NGOs First Pursue Meeting with the 3rd Commission of National Assembly on the 8th National Advocacy Conference

20150224 Meeting with NA- News for Website1

20150224 Meeting with NA- News for Website1

Phnom Penh, February 24, 2015: A follow up meeting to the 8th National Advocacy Conference (NAC), was conducted between a group of CSOs – consisting of eight NGOs – and the Third Commission of the National Assembly (NA), chaired by H.E Pol Ham.

The main objectives of the meetings were:

  1. Following up dialogue on the implementation on the previous NAC’s theme “‘Working Together to Promote Effective Reform on Land and Natural Resource Governance in Cambodia”
  2. Updating of the main working activities for the year 2015 and further discussion of the ongoing cooperation between CSOs and the 3rd Commission
  3. Raising concerns and the recommendations of the Indigenous People (IP) related to Economic Land Concession, industrialization, hydropower-dams, forced eviction and resettlement and access to the information

After the discussion, some agreements were reached. :

  1. NA’s 3rd Commission is committed to work on the relevant parts of the Access to Information Draft Law
  2. In the case of the Areng dam, H.E. Pol Ham proposed that Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) should be conducted at the regional level.
  3. The 3rd Commission will continue to follow up on Prey Lang Sub Decree with Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF)
  4. NA’s 3rd Commission has shown a willingness to cooperate and participate with CSOs in the next NAC as well as in other relevant events
  5. CSOs came to an agreement to supporting the 3rd Commission with the logistics arrangement, documents, map and consultation for a study visit to Don Sahong and Lower Sesan Dam II Dams.

“It is a very good initiative and a positive moment between the CSOs/NGOs and the government. Since we managed to make time to talk about issues that are happening in Cambodia at the moment such as the dams, IP, ELC and the deforestation. We, the group of CSOs, believe that this discussion among each party will ensure productive results in the future as well as provide the best solutions for the communities,” said Mr. Tek Vannara, NGOF’s ED.

The CSOs team attended the meeting were The NGO Forum on Cambodia (NGOF), The Advocacy and Policy Institute (API), The Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), Development & Partnership in Action (DPA), Housing Rights Task Force (HRTF), Indigenous Community Support Organisation (ICSO), STAR Kampuchea (SK) and World Vision Cambodia (WVC).

20150224 Meeting with NA- News for Website2