From Cambodia: Boosting Civil Society’s Role in Policy
Many Cambodians are locked into a cycle of poverty owing to poor natural resource management and a lack of effective policy and interaction between civil society organizations and commune officials. On Monday, The Asia Foundation launched Civil Society and Pro-poor Markets (CSPPM), a two-year, US$7.5 million program, which aims to foster greater participation by civil society groups in local policy and budget decisions, especially as they effect natural resource management. This program will help to ensure that local communities are the chief beneficiaries of local resources, and that those resources are managed sustainably. The program will be implemented in 13 provinces, mainly in the northeast and south of Cambodia where natural resources are at greatest threat of depletion.
The mulit-million dollar program is a collaboration between The Asia Foundation and the Multi-Donor Livelihoods Facility, which is funded by the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID), the Danish International Development Agency (Danida), and New Zealand Aid (NZAID). In implementing CSPPM, The Asia Foundation will team up with local and international partners, including Buddhism for Development, the Center for Social Development, Oxfam UK, Care International, Concern International, Wildlife Conservation Society, and Ockenden International.
