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1 |
3 |
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2 |
3 |
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3 |
3 |
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3.1 |
Legal Framework |
3 |
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3.2 |
Registration |
4 |
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4 |
5 |
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4.1 |
Government - NGO |
5 |
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4.2 |
Network within the NGO community |
5 |
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5 |
6 |
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5.1 |
International NGOs |
6 |
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5.2 |
Local NGOs |
9 |
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5.3 |
NGOs at selected watersheds |
12 |
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6 |
15 |
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6.1 |
General conclusions |
15 |
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6.2 |
Co-operation with RETA 5771 |
16 |
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REFERENCES |
16 |
The review of NGOs working with poverty alleviation and watershed management in some selected watershed areas, has been done within the limited time of a short-term consultancy. The aim is to get an understanding of the development of NGOs in Cambodia to day, with main focus on local organisations of interest for the project in its second planning phase and during implementation.
During the 1980’s when the economic embargo on Cambodia kept bi- and multilateral donors away, some few international NGOs offered relief assistance to Cambodia. Due to security reasons and government restrictions they were not able to work in the field and the assistance was mainly provided at central level and often concerned tasks not within the normal scope of NGOs. During the early 90s, when the political climate became more normalised, more international NGOs arrived in Cambodia. With the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1991, and the recognition of NGOs in the National Constitution in 1993, also local NGOs and other civil society organisations began to emerge. Today over four hundred local and international organisations are working with development issues.
The Cambodian Government recognises the importance of the NGOs and are including them in major development discussions. They have also been noted in e.g. the first Five-Years Socio-Economic Development Plan for 1996-2000, where NGOs are seen a s donors, partners in development, co-ordinators and managers, experts, and arm of the government in approaching the rural areas, sources of current information and best practices, agents for capacity building within government and committees, researchers, development leaders and supporters, a prototype of government and donors, partners in the rehabilitation of infrastructure, as effective providers of emergency and humanitarian assistance (Kung Munichan, 1997).
The First Socio-Economic Development Plan further states that NGOs are needed and welcomed but their roles will have to change, to revert to a more traditional NGO role: a clear need for more effective co-ordination and monitoring is stressed: better co-ordination with the bilateral and multilateral agencies is required: NGOs will continue to have a significant development function, especially at the community level: NGO research and innovation are highly regarded: NGO work with the most disadvantaged is respected as vital to a more equitable rehabilitation of Cambodia.(Vistarini & Sopheap, 1996).
No legal framework governing the work of the non-governmental organisations exists today. The Constitution of 1993, however, recognises civil organisations.
In, 1996, the government prepared a draft law concerned with regulations for the activities of the local as well as the international NGOs. This first draft met with criticisms from the NGOs who wanted to have a stronger impact on the content of it, and it was returned by the Council of Ministers to the Legislation Department of the Ministry of Interior in November 1997 for re-drafting. In August 1998 a new draft Law was submitted to the Council of Ministers.
A Protocol of Agreement, into which international NGOs will have to enter with the government and which regulates their activities, is at a draft stage with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This Protocol requires that international NGOs register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the new draft Law on NGOs and Associations also requires their registration with the Ministry of Interior. The new draft also sets double registration requirements for local NGOs. Adding to the confusion are disagreements between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Finance on the regulations for NGOs.
The new draft attempts to control the sources of funding of associations and local NGOs, excluding foreign assistance. Funding sources should solely consist of members' contributions, donations from public authorities in Cambodia, and private donations (article 11). The draft further states that sources of funding of foreign associations shall only be derived from membership fees or from donations of national or foreign humanitarian donors. Foreign associations are not entitled to receive funds from any government or from public or private organisations (article 18).The draft makes it mandatory that all associations and NGOs function on the basis of membership and organise in assemblies.
UN’s Cambodia Office of the High Commission for Human Rights has officially commented the new draft law and says with regard to article 11 that if this requirement was to be implemented, the majority of associations and local NGOs in Cambodia would have to close down; and with regard to article 18 that this clause, if implemented, will in effect prevent the majority of international NGOs from operating in Cambodia.
There is a lack on clarity about NGO registration processes. Some register through the Council of Ministers, some with Line Ministries or provincial authorities. Hence the Government does not have a clear picture of about NGO activities and cannot co-ordinate development activities.
