Phnom Penh: Minister of National Assembly Senate Relations and Inspection, Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An, said that persons with disabilities are important players in contributing to the betterment of families and communities.

Speaking on the occasion of the 24th National Day of Persons with Disabilities and the 40th International Day of Persons with Disabilities at the Koh Pich Theater on the morning of 3 December 2022, Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An, representing Prime Minister Hun Sen, stated that promoting entrepreneurship for persons with disabilities is an important task to provide and increase opportunities for persons with disabilities to participate in economic activities to improve their lives and families conditions, as well as participate in social development for the better.

"In order for persons with disabilities to participate fully and comprehensively in the socio-economic society, strengthening the economic capacity and resilience of persons with disabilities is essential and indispensable," she said. “In this sense, all ministries, institutions, and sub-national authorities have an obligation to ensure an environment for persons with disabilities to receive education, vocational training, ownership of financial resources management, and the right to participate in decision-making and leadership so that all persons with disabilities have full opportunities in socio-economic, commercial and political aspects."

However, Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An noted that although the Royal Government has achieved great achievements in the field of welfare for persons with disabilities, persons with disabilities still face many obstacles, including physical environment, barriers to movement, and barriers to communication.

"We must pay attention and work together to address and eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities, which currently is an important task. Continue to promote the development of a strong disability sector to be highly effective, which requires continuous operation to achieve the objectives of the Royal Government's strategic map to ensure the welfare of persons with disabilities to have income as the general public, in order to achieve the aspirations and efforts of the Royal Government to transform the status of Cambodia to become a high middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050," she said.

She advised all ministries and state institutions to encourage persons with disabilities who have the qualifications and ability to fulfill their responsibilities in their positions to have the right to work without discrimination, including working as civil servants, workers, apprentices, or interns.

At the same time, she also recommended continuing to facilitate access to public places for persons with disabilities of all kinds, such as parking, especially for persons with disabilities, gradients, handrails, doors, and bathrooms for persons with disabilities, and put up signs in ministries, institutions, departments, roads, recreation centers, cultural centers, sports venues, entertainment venues, educational institutions, hotels, hospitals, health centers, and transportation facilities, etc.

The Minister of Social Affairs, the Veterans, and Youth Rehabilitation, Vong Sauth, said that despite the three-year absence of the National Day of Persons with Disabilities due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry has organized visits and brought gifts from the Prime Minister to distribute to persons with disabilities in associations, centers, and non-governmental organizations.

According to the Minister of Social Affairs, the Veterans, and Youth Rehabilitation, 37 state institutions have recruited a total of 3,748 persons with disabilities. At the same time, 5,839 persons with disabilities have joined the private sector in 291 enterprises, banks, microfinance institutions, hotels, and factories.

The total number of persons with disabilities in Cambodia aged 5 years and over is 690,000, equivalent to 4.9% of the total population. The main causes of disability are hereditary, malnutrition, traffic accidents, accidents caused by mines and unexploded ordnance, violence, natural disasters, old age, and other causes.