Gaps in Services
There is crucial need for key players to consider collaborative action in developing policies, guidelines, and long term invest- ment plans to avoid overlapping and to fill the gaps in services. Factors to consider include the following:
- The geographical coverage of pro- grammes, activities, and services: lack of services and programmes in remote areas where most people with disabili- ties including land mine victims live;
- The types of services provided in relation to categories of disabilities: the needs of some types of people with disabilities have not been met;
- Lack of qualitative data on the situation of people with disabilities;
- Lack of technical and financial resources to provide adequate services;
- Lack of long term investment plan for the Disability and Rehabilitation sector; and
- Lack of jobs and income generation opportunities for vulnerable groups.

A fundamental issue arising from analysing gaps in services has been the limited repre- sentation by people with disabilities includ- ing women with disabilities to take their place and role in society. So, the implications of a social model of disability for policies, laws, programmes, and services are signifi- cant and wide-ranging. Thus, attention should be paid, to the social disadvantage of people with disabilities and to alleviation of their disadvantages and ensuring equality and human rights.

n How to Fill the Gaps in Services
National coordination and collaboration: Disability Action Council
Critical measures are needed to avoid over- lapping of services, to maximize resources and ensure that quality services are systematically planned, implemented and monitored to meet the various needs of people with disabilities. Currently, the disability and rehabilitation sector has in place the Disability Action Council (DAC), which is the only national co-ordinating body. The DAC plays a key role in co- ordinating, facilitating, negotiating, and net working between individuals, organisations, and institutions working for the well being of people with disabilities. These factors play a major role in the formulation of the National Cambodian Plan of Action for the Disability and Rehabilitation Sector current- ly being developed with the input of both government and NGOs.

Inclusive Strategies
It is essential that both government and donor organisations examine their policies, programmes, and services to ensure that people with disabilities have access to services in the same way as non-disabled people. Therefore, opportunities need to be created to ensure exising services are acces- sible to people with disabilities. Each must examine what is currently being done and what additional activities could be under- taken to ensure that people with disabilities benefit from programmes and services. 

n The primary task of Government
The lack of financial resources and working structure/behaviors are major obstacles for tackling social problems in Cambodia. The main reasons generally cited are lack of national resources, problems in allocation and access, and transparency.

A high percentage of revenues are channeled into security and the defense rather than the social sector (for fiscal year 2000, almost half of the national budget goes towards the security and defense sector - almost twice as much as the health, education, environ- ment, social affairs and women affairs sectors combined). Moreover it is often difficult to access allocated budget.


RECOMMENDATIONS

To address these key issues, and improve the situation of people with disabilities in Cambodia we recommend that donors and the Royal Government of Cambodia:
n Strongly commit and take concrete steps to increase the budget for long term investment in the social sectors, particularly MOSALVY.

n Actively involve joint discussions and close collaboration regarding a demobilization plan, with the NGOs and donor community sharing roles and responsibilities as well as resources for the programme implementa- tion including a comprehensive reintegra- tion plan and access to social services.

n Promote administrative reform and good governance to facilitate efficient and effective government institutions.

n Enact legislation on the rights of people with disabilities to be widely disseminated and effectively enforced.
n Systematically and effectively develop stronger strategies in order to raise awareness and advocacy among policy makers, the general public, and people with disabilities themselves.

n Integrate people with disabilities into the mainstream of social and economic develop- ment including health care, education, physical/mental rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation, and economic development, as part of the ongoing development of the Cambodian Plan of Action.

n Continue to allocate resources for capacity building of government ministries, especially MOSALVY.


EDUCATION


INTRODUCTION

Human resource development and capacity building are at the core of any development strategy. Because of Cambodia's tragic history, issues in the provision of education are complex and serious. The NGO community involved in education applauds the present stance of the Royal Government of Cambodia and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, (MoEYS) as they move toward a policy-driven, sector-wide program approach toward educational issues. The past two decades have seen the system rise appreciably from "the year zero"; the depth of the losses makes the achievements even more notable and the government is to be congratulated.