The International NGOs usually apply for registration at the NGO Bureau of the Department of International organisation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation and enter into a special Agreement Document signed by the NGO representative and the Ministry.
No specific Ministry is responsible for the registration of local NGOs. Usually they register at the Ministry of Interior.
CDC, Council for the Development of Cambodia, has processed a comprehensive database on NGOs for more effective co-ordination.
Even though the national policy of the Royal Government of Cambodia is not yet formalised, the Government has created some co-ordination mechanisms at different levels. Kung Munichan (1997) describes the system as follows:
Co-ordination of activities carried out by international as well as local NGOs is loose and mainly consists of discussions between government authorities at various levels. Permission can be sought at ministerial level to carry out a project but no approval is needed for project plans and budgets.
Several umbrella organisations for NGOs exist in Cambodia, with a mandate to promote dialogue and networking. Among these are the Co-operation Committee for Cambodia (CCC), which was founded in 1991 and which can be said to represent a collective voice of the NGOs in Cambodia in negotiation with the Government and various donors and organisations, and the NGO Forum on Cambodia.
Within the framework of the various umbrella organisations, and with CCC and the umbrella organisation NGO Forum as focal points, close to 60 working groups meet regularly to discuss and exchange experiences on common issues. Participants represent in addition to international and Cambodian NGOs, also staff from government offices and other international organisations. CCC and NGO Forum have prepared directories listing these working groups per sector, geographic area and organisation.
Among these working groups and arranged by NGO Forum is the working group on environment, which is focusing on the Mekong River Basin Development; and the working group on ADB, where the study group e.g. participates in project assessments, and informs local NGOs and community leaders about ADB projects. Among the CCC working groups the social sector is well represented, with e.g. active groups in WID. Sectoral networks are e.g. MEDICAM involving NGOs working with health issues, EDUCAM facilitating exchange of information among NGOs in matters concerning education, the Social Research Forum and the two election coalition NGOs – Coffel and Comfrel.
Several sectoral umbrella organisations exist to co-ordinate local NGOs involved in similar activities. E.g. the Action Committee, which gathers all local NGOs, involved in Human Rights issues, and IMPACT (Improvement of the Poor Cambodians Together).
The NGOs have formed an informal alliance for co-operation through which they try to co-operate with other international NGOs and to link up with NGOs outside Cambodia, e.g. TERRA and TDRI in Thailand. Several NGOs have sister organisations in the neighbouring countries and collaborate and work closely with them. Examples are Oxfam, Save the Children, Care, Action Faim, Food for the Hungry, CIDSE, Concern. The NGO Forum has an international liaison group, which assists and supports the advocacy agenda of the Forum.
Issues concerning development of the Mekong are followed by several international organisations, e.g. Terra in Thailand, the two US organisations International Rivers Network and Mekong River Information Network, and the Japanese Mekong Watch Network. These NGOs are in close co-operation with NGOs in Cambodia.
Before the general elections of 1993, the international NGOs were the main players at the development scene and had fundamental roles in the rehabilitation of e.g. education, health, infrastructure. When bi-and multilateral donors stepped in, the NGOs redirected their efforts toward more traditional community development work while the newcomers assumed greater responsibility for large-scale assistance programmes. (Towards Genuine Partnership, 1996)
Today there are more than 200 international NGOs present in Cambodia and working with a variety of schemes, usually in traditional NGO fields such as health and education but also with issues concerning e.g. community development, civil rights, and gender and often in remote rural areas. Most of the international NGOs are small with only a few expatriates, however, there are some very big NGOs such as Care International, Church World Service, PADEK and World Vision International.
The NGOs work in close co-operation with government authorities in different ministries and at different levels, usually only in one province or area. At village level the introduction of Village Development Committees as part of the Rural Development Structure to be implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development, provides a possibility to support the villagers in developing their capacities for planning, maintaining and evaluating integrated rural programmes. The VDC, which are committees elected by the villagers themselves, will be an important mechanism for securing the direct involvement of rural households in village planning.
The NGOs, mainly the international ones but to a growing extent also local NGOs, also have good contacts with bi- and multilateral organisations such as the UN organisations, EU, the World Bank, and carry out activities on their behalf. Mostly, however, the activities implemented are donor-driven and not much dialogue on policy matters exists.
