Kingdom of Cambodia

NATIONAL MECHANISM FOR

COUNTER TRAFFICKING
14 October
2014

At Regional Parliamentarians Meeting

Organized by CAPPD
Her Excellency CHOU BUN ENG
SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE MINISTRY
OF INTERIOR

National Committee for Counter

Trafficking, NCCT

Head of Secretariat General for

Counter Trafficking

The views expressed in this presentation are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian
Development Bank Institute (ADBI), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), its Board of Directors, or the governments they represent.
ADBI does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequences of their
use. Terminology used may not necessarily be consistent with ADB official terms.

1. GENERAL SITUATION of the KINGDOM of CAMBODIA

Area : 181,035+ Km2,
Population (in 2008): 13,395,682 in which 6,879,628 ( 51.35%) are women.
Cambodia is a country with young population,
In 2009, based on census 2008, the Population growth rate was 1.54 percent per
annum. Estimation: in 2020 Cambodian population will be 18.7 Millions
Young population: 60% are under 25 years old
Labor forces increased from 5.50 M in 1990 to 7.50 M in 2004 and 7.80 M in
2007 (NIS, 2009) (National Institute of statistic)
In Average, new coming labor forces is 250,000 to 300.000 persons per annum
The new employment created by Investment program absorbs 27 percent of
new coming forces.
Needs to migrate for seeking employment

Source: the office of the Council of Ministers

Cambodia: young population;

60% are under 25 years old. Population growth
recently declined from 2.4% to 1.54% per annum,
but it is still high.

Males

Females

General Situation (cont)

Priority in Political commitment: Poverty alleviation, Peace and
Development
GDP increase from 2.4 Billion USD to 10.3 Billions USD in 2008.
The average income per capita has been tripled from 229 to 739 USD
Poverty rate has declined from 50 percent in 1993 to 25.8 percent in
2010, keep decline 1% per year.
Jobs and business growth within areas of agriculture, construction,
industrial and tourism.

General Situation (cont)

However, the population growth faster than the pace of development
The employment opportunity created in country is not enough to
respond to the needs of workers.
Then the RGC tried to open more opportunity to people who wanted
to work abroad, by having agreement or MoUs with some countries
where there are workers demands such as: Thailand, Malaysia,
Republic of Korea (semi skilled labors), Japan (trainees, internship
labors), Qatar, Singapore..

Determinants of migration: The Push Factors

High economic growth but it is urban centric and captured by
a few.
Higher Wages in destination countries (Republic of Korea,
Malaysia, Thailand) attracted people to choose migration
There is employment year round in neighbouring countries,
especially Thailand, while employment in rural Cambodia is
mainly seasonal.

Migration and Challenges

Migration is Rights to move, rights to job or choices, while trafficking,
violation, exploitation, abuse again people is a crime.
If become Victims, they cannot help to reduce poverty but put more
burden to family and society.
Trafficking or abuse is found among mobile population, labor
migration mostly undocumented, entertainment business, fake/
unwanted marriage, etc

From the Perspective of Cambodia: enhance poverty

alleviation, Peace and Development
Improve better environment for employment and jobs
business locally
Inform choices to people
Promote save migration
Reduce undocumented migrant workers
Promote skills and education especially among youth.

Efforts of Government to respond the

challenges
To protect and promote safety of workers in working in destination
country, the Royal Government of Cambodia, adopt laws and issued
relevant policies in order to facilitate the sending of workers legally
and safe, as well as guidelines and other training tools.
Adopted Law on Suppression Trafficking in persons and sexual
Exploitation (in 2008), to be consistent with the International
convention and Palemo protocol,
Reviewed Civil and penal laws.

Efforts of Government (Cont)

After signing MoU with Thailand (to send legal workers) in 2003 and with the
Republic of Korea (to send skilled workers) in 2006, the Ministry of Labor and
Vocational Training works actively on this issues by issuing:
In 2006:
Sub-decree 70 (July 2006) on The Creation of the Manpower Training and Overseas
Sending Board.
Prokas 108 (May 2006) on Education of HIV/AIDS, Safe Migration and Labour Rights
for Cambodian Workers Abroad

In 2008:

Association of Cambodia Recruitment Agencies - ACRA

Labour Migration Information System
Sub-Decree 195, (November 2008) on Passport issuance to Cambodian workers to
work legally abroad.

Efforts of Government (Cont)

In 2009:
Guideline for recruitment agencies

In 2010:

Guideline on the use of registration book

Pre-departure Orientation Manual for Migrant Worker
Standard contract
National Employment Agency : Job Center
Guide book for Cambodian people who wish to work abroard: Travel Smart Work Smart
Notification on oversea employment

In 2011:

Sub-decree 190, issued in August 2011 on Management of Sending Khmer Migrants to Work
Abroad through Private Recruitment Agency

In 2014:

Revised the Labour Migration Policy for Cambodia 2010

Efforts of Government (Cont)

Up to date:
Private Recruitment Agencies: 40 companies
Public Recruitment Agency: Manpower Training Oversea Sending Board (MTOSB)
In collaboration with ILO and other UN agencies, the Ministry of Labor and Vocational training have achieved
more policies related to:
Labor Migration Policy for Cambodia
National Employment Policy
3 Migration Resource Centers
Draft MRC Operation Manual
Draft Manual of local officials on emigration procedure
Draft Pre-departure orientation curriculum
Code of Conduct of ACRA
Draft MOU with Malaysia
Standardized contract
Regional conference on HR Instrument, International Labour Standards and Women Migrant Workers Rights

Benefits and cost

Benefits:
Many workers improve better living condition by getting good salary at destination
countries,
Get more skills, and capacity to initiate own business in Cambodia.

Cost:

Demand and supply: less at official orders but more acceptance by giving opportunity to
illegal entrance of workers to be undocumented and legalized at the country destination.
Fast change of policy and not well informed of host country cause the source country
face challenging in migration management and development
Undocumented migrant flow and remittance flow system is under management process
Remittance is the rest from surviving, low skilled workers cannot earn much, therefore
not much money left to remit.
The demand mostly low skill workers,
Lack of protection to solve the issues of right violation and exploitation

RESPONSES
In October, 2011, Cambodia decided to stop sending domestic
workers to Malaysia, due to the violation against workers found so
serious.
In 2006, a sub decree on legal procedures for marriage between
Cambodian citizen and foreign citizen was in place.
A new policy to manage migration , sub decree # 190 