KEY ISSUES

n Allocation of resources
It is time, for the RGC to make hard choices about the allocation of scarce resources. There have been promises over the last several years about raising the percentage of spending for education to 15 percent of GDP; in fact, the rate continues to decline. (cf Table 1) Parental/ community contributions as well as donor/NGO financing make up close to 75 percent of real costs for primary education. This is not an acceptable level of govern- ment effort even if these external contribu- tions are incorporated into school and provincial income within a regulatory frame- work.

n High rate of repetition and drop out
Government statistics, backed up by observations by NGOs in the field, show an extremely high rate of repetition and dropout, especially in grades one and two. (cf. tables 2 and 3) These are the short-term priority issues to be addressed in any government programs assisted by bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors together with NGOs who are working to improve the quality of education in Cambodia. These groups seek partnership with government as we work together to create an education system that will bring Cambodia into relative parity with ASEAN countries.


n HIV/AIDS
This issue affects all sectors, but the young adult group from which the best teachers are drawn, is the most affected by HIV/AIDS.

n Public Administration Reform
This issue was raised by NGOs as the single most important issue for donors and government to address together. The process of public administration reform commenced in 1994; was dropped in 1997 by the UNDP due to a lack of government commitment and was started again in 1999.

n Lack of coordination
There is a lack of coordination both of donor aid and among education depart- ments within the MoEYS.

The issues of HIV/AIDS, public administra- tion reform and coordination cut across all levels of education. The government's report to the January 2000 Conference in Bangkok entitled Education for All (November 1999) details additional areas in which efforts must be made to improve education in Cambodia, but the above mentioned three issues are ones in which the donor community can and should make clear commitments and demand equal commitments from the Royal Government of Cambodia. It is significant to note that the Ministers of the social sectors, about which the government and donors have expressed such concern, are never invited to the Consultative Group meetings.
RECOMMENDATIONS

NGOs call for serious dialogue among the donors and the government about the provision of quality education in Cambodia, and recommend that the following issues be addressed at the Consultative Group meeting:

Civil Service: Public Administration Reform 
The final agenda for civil service reform should include the government's plans to: 

n Increase salaries based on degrees and performance. 
n Provide incentives for further study/training done well. 
n Create a professional track in education based solely on technical competence without political reference.
Coordination both of donor aid and among educational departments within the MoEYS

n Promote ministry directed sector working groups comprising donor and government personnel. 
n Facilitate provincial coordination of educa- tional activities (MoEYS and Donors). 
n Open large issues of policy to public debate.

HIV/AIDS 

n Disseminate information at all levels. 
n Increase government leadership in partner- ship with NGOs and donors.
FISHERIES


INTRODUCTION

While the donor community has paid close attention to the forestry sector in Cambodia, little attention has been given to commercial fishing and its impacts on local people's livelihood and food security. Fish has long been part of the staple diet of Cambodians, second only to rice in consumption. About 70% of Cambodians' animal protein intake per capita consumption is derived from freshwater fish. The fishery sector contributes from 5.3% to 8.5% of the GDP, which ranks the fishery sector as an important sector for the national economy.

As Cambodia moves towards a free market economy, the commercial pressure on natural resources has dramatically increased. Privatization of the remaining fishery resources has had a great impact on local livelihoods, leading to an alarming increase in conflicts over fisheries.

In order to protect people's livelihoods and natural resources, NGOs have advocated that government institutions apply more effort to solving fishing problems. NGOs have also been piloting another approach, namely community fisheries, in order to protect fishery resources. The experience of NGOs in Stung Treng province show that community fisheries have helped reduce illegal fishing by up to 60% since it was established.

KEY ISSUES

There are numerous problems within the fishery sector, some of which are listed below:

n Impact of commercial fishing on local communities Commercial fishing has had a negative impact on local communities. People's access to fishing for subsistence living has been denied by fishing concessionaires. People's present and future food security has been affected. The conflict between local people and fishing concessionaires has been alarming, sometimes resulting in violence against those who are weak and powerless. The state's mechanisms for avoiding these impacts on local people are inadequate.

n Illegal fishing by fishing conces- sionaires
The commercial fishing lot system has failed to prevent illegal fishing. Illegal fishing by fishing concessionaires is occurring through- out the country. It is a major cause of the destruction and the decline of fishery resources. Despite the recent crackdown on illegal fishing, the activities of the conces- sionaires remain unchanged as they seek to maximize their income in order to pay operational costs, government auction fees and numerous informal payments.