Joel Charny in his report "NGOs and the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Cambodia" has identified four categories of international NGO activities:
The NGOs are working towards sustainable and equitable development in Cambodia and consider the development of human resources fundamental to long term Socio-Economic development. Other themes of priority are alleviation of poverty and respect for the rule of law. (NGO Statement, February 1999).
Most important among the roles played in development is that of reducing poverty. Development is promoted mainly through grassroots programmes targeting poverty alleviation; community based natural resource management, health and education. A limiting factor is, though, the shortage of educated local people and many projects include capacity strengthening as a component in their projects. The building up of institutions does not only take place at grassroots level but e.g. local government staff at commune/district/provincial level receives appropriate training. International organisations involved with strengthening local organisations are e.g. Australian Catholic Relief, Oxfam Quebec – OCSD, CIDSE, PACT and NGO Forum. Several international NGOs are also thinking ahead and planning for a localisation of their organisations and thus include training of staff in both local and international NGOs.
Quite a number of international NGOs have women’s issues on their programmes, although not that many are involved in WID only. Among these are e.g. Australian Catholic Relief, ACR, which has a literacy education programme for women in Pursat province; the Co-operation Internationale pour le Development et la Soldarite; CIDSE, which has a separate section dealing with gender and development and which is operating with local women’s groups in several provinces; and International Women’s Development Agency, IWDA, which has small-scale projects in several provinces. IWDA works in close co-operation with the Women’s Association, World Vision International, and Food for the Hungry. (CCC Directory)
Some of the bigger NGOs have also got a role as financial intermediaries as many donors prefer to route their funds through NGOs rather than through the Government.
The NGOs play a role in policy formation, and are represented in e.g. donor meetings discussing development context and dialogues with government officials and representatives from other donor agencies. However, although networking among the NGOs is intensive several NGOs still carry out their projects in isolation and thus cannot provide an input to a collective policy dialogue.
The changing political climate in Cambodia, the transitional role of the state and the new Constitution opened the doors for an emerging civil society. The first Cambodian local NGO, Khemara, was established in 1991 and the number grew quickly after the general election in 1992. The exact number of local NGOs active today is not clear, but figures between 300 and 1000 have been mentioned, most of them not registered with the Government as development organisations.
Most of the local NGOs are working at village or community level with activities concerning human rights, peace, democracy, and community development. Local NGOs involving themselves in environmental aspects are still few but an increasing number of them are incorporating awareness of environment into their projects. Most of the projects are small and directed towards a specific activity. The financial situation is poor although some of some of the more successful local NGOs receive funding for special activities from the international NGOs and are gradually being involved in projects implemented by bi- and multilateral organisations.
Many of the activities of the local NGOs are directly focused on the provision of development services or on direct assistance to beneficiary groups. They have to a very limited extent activities that deal with training and technical assistance or research for the formation of development programmes. (Cambodian NGO Support Network, 1997)
Anne Marieke Steenman, in a mission-report on NGOs in Cambodia, classified the local NGOs in the following way:
The majority of local NGOs in Cambodia fall under category 5: the village or community-based organisations. Many of these are involved in sustainable poverty alleviation, and operate on a very small scale and with very limited budget. Although women make up a majority of the target group in most activities, local NGOs are male dominated and therefore a gender analyses is not part of the routine of local NGOs.
While most Cambodian NGOs are at the grassroots-level, a few are active in training, policy research, civil rights and advocacy at national level, often with expatriate assistance and foreign funding support through a partnership arrangement. These play an important role in development work and advocacy and are often working in collaboration with several international NGOs and bi- and multilateral organisations and thus have access to several funding sources.
There are hardly any local intermediary NGOs in Cambodia which could provide support to other local NGOs, and exchange of information and experiences done through the umbrella organisations only reach a fraction of the local NGOs.
