The Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC) said on Monday that in the spirit of human rights being universal and indivisible, Cambodia remains committed to working closely with all relevant UN Human Rights mechanisms to uphold the promotion and protection of human rights for all.

Senior Minister and CHRC President Keo Remy said this at the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (HR75) in Switzerland.

The HR75 event was held on Monday and Tuesday at the United Nations Office in Geneva.

Cambodia today is one of the leading countries in engaging and cooperating with the United Nations Human Rights Mechanisms, Remy said.

Cambodia has had the first UN Office of the High Commissioner (UNOHCHR) outside of Geneva; accepted the mandate of UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Cambodia since 1993; and participated actively in the Human Rights Council, UPR, and strategies’ obligations, he said.

Cambodia is also a state party to eight out of nine core international human rights treaties, he added.

“Against its past traumatic legacy- the Khmer Rouge Genocide-Cambodia is now a country with peace, stability, dynamic growth and economic, social and cultural development,” Remy said.

“Millions have been lifted out of poverty, enjoying decent livelihoods, being educated, receiving better welfare, and having significantly increased life expectancy from 59 to 77 years, thanks to the Win-Win policy of Samdech Techo Hun Sen, former Prime Minister of Cambodia,” he said.

The Cambodian Government has laid out the Pentagonal Strategy- Phase 1 in which strengthening the Social Protection System has been emphasised, Remy said.

Cambodia will focus on expanding healthcare services to nine million beneficiaries, providing vocational training to 1.5 million youths living in poor households; establishing internet services to all communes, schools, and health centres starting from 2024; and laying out electricity connection grids to all villages before 2030, he said.

Pa Ponnarada, the Spokesman of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee, said that nowadays, respect for human rights in Cambodia had developed and improved and is better than some of other countries in the region.

The development and the improvement of the implementation of human rights in Cambodia applied to almost all sectors, especially the freedom of expression and right to life and liberty which are fundamental human rights, he said.

“Under the leadership of the former Prime Minister of Cambodia Mr Hun Sen and now the new Prime Minister Hun Manet, especially via the Win-Win Policy of Mr Hun Sen, Cambodia has made many significant achievements in politics, economics, culture, education, human rights and democracy and so on, especially the respect of human rights and rules of laws,” Ponnarada said.
“This is because we now have peace, political stability, security and development in the country,” he said.

Mr Hun Manet last week created a special committee to draft a report on Human Rights in Cambodia to be submitted to the United Nations (UN).

According to a copy of directive on the Establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Working Group to Lead the Preparation of the National Report on Human Rights in Cambodia to the United Nations (UN), the inter-ministerial working group is headed b Remy and accompanied by the four vice-presidents and 41 members from other relevant ministries and national institutions in the Kingdom.

• Tags: CHRC, Human Rights mechanisms