The UN in Cambodia has approved the Country Programme Document 2024-2028 (CPD), announcing that at the request of the government, it will respond to the priority areas of the seventh-mandate government, including the development of human resources and social protection systems, as well as addressing climate change.

“Our Country Programme Document 2024-2028 was approved today by our executive board in New York. Our priority areas for the next five years are inclusive growth, human development, climate action and strong institutions,” announced a January 31 UNDP social media post.

“We will continue working with the Cambodian government to prepare the country for Least Developed Country [LDC] graduation, accelerate the delivery of Cambodian SDG targets, and implement the national climate action agenda,” it added.

Prior to the approval, Chheang Yanara, second vice-president of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), led a delegation to the First Regular Session 2024 of the UNDP executive board in the US’ New York City on January 31, said a CDC press release.

The session brought together the senior leadership of several UN member countries, and was held to consider approving the CPD for implementation.

Yanara voiced his support for the document, explaining that it will play an important part in development cooperation between the government and the UNDP. 

“It aligns with Cambodia’s development priorities, as well as those of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework [UNSDCF 2024-28],” he said.

He noted that it would support the priority areas of phase one of the government’s Pentagonal Strategy.

Yanara explained that these include the fostering of inclusive growth through diversifying the economy and developing human resources, dealing with climate change, as well as strengthening institutions, the social space and the digital transformation. 

He thanked the UNDP in Cambodia for its close cooperation with the government and its participation in the Kingdom’s socio-economic