The Cambodian NGOs can be classified in a number of categories. Of interest are organisations linked to certain issues such as training and research, community development, gender etc. Among the more important ones dealing with building the capacity of the Government and the civil society particularly in the area of human resource development is the Cambodia Development Resource Institute, CDRI, which provides and important link between the worlds of government, the international community, and civil society in Cambodia. The competent staff consists of both international as national researchers. Several international agencies are funding the institute.(CDRI, Annual Report)
Other training/research institutes are Cambodian Institute for Co-operation and Peace CICP, which is training government officials and the public in international relations and conducts research on national and regional issues; Cambodian Researchers for Development, Economy and Finance Institute, Centre for Social Development, Cambodian Researcher for Development, Cambodian Research Centre and SILAKA. The latter deals with capacity building in management, financial management and administration for local institutions.
Involved in Community Development are organisations such as Association for Rural Development, Cambodia Community Development organisation, Cambodia Rural Agriculture Development and Democracy, Rural Development Association and Rural Development Programme of Cambodia.
Only few NGOs deal directly with environmental matters, although several have environmental issues on their agenda. The Environmental Working Group of NGO Forum in its Directory lists 17 local NGOs and 23 international NGOs. Most of them have a profound interest in the development of the Mekong.
Approximately 30 local NGOs focus on women’s issues. With small budgets they work with e.g. education, health, credit, literacy and skills training. A network directory produced in January 1998 by The Gender and Development Programme for Cambodia lists 59 organisations involved in gender and development networking. Out of these 19 are local NGOs, mainly located in Phnom Penh, while the international NGOs have projects in the rural areas as well.
Among the local NGOs involved in women’s issues are Cambodia Community Building, which was started up by the international NGO World Relief as an integrated Community Banking and Maternal/Child Health Programme. CCB is the largest integrated micro-finance provider in Cambodia. To date nearly 26 000 women and more than 120 0000 young children and other family members have benefited. (Anonymous handout). A component of the programme is training in health education. Donors are USAID, GTZ, CIDA and other World Relief donors.
Other organisations dealing with women’s issues are e.g. Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, ADHOC, which works with domestic violence and is one of the more famous human rights organisations; Cambodia Migration and Development Committee, CMDC, involved in agriculture, environment, human rights, prostitution, and relief and rehabilitation; Cambodian Women’s Development Association, CWDA, which has a number of activities such as environment, health, education, integrated rural/community development, human rights and trafficking.
Other organisations are Cambodian Women’s Crisis Centre; Indradevi Association; Human Rights and Community Outreach Project, HRCOP, which works with human rights, water and sanitation, child welfare and education; KHEMARA, working with women’s crisis, health, credit and enterprise, child welfare and education; and Khmer Women Voice Centre, KWVC, which as a strong advocacy organisation is working through e.g. education and research with questions concerning legislation, and human rights for women.
In February 1999, the Cambodian Mission to the RETA 5771 Project Mid Term Review short-listed three priority watershed areas to be further studied. These were in order of priority Stung Pursat in Pursat Province, Stung Sen in Prear Vihear province and Se San in Ratanakiri province. In addition the location for one possible regional project between Cambodia and Vietnam was identified in the Se San watershed.
Several NGOs, local as well as international work in the provinces of Pursat and Ratanakiri, while the province of Prear Vihear gets less development assistance. The environment of the Mekong is on the agenda and followed by several NGOs, although very few are actually working with environmental matters.
Several NGOs are working in Pursat province, e.g. Concern Worldwide, which is involved in development of the capacity of rural communities, in a DFID/EU project. Stiftung Pestalozzi, SKIP, which is concerned with the well-being of children has a Rural Community Development Programme with the aim of promoting the growth of community-based, collective self help structures and strengthening the net of social security for children at a risk of loosing their family support.
The Australian Quaker Service, which has worked in Cambodia since 1985, is involved in a permaculture programme, which aims at developing a training programme in sustainable agriculture through training trainers, establishing demonstration centres and training village women.
There are several NGOs working with health issues; ADRA is involved in a programme for MCH and clinical training at provincial and district levels, and with TBS and VHV training at community levels. American Refugee Committee provides training as a part of the National Continuing Education system. Care International started operating in Cambodia in 1974 and is working with primary health issues in Pursat in order to help the Government to establish community-managed health care systems in a number of remote villages.
Oxfam-Quebec, which focuses its intervention on women, is working with a number of issues related to agriculture, sustainable crop intensification and natural resources management as well as financial services for women and training.
