H.E Suy Sem_Opening_Remarks_English.pdf - United Nations in ...

19-05-2010
OPENING SPEECH
By His Excellency Suy Sem, Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy
at the Opening Ceremony of the International Mining Conference:
“Staking a Claim for Cambodia”
26 th May, 2010
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- Highly respected Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime
Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia
- Respected Excellencies Deputy Prime Ministers, Senior Ministers, Ministers, State
Secretaries
- Respected Excellencies, Laukchumteav parliamentarian members of the Cambodian
Senate and National Assembly
- Respected Excellencies, Madams Royal Ambassadors, Ambassadors, and Embassy’s
Representatives
- Respected Mr. Douglas Broderick, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident
Representative
- Respected Excellencies, Lauk Oknha, Laukchumteav, Ladies and Gentlemen, National
and International Guests
Today is a solemn day that the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy together with
the United Nations Development Program in Cambodia co-organize the International Mining
Conference under the theme “Staking a Claim for Cambodia” presided over by Samdech
Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
On behalf of the entire conference and on my own behalf, I would like to express my
most salutation, respect, and warmly welcome to Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo
Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia for honoring the Opening
Ceremony of today’s International Conference.
Also at this great occasion, may I express my warm welcome to Excellencies, Lauk
Oknha, Laukchumteav, Ladies and Gentlemen, National and International Guests for attending
the Opening Ceremony of this Conference.
I would like to seek your permission to inform Samdech Techo Prime Minister,
Excellencies, Lauk Oknha, Laukchumteav, Ladies and Gentlemen, National and International
Guests the summary of the general situation of the Cambodian Mining Sector and the
objective of the organization of today’s International Conference as follows:
In Cambodia, Researches on Geology were undertaken by French and Chinese
geologists at the end of the 19 th century up until the period of 1960 and they found a handful
of mineral indices. Those mineral resources were abundant in forested and mountainous
remote areas and there were no roads access to the areas and insecure. Since the era of civil
war in Cambodia, mineral research activities were completely halted and almost all the
documents back then were lost and destroyed.
From after the liberation day of 7 th January, 1979 research activity and mineral
resource exploitation in Cambodia were not fully operated due to some major reasons, such as
lack of funds, insecurity, and lack of human resource. Even after 1993, the research activity

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was not developed. Only after 1999 when the Kingdom of Cambodia fully enjoyed peace and
political stability as a result of the “win-win” policy under the wisdom of Samdech Akka
Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia then
many domestic and foreign investors showed their interests and came to explore and invest
their capitals to conduct research studies and assess the potentials and economic features of
mineral deposits in Cambodia to move toward future mining. As a matter of fact, now there
are approximately 60 companies from Australia, China, Vietnam, Korea, etc. and domestic
companies who have been studying and exploring mineral ores in certain locations of
Cambodia.
Along with the promulgation of the Law on Mineral Resource Management and
Exploitation in 2001, other rules and regulations were issued to ensure effective management
of the mining sector. In 2008, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) offered a
project to study and design a Master Plan aiming at promoting the industrial sector in
Cambodia. That project would be ended at the end of 2010 and apart from the Master Plan for
mining industry promotion, we also received Cambodia Mineral and Geological Map of
1:1,000,000 and 1:200,000 scales, Cambodia Mining Sector Webpage, and short-term
trainings to Mining Officials.
With the objective to obtain experiences, lessons learnt, and best practices in managing
and developing mining sector from other countries, the Ministry of Industry, Mines and
Energy has collaborated with UNDP Cambodia to arrange and organize an International
Mining Conference today with the theme “ Staking a Claim for Cambodia”, a forum that
would offer the entire Conference the opportunity to exchange actual experiences and select
best practices for sustainable, transparent, and highly responsible development of mining
sector in Cambodia.
For this Conference, there are 300 participants from concerned institutions/agencies,
representatives from Embassies to Cambodia, development partners, NGOs, and
representatives from Cambodia’s private sector, and national and international experts in
formulating mining policy, legislation, technical norms and formalities and tax regime to be
applied in the mining sector coming from different countries.
For this 2-day Conference, national and international speakers who used to work over
many years in mining sector, both on legal and extractive industrial aspects, will raise
important topics concerning 1) the Global Context for Mining and Extractive Industries, 2)
Governance and Law on Mining: Roles of the State, 3) Mineral Resource Exploration and
Development: Risks and Returns, 4) Regional and International Experiences and Lessons
Learnt, 5) Environmental Management Process: Importance of Mining Techniques, and 6)
People Dimension: Impacts and Benefits to Workers and Communities to be presented at the
Conference.
Highly Respected Samdech Techo Prime Minister,
Excellencies, Lauk Oknha, Laukchumteav, Ladies and Gentlemen, National and
International Guests,
I hope that this Conference would provide opportunities to those officials who are in
charge of the mining sector and all stakeholders to gain experiences and best practices in
managing and developing the mining sector from developing countries as a ground of wisdom

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to draft and issue proper policy and additional formalities to strengthen the management of
responsible, transparent, and sustainable mining in Cambodia.
On behalf of the entire Conference, I would like express our utmost thanks to
Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of
Cambodia who always provides supports and most effective recommendations that allow us
to have sufficient capability to promote mineral industrial investment successfully in
Cambodia.
Taking this opportunity, I would like to whole heartedly express our thanks to UNDP
for taking initiative to collaborate with the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy organizing
the Conference and also would like to thank the Australian Government’s Overseas Aid
Program (AusAID) and Cambodia Association of Mining and Exploration Companies
(CAMEC) for their collaborative supports making the International Mining Conference with
the theme “Staking a Claim for Cambodia” possible.
I also would like to express our thanks to Excellencies, Lauk Oknha, Laukchumteav,
Ladies and Gentlemen for taking your busy schedules attending the Opening Ceremony of the
Conference today.
Finally, may I wish Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime
Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Excellencies, Lauk Oknha, Laukchumteav, Ladies
and Gentlemen with the 4 Buddha’s blessing, ever enjoy longevity, beauty, happiness, and
strength.
Thank You.