Tek Vannara (Left), Luke Arnold (Center) and Soeung Saroeun in NGO forum and CCC hold workshop on Implementaton Sustainable development goals farmework of Cambodia yesterday. Hean Rangsey
Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC) executive director Soeung Saroeun said a political crisis at home and abroad and the spread of Covid-19 has disrupted the implementation of the Cambodian sustainable development goals 2016-2030 and the National Strategic Development Plan 2019-2023.
Saroeun also said on Tuesday at an NGO Forum workshop that sustainable development goals are a global framework that requires full and appropriate actions to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure humanity will live in peace and prosperity.
He said goals and development plans can be achieved as long as there are cooperation and partnerships between the government, private sector, civil society organisations and citizens.
“We have seen positive progress related to the implementation of sustainable development goals 2016-2030 and the National Strategic Development Plan 2019-2023.
“But over these last nine months, the political crisis and the spread of Covid-19 have disrupted the development,” he said.
Saroeun said the monitoring systems of ministries, State institutions and relevant civil society groups lack consistency with the national reflection framework.
Institutions and the people in charge of examining and monitoring the implementation have yet to be defined.
“Conflicting data between some sectors has caused concern and fear in the monitoring process. Certain data that is used is not independent but political,” he said.
Saroeun’s comments came at a workshop attended by 13 civil society organisations and representatives from ministries, the private sector and community members from 15 provinces.
Participants discussed three main topics, including the planet and prosperity, humanity, and peace and partnership. The focus of the three topics was the common landscape, better data, decisions and lives.
Help Cambodia Organisation representative Vong Srey Leak said problems stemmed from a lack of data and consistency in compiling standard data and its verification between those collecting input for the sustainable development goals.
“A transparent community needs to provide accurate data from all development players. But citizens have yet to receive accurate data or feel the impact of development projects in their communities,” she said.