n Inadequate legal framework for controlling commercial fishing
The current Fishery Law was promulgated in 1987 under the then socialist government. Since then, privatization of fishery resources has developed, and enforcement and imple- mentation of the law has been inadequate. The effort to draft a new Fishery Law, with support from the World Bank, has shown the desire of the government to reform the fishery sector. However, NGOs are con- cerned that, unless there is adequate consul- tation, laws drafted by foreign consultants often do not sufficiently reflect the needs of local people who are affected by the law.
n Lack of legal framework for community fisheries
Efforts to promote natural resource management and local livelihoods through community fisheries have been hampered through the lack of a legal framework and enforcement. Villagers who invest precious time, labour and resources into community-based management of fisheries currently have no guarantee of future benefit, in some cases losing their fishing areas to fishing concessionaires and military personnel.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Fishery resources have declined, and this affects the food security and livelihoods of local people. Efforts to protect fish stocks for local consumption are needed. One way to help combat illegal fishing and protect fishery resources is the introduction of community fisheries. However, in order to do this, the following recommendations are suggested:
n Legally protect the right of local communities living nearby fishing areas to fish for a subsistence living. Allow for community fisheries in order to protect fishery resources for sustainable usage and avoid conflicts over these resources. 

n Involve local communities, NGOs and con- cerned agencies and institutions in a consul- tative process in order to devise a more realistic and transparent draft fishery law.

n Act to curtail the militarization of fishery resources. Ensure that demobilization proceeds carefully so as to avoid any exacerbation of existing problems.

n Donor assistance to the fisheries sector should focus on improving the welfare of the local communities affected by developments in the fisheries sector. A narrow emphasis on increasing government revenues from fisheries should be avoided, as this may lead to unsustainable resource extraction.
FORESTRY REFORM


INTRODUCTION

Forests are extremely important for the livelihood and well-being of Cambodians. Forests provide a wide variety of essential goods, including cooking fuel, building and household materials, food, traditional medicine, livestock feed, transportation, and important cultural and environmental services. 

Few of these needs can be met by alternative non-forest resources of comparable cost, availability, and quality. Loss of forest resources and restricted access to these resources - due primarily to privatization to commercial and individual interests, to commercial logging and to government efforts to control illegal logging- has exacerbated rural poverty, disrupted rural communities, and damaged the environment.

Through working with rural populations in Cambodia, NGOs recognize the close relationship between the people of Cambodia and their environment. Knowledge of rural dependency on forest resources has led NGOs to become actively involved in the forest sector. NGOs pioneered support to local communities and to government institutions for mobilizing community forestry, monitoring activities affecting the nation's forests, and building capacity for participatory forest management.

The NGO community commends the RGC's efforts to reform the forestry sector in 1999. The donor stance at the 1999 Consultative Group meeting and international support have led to a number of improvements in the forest sector. The RGC drafted a forest law, a community forestry sub-decree, a concession management sub-decree and a national forest policy. The government-initiated campaign to curtail illegal logging has demonstrated an ability to take action against illegal forestry activities and has been effective in slowing some activities. Actions taken by the RGC in Mondulkiri in early 2000 indicate a willingness to pursue perpetrators of illegal logging. Establishment of the Forest Crime Monitoring Unit also indicates positive efforts in forestry reform. The RGC has also increased transparency and sharing of information related to the forest sector.
KEY ISSUES 

While positive efforts to reform the forest sector have been made, significant concerns remain. Most issues highlighted in the "NGO Statement to the 1999 Consultative Group Meeting on Cambodia" remain important and relevant today and should be emphasized again as critical.

n Policy and Law 
The draft law and policy initiatives men- tioned above are critical to the forest sector but seem to be stalled with no information regarding their status and expected adop- tion. Although the RGC initially involved NGOs in a participatory process, there has been limited access to subsequent revised drafts. 

n Community Forestry 
Community forestry provides a strategy for engaging rural communities in sustainable forest management by making the objectives of rural people central and ensuring that rural people benefit from forest manage- ment. Community forestry should be applied wherever communities have a cultural or livelihood dependency on local forests. Obstacles to the spread of commu- nity forestry include the need to finalise essential legal and administrative measures and the need for increased development support.

n Crackdown on Illegal Logging 
The government campaign to halt illegal logging has had some success, but illegal activities are increasing, with evidence of political, military and elite business involve- ment. In addition, the campaign dispropor- tionately targeted small operators, negative- ly impacted on rural poor, and led to increased land speculation, land grabbing, and - due to lack of alternatives available for rural people -wildlife poaching and depletion of fish stocks and non-timber forest products. 

n Privatization of the Nation's Forest Resources 
NGOs remain concerned about continuing privatization of forest resources at the expense of local communities, which has diminished supplies of forest resources and eroded traditional access to forests causing conflict, internal displacement, and increased poverty.

n Sustainable Forest Management and Revenue Generation 
As stated in the 1999 NGO Statement, Cambodia's forest resources should be better managed and revenues should be directed to meeting public needs. There has been little progress toward sustainable forest management in the past year. The crackdown on illegal logging has focused on law enforcement not on capacity building for sustainable forest management. Regarding sustainable forest management in conces- sion areas, the Draft Cambodian Forestry Concession Review Report inadequately researched and addressed social or environ- mental issues.

