PHNOM PENH: President of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CHRC), Keo Remy, met with the EU Ambassador to discuss the CHRC’s progress in human rights along with cooperation between Cambodia and the EU on related issues.

During their meeting on January 15, the CHRC President welcomed EU Ambassador Igor Driesmans and his delegation to highlight the successes outlined in the draft of Cambodia’s fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which will be submitted to the UN this year. The report will then be sent to Prime Minister Hun Manet for review before continuing on to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Keo Remy said his committee had organized 32 consultations with stakeholders to help with the UPR draft in addition to meeting with the Council of Ministers on September 19, 2023 and the Council of Jurists on December 19, 2023.

He also mentioned the regular monitoring of the human rights situation in detention centers such as prisons, correctional centers, and rehabilitation facilities and assessed that it was improving. He requested the Ambassador to examine the possibility of strengthening cooperation between the CHRC and the EU delegation, together with the UN’s Office of Human Rights (OHCHR).

Ambassador Driesmans thanked the CHRC President for taking the time to meet with him and commended the committee’s efforts in promoting and protecting human rights in Cambodia. He welcomed the request to strengthen cooperation with the EU and the UN Office of Human Rights.