UN Analysis Final.pdf - United Nations in Cambodia

Spaces for youth participation in governmental programmes are also evident in the widespread effort of
the RGC to encourage and support volunteerism (Brown 2008). MoH, for instance, articulates this idea and
puts it into effect in its Policy on Community Participation and through its village health volunteers. MoI,
too, anticipates volunteerism in the decentralisation programme to be a critical part of the empowerment of
communities to demand transparency and accountability from local leaders (See section 8.22 for further
discussion on volunteerism). Likewise, MoWA is working with local volunteers through a pilot project to
promote the re-institution of norms, such as respect for women, to reduce violence against women.
Alongside these national frameworks and programmes, the UN Country Team (UNCT) initiated discussions
in 2006 on the importance of a focus on issues related to Cambodian youths and adolescents. It recognizes
the value of heightened levels of dialogue between young people and the UNCT on the implementation
of the work of the UN, the implementation of the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2006–
2010, support for implementation of the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) 2006–2010, and the
attainment of the Cambodian Millennium Development Goals.
UNCT-Cambodia took steps to establish a UN Youth Advisory Panel in 2007 as part of its commitment to
young people’s empowerment and rights, which include their right to participate in decisions that affect
their lives and to express their views and opinions, in accordance with basic human rights principles and the
CRC. The Panel will set in place a mechanism for open dialogue and exchange between UNCT-Cambodia and
youth groups, to advise the Country Team on strategic opportunities and actions to address adolescent and
youth issues across the UN system. Specifically, it will: (i) increase dialogue and knowledge sharing between
the UN system and Cambodian youth, based on best practices and lessons learned from youth policies and
programmes, (ii) increase young people’s understanding of the role of the UN, its comparative advantages and
its Cambodian development priorities; and (iii), provide a means for young people to discuss issues with the
UNCT, both to build their understanding of development issues, particularly as they relate to young people,
and to influence the thinking of the UNCT in its priority setting, strategy and programme development and
implementation.
Efforts to make the UN Youth Advisory Panel a reality include holding a preliminary dialogue with several
youth-focused NGOs. These NGOs include the Khmer Youth Association (KYA), the Youth Council of Cambodia
(YCC), the Youth Resource Development Programme (YRDP), Youth for Peace (YFP), Youth Star Cambodia, the
Culture and Environment Preservation Association (CEPA), Khmer Youth and Social Development (KYSD), the
People Health Development Association (PHD), the Youth and Child Hope Development Organisation (YCHD),
the Khmer Youth Camp for Culture (KYCC), and Support Children and Young People (SCY).
Helping to form a ‘mass base’ to this initiative are the numerous NGOs that provide programmes and services
related to health, education, civic engagement and citizenship. Annex 3-4 in Appendix A lists these NGOs in
Cambodia’s provinces and municipalities and the range of activities that they facilitate for youth.
8.2 CURRENT SITUATION
Cambodia’s youth – defined in this study to be those aged 15-24 – comprise 26 per cent of the total population
in 2004 (MoP 2006). Yet, their voices in the country’s national policies and programmes are barely heard even
though they have been visible participants in community-oriented activities. Brown (2008), in her study on
volunteerism in selected NGOs, found that 32.1 per cent of males and 43.7 per cent of females aged below
90 Situation Analysis of Youth in Cambodia