be undertaken with other United
Nations organizations, in accordance with UNDAF.
 
 
 
 B. Linkages with intercountry programmes
 
 
58. The linkages between intercountry programmes and country projects
will be further promoted, focusing geographically on ASEAN and the Mekong
subregion and thematically on cross-border issues. In particular, links
will be established with selected subregional programmes offering potential
for complementary support to national efforts in such areas as: capacity
development and institutional strengthening of parliament and promotion of
human rights-related matters (e.g., the regional governance programme,
known as PARAGON), better management of common natural resources (e.g.,
Mekong River Commission), foster political dialogue (e.g., with ASEAN and
the Mekong River Commission), impact on disaster mitigation (e.g. Mekong
River Commission), trafficking of women and children, Integrated Framework
and globalization (e.g. ASEAN), HIV/AIDS (e.g., RBAP) and gender. The
exchange of experiences and good practices through networking will be an
essential element in the pursuit of such intercountry programmes.
 
 
 
 C. Resource mobilization strategy and targets.
 
 
59. The country office will adopt a more systemic approach in assessing
the scope, the nature and content of overall resource requirements in
support of its priority functions of United Nations support, policy and
institutional development work and administrative support services as set
forth in the CCF. In particular, the resource mobilization strategy
acknowledges the centrality of accessing more policy knowledge and skills
to achieve the core objectives of the CCF. In this regard, the resource
mobilization strategy will need to go beyond financial contributions to
include in-kind contributions in order to maximize opportunities to achieve
set CCF objectives.
 
60. More specifically, the resource mobilization strategy will build on
a critical functional review of the UNDP country office unit for effective
implementation of the CCF and a subsequent cost-effective and efficient
reallocation of all available human resources (both regular and other
resources) through the use of the resource strategy table (RST) tool. New
and innovative ways will need to be designed in order to expand the RST
beyond human resources to include other resources (e.g. knowledge
networks). The functional review exercise will provide the basis to
identify capacity gaps, design relevant capacity profiles and engage in
effective and informed resource mobilization (both financial and in-kind).
 
61. In addition, the country office resource mobilization efforts will
rely on the comparative advantages of UNDP, the achievements and successes
of past UNDP technical cooperation in Cambodia as outlined in the first CCF
country review (2000), and the organization's intention to focus on policy
and institutional development interventions that carry the potential for
multiple development effects.
 
62. The resource mobilization targets are estimates of the total
financial resources, both regular and other resources, that are expected to
be available to support the programme areas and other related activities of
the CCF. In-kind contributions will be estimated at a later stage, based,
among other things, on the functional reviews noted above.
 
[End]
 
 
 
Annex
 
Resource mobilization target table for Cambodia (2001-2005)
 
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | | | | 
|
 | | | | 
|
 | | Amount | |  
|
 | | | | 
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | |  | | 
|
 | Source | (In | | Comments 
|
 | | thousands of | | 
|
 |  | United | | 
|
 | | | | 
|
 | | States | | 
|
 |  | dollars) | | 
|
 | | | | 
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | | | | 
|
 | | | | 
|
 | | | |  
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | | | | 
|
 | UNDP regular resources | | |  
|
 | | | | 
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | |  | | 
|
 | Estimated carry-over | 4 599 | | Includes carry-over of 
TRAC 1, |
 | | | | TRAC 2 and the earlier 
AOS |
 |  | | | allocations. 
|
 | | | | 
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 |  | | | 
|
 | TRAC 1.1.1 | 13 640 | | Assigned immediately to 
|
 | | | | country. 
|
  | | | | 
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | | | |  
|
 | TRAC 1.1.2 | 0 to 66.7 | | This range of 
percentages is |
 | | per cent of | | presented for initial 
planning |
 | | TRAC 1.1.1 | | purposes only. The 
actual |
 | | | | assignment will depend 
on the |
 | | | | availability of 
high-quality |
 | |  | | programmes. Any 
increase in |
 | | | | the range of 
percentages would |
 | | | | also be subject to 
|
 |  | | | availability of 
resources. |
 | | | | 
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 |  | | | 
|
 | TRAC 1.1.3 | 240 | | 
|
 | | | | 
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | | | | 
|
 | SPPD/STS | 682 | |  
|
 | | | | 
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | | | |  
|
 | | | | 
|
 | Subtotal | 19 161a | | 
|
 | |  | | 
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | | | | 
|
 |  | | | 
|
 | UNDP other resources | | | 
|
 | | | | 
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | | | | 
|
 | | | | 
|
  | Government cost-sharing | - | | 
|
 | | | | 
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | | | | 
|
 | Third party cost-sharing | 7 500 | | 
|
 | | | |  
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | | | | 
|
 | Funds, trust funds and | 18 800 | | 
|
 | other, of which | | | 
|
 | | | | 
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | | | | 
|
 | GEF | 1 000 | | 
|
 |  | | | 
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | | | | 
|
 |  Capacity 21 | 800 | | 
|
 | | | | 
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | | | | 
|
 | CMAC Trust Fund | 13 000 | | 
|
 | | | |  
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | | | | 
|
 | Elections Trust Fund | 4 000 | |  
|
 | | | | 
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | |  | | 
|
 | | | | 
|
 | Subtotal | 26 300 | | 
|
 |  | | | 
|
 
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 | | | | 
|
 |  | | | 
|
 | Grand total | 45 461 | | 
|
 | | | | 
|
  
|----------------------------+--------------+--+--------------------------------|
 
 
 
 a Not inclusive of TRAC 1.1.2, which is allocated regionally for
 subsequent country application.
 
 Abbreviations: AOS = administrative and operational services; TRAC
 = target for resource assignment from the core; CMAC = Cambodia
 Mine Action Centre; GEF = Global Environment Facility; SPPD =
 support for policy and programme development; STS = support for
 technical services.[End]