While NGOs continue to support the objective of directing revenues to meet public needs, a narrow emphasis on increasing revenue to the national budget may encourage unsustainable levels of logging. 

n Concession Management and Concession Review 
Concessionaires control a majority of the nation's forest resources outside of protected area-over 4 million hectares. Most concession companies have been largely unaffected by the campaign to end illegal logging. In spite of evidence of illegal activity and abuses of people's rights, many concessionaires remain untouched by the law and continue to pose a major threat to local communities and forest resources. In addition, where concessions violate the rights of indigenous communities, they contravene international conventions on indigenous people's rights signed by the RGC. There is little evidence of a positive correlation between industrial utilization of Cambodia's forest resources and the achievement of equitable social and economic development. To the contrary, concessions operating with impunity can increase social conflict and lead to inequitable distribution of forest benefits, sub-optimal economic performance, and environmental degradation.


RECOMMENDATIONS 

Non-humanitarian assistance to Cambodia should continue to be linked to forestry sector reform, which should include the following measures: 

Policy and Law

n Enact appropriate forest and land laws and sub-decrees for community forestry and concession management, drafted through a process that is participatory and transparent and will ensure community participation in the management of forest resources. 

n The forest policy formulation process should be public, broadly participatory and involve a range of stakeholders that generates and informs a national constituen- cy. There should be greater consideration of local communities in the development of policies and laws that impact upon their lives. Without this public participation and transparency, these legal and policy initia- tives may have little value to people in Cambodia.

Community Forestry

n Complete essential legal and administrative measures (the forest law, community forestry sub-decree and community forestry guidelines) in order to apply community forestry wherever communities have a cultural or livelihood dependency on local forests. 

n Accord community forestry a higher priori- ty and provide increased development support.

n Facilitate community groups to obtain inter- nationally recognized certification of com- munity forests. This may increase financial returns to rural populations for sustainable forest management.

Crackdown on illegal logging

n End illegal activities that negatively impact on rural people, including land grabbing and intimidation by political, military and elite business. 

n Rather than targeting the poor as criminals, the crackdown on illegal forest activities should focus on large-scale activities with a view to ending the culture of impunity of the elite in Cambodia. 

n Illegal logging can also be reduced through strategies to secure forest-based liveli- hoods, such as community forestry.

Sustainable Forest Management and Revenue Generation

n Establish appropriate forest policy and forest management capacities as a priori conditions for resuming commercial logging.

n Allocate a greater portion of the revenues generated from forest management to local communities for rural development.
Concession Management and Con- cession Review

n Suspend concession activities until the suit- ability of concession management is proven and appropriate forest policy and forest management capacities are established. 

n Terminate concessions with a record of illegal activity, concessions on indigenous land, and concessions that fail to ensure rural people's access to forest resources or that do not consult rural people in manage- ment planning and implementation. NGOs request that the ADB-funded Sustainable Forest Management Project identify and recommend termination of concessions that threaten local people or limit traditional access to forest resources. 

n Take stronger action to hold forest conces- sions accountable to social, environmental, financial and cultural standards. Commu- nities within concession areas should be consulted prior to the allocation of forest concessions and in developing, monitoring, and evaluating forest management plans. 

n Conduct a study on the effects of forest concessions on communities, including: information on the number of communities affected; the social, cultural and economic effects; conflicts between processes and mechanisms for zoning and community use; conflict resolution mechanisms and the establishment of priority rights.

n Conduct an evaluation of industrial conces- sion management in Cambodia, assessing whether the industrial utilization of Cambodia's forest resources is compatible with the goals of equitable social and economic development. 



GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT


INTRODUCTION

Although the Cambodian Constitution guarantees women equal rights with men, the ability of women to claim these rights has not been realized due to the prevailing social patterns that afford women lower status than men. Gender disparities are evident in access to health services, education, economic activities, and participation in policy and decision making roles. The issue of gender is one that pervades all aspects of Cambodian society and thus requires coordinated and national action.

The National Five-Year Strategic Plan for the advancement of women was produced in February 1999 by the Ministry for Women's and Veteran's Affairs. Its endorsement by the government symbolizes a positive commitment towards promoting the status of women in Cambodia. 

