GENEVA: A four-week session of the UN’s Human Rights Council concluded on July 14, having hosted 38 meetings and adopting 30 resolutions. The Cambodian Permanent Mission attended the event while highlighting Cambodia’s successes in human rights and signing 13 joint statements on topics such as women’s rights, poverty reduction and clean energy. The Cambodian delegation delivered a total of 20 statements to the UN detailing progress in working conditions, social security and carbon neutrality efforts.

According to the Cambodian Permanent Mission to the UN, the Kingdom has developed a resilient and high-income labor market with better working conditions. They also noted an increase in accessibility to the workplace for persons with disabilities. “By 2022, people with disabilities (PwD) working in 37 public institutions witness two percent increase compared to 2020,” they said. The statement also reported a decrease in poverty rates to 16%, which was attributed to tax exemptions and cash relief programs among other social security measures.

The Mission statements also expanded on Cambodia’s efforts in climate mitigation, aiming for a 42% emission reduction by 2030 and being the first ASEAN country to submit a long-term strategy for carbon neutrality by 2050. Additional shows of international solidarity were highlighted in the more than 9,000 Cambodian UN peacekeepers deployed to nine different countries.

They defended Cambodia as a “free and open” political space, citing “over 2,000 media outlets operating freely without censorship or restriction.” They also noted citizens’ unhindered access to the internet where they are free to express their opinions on public affairs, although dissenters are frequently issuing public apologies to the government for social media comments.

The statements specifically addressed international critiques of the upcoming election on July 23. The US Embassy in Cambodia released a statement in May following the removal of the opposition Candlelight Party from the ballot. The US statement said “international experts assess [the election] is neither free nor fair,” citing “Contrived legal actions, threats, harassment, and politically motivated criminal charges targeting opposition parties, independent media, and civil society.” The US then withdrew its participation in observing the election.

According to the Cambodian Permanent Mission’s UN statement, “Despite the absence of a few politicians and political parties…Cambodia remains steadfast in holding July’s general elections in a free, fair, just and transparent manner.”