Phnom Penh, December 14, 2023 - Rith Vuthy, Secretary General of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, and Justin Whyatt, Australian Ambassador to Cambodia, jointly hosted consultations involving 14 ministries of the Royal Government of Cambodia to discuss Australia's new Development Partnership Plan for Cambodia.

"These consultations are part of a series of discussions as we craft a new Development Partnership Plan, charting the long-term direction of our development cooperation with Cambodia. We are actively engaging with the Cambodian Government, academia, businesses, civil society, and other development partners to seek their valuable advice and insights," Ambassador Whyatt explained.

In August of this year, Australia unveiled a new international development policy that outlines over 30 commitments aimed at delivering a more effective, responsive, transparent, and accountable program. The policy places particular emphasis on ambitious targets and actions related to climate change, gender equality, support for locally-led development, and a revitalized approach to country strategic planning.

"Over the past five decades, Australia has contributed nearly $2 billion in official development assistance to Cambodia. Much of this funding supported Cambodia's early reconstruction efforts in the 1990s, spanning areas such as infrastructure, demining, agriculture, health, and education. However, Cambodia has undergone significant transformation since then, and our development assistance approach has also evolved accordingly," noted Ambassador Whyatt.

The Development Partnership Plan presents an opportunity to take stock, listen to partners, and fine-tune strategies to ensure a response to Cambodia's most pressing challenges and maximize the effectiveness of the development cooperation program, Ambassador Whyatt emphasized.