At the First National Conference on Gender and Development in September 1999 Cambodian NGOs committed themselves to advocate on behalf of women to improve their access to health services and education, to address the social problems of violence against women and to improve women's participation in decision-making roles.
KEY ISSUES

n Lack of educational opportunities
Current indicators reveal that girls are seriously disadvantaged at all levels of formal education in Cambodia. Despite the fact that boys and girls enroll in school in equal numbers, girls tend to drop out in larger numbers than boys and the gender gap increases as the level of schooling rises. By age 15, male enrolment is 50% greater than female enrolment. 

n Domestic Violence
The extent of violent crimes against women is too vast to ignore. A national statistical survey on domestic violence revealed that one Cambodian woman in every six is a victim of domestic violence and that half of all women reporting abuse sustained injuries, half of which were to the head. (Zimmermmann 1997). Social and financial imperatives militate against women leaving an abusive spouse. The abiding social and cultural attitudes that condone male domi- nation in the household are reflected in the police and judiciary. Police are reluctant to intervene in what is essentially regarded as a "private matter".
n Trafficking and the Commercial Sex Industry
The commercial sex industry in Cambodia is largely characterized by abuse, violence and trafficking. Although precise figures are not available it is estimated that thousands of women and children are trafficked from rural areas and neighboring countries to cities such as Phnom Penh for the purposes of prostitution. Thousands of Cambodian women and children are trafficked to Thailand, Malaysia and Taiwan to work as prostitutes, beggars, constructions workers, or port carriers. 

With the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS, women and children involved in the commercial sex industry are particularly vulnerable. It is estimated that approximately 42 percent of commercial sex workers are HIV-infected. (AIDS Weekly Plus, 1999)

n Reproductive Health Problems
The infant mortality rate is 89.6 percent per 1000 births and the maternal mortality rate is estimated to be between 473 and 650-900 per 100,000 births (UNFPA 1997; UNICEF 1995b). These statistics are among the worst in the region. 

Cambodia has one of the highest fertility rates in the region. There is a large unmet need for contraception. An estimated 78 percent of couples of reproductive age interested in birth spacing are unable to access contraception (MOH 1995). 


RECOMMENDATIONS

To improve the situation of women in Cambodia, the Royal Government and the donor community are urged to:

n Encourage the passage of laws dealing with rape, sexual harassment, domestic violence and prostitution. We encourage the intro- duction of laws that protect women, whilst recognizing the need for wide dissemination of information about such laws and the imperative for proper enforcement. 

n Increase education and public awareness about all forms of violence against women, including education of military and police on issues of domestic violence. NGOs have made some efforts to raise public awareness about domestic violence through television campaigns, and the use of traditional Cambodian theatre.

n Introduce a programme of domestic violence, gender and human rights into the general school education curriculum.

n Improve education for women in basic and preventative health care, in nutrition and in communicable disease. Improve access to family planning services and information.

n Genuinely commit to the integration of women and women's decision-making into policy formulation at all levels. 

n Promote strategies that target both men and women in interventions so as to make their interdependent relationship more equitable.

GOOD GOVERNANCE


INTRODUCTION

Since the early 1990s Cambodia has transformed from a socialist system to a multi-party democracy. Today Cambodia is recognized as a country with freedom of expression, freedom of press, and the freedom to form associations and political parties. The government is making real efforts to bring efficient, democratic reforms to the system of administration. Notwithstanding achievements made, there are still many obstacles to the efficient implementation of the principle of good governance and transparency. 

The concept of good governance is broadly characterized by transparency, responsibility, public participation, adherence to the rule of law and cooperation between government and civil society. 
KEY ISSUES

n Lack of respect for the law
The weakness of Cambodian democracy is reflected in the lack of respect for the law, and the fact that the administration of society is still based upon the system of patronage.

n Weak public administration
Good governance relates to the efficient management of public resources. In the context of Cambodia the government's ability to effectively manage public resources is constrained by a weak public administra- tion. The civil service is overstaffed, and there is a low level of technical and manage- rial capacity. 

n Absence of transparency
The absence of transparency leads to inequitable allocation of resources, injustice, and an ineffective rule of law that encour- ages corrupt practices.

n Corruption
The issue of corruption is closely linked to the absence of transparency. Corruption exists at all levels in Cambodian society despite government policies and measures to combat, contain and reduce it. The major impediment to reducing corruption is the incomplete implementation of good gover- nance and transparency in Cambodia. 
A national survey on Public Attitudes Towards Corruption was conducted between January and May 1998. The Corruption Survey reported that 84 percent of the 1,513 survey participants agree that corruption is the norm in Cambodia, 91 percent believe that it is harming the nation, and 98 percent would like it stopped as soon as possible. 


R