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International NGOs |
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Concern Worldwide |
Mekong Rural Development |
|
Project for Management of Freshwater Capture… |
Mekong |
|
Stiftung Pestalozzi |
Community Development Education/Training |
|
Mines Advisory Group |
Demining |
|
Quaker Service Australia |
Education/Training |
|
FAO |
Environment |
|
Adventist Development and Relief Agency |
Health |
|
American Refugee Committee |
Health |
|
Care International |
Health |
|
Oxfam Quebec – OCSD |
Food security Support to Cambodian Organisations |
|
Local NGOs |
|
|
Cambodian league for Prom. & Defence of HR |
Human Rights |
|
Human Rights Vigilance of Cambodia |
Human Rights |
|
Khmer Kampuchea Krom H R’s Association |
Human Rights |
|
Cambodian Institute for Human Rights |
Human Rights |
|
Cambodian Human Rights Development Soct |
Human Rights |
|
Khmer Development Programme |
Development |
|
Assoc of Cambodian Local Econ. Dev Agency |
Development |
|
Buddhist Association for Relief of the Poor |
Development |
|
Cambodia Family Development Services |
Development |
Source: Directories prepared by CCC and NGO Forum
Only a few NGOs work in the province of Preah Vihear. The Australian APHEDA has been working in Cambodia since 1986, and is in Preah Vihear involved in skills training for poor women and in a credit scheme. Action contre la Faim, an organisation fighting hunger is working with ECHO funds with issues concerning health (support to hospital, malaria and STD/AIDS campaigns), construction of agricultural micro realisations and construction of boreholes.
Health Unlimited is running an integrated health project, a primary health care project with emphasis on training of local health staff. The project works closely with provincial and district health authorities.
Veteran’s International, is working with a rehabilitation project financed by e.g. USAID, UNICEF and VVAR with prosthetics, skills training and income generation.
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International NGOs |
|
|
Oxfam Hong Kong |
Mekong |
|
Oxfam UK/IO |
Mekong |
|
Austr People for Health, Educ & Dev Abroad |
Community dev. |
|
Action Contre la Faim |
Emergency relief |
|
Health Unlimited |
Health |
|
Veterans International - Cambodia |
Rehabilitation |
Source: Directories prepared by CCC and NGO Forum
Several NGOs follow the environmental development around the Mekong in Ratanakiri province. Main programmes concern community development, health and education.
CIDSE, which started operating in Cambodia in 1979 is running an integrated community development programme with the aim to improve living conditions of the poor in a sustainable, community-based approach. They are also involved in a programme to strengthen local NGOs in the province. Also Oxfam UK/I , one of the early NGOs in Cambodia, has a community development programme including a number of projects, e.g. economy and micro credit, community organisation, community based natural resources management, health and sanitation and education. They co-operate with several local NGOs.
World Concern Cambodia is working with hilltribes with a focus on integrated community development. The Dutch NGO SAWA has been assigned by CARERE/UNDP to set up a Technical Support Unit under the Provincial Rural Development Committee.
Health Unlimited is running the Rattanakiri Primary Health Care Projects, which includes community health, strengthening health centres, and strengthening the provincial health department and training health staff.
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International NGOs |
|
|
CIDSE |
Mekong |
|
DRC |
Mekong |
|
Japan International Volunteer Centre |
Mekong |
|
Oxfam HK |
Mekong |
|
Oxfam UK/I |
Mekong |
|
Overseas Service Bureau, Australia |
Agriculture, one volunteer forester |
|
Voluntary Services Overseas |
Education/Training, volunteers working |
|
World Concern International |
Education and training |
|
Catholic Office for Emerg Relief and Ref. |
Health, support to provincial hospital |
|
Health Unlimited |
Health |
|
International Resources for impr. of Sight |
Health, outreach eye care service project |
|
SAWA Cambodia |
Rural Development |
|
Local NGOs |
|
Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association |
Source: Directories prepared by CCC and NGO Forum
The project has during the first phase successfully used the local NGO, APDCE to carry out Rural Rapid Appraisals in the province of Pursat. The work was done in co-operation with staff from the Ministry of Environment, local government, and team-members of RETA 5771.
The country report on Cambodia is based on interviews and information from the following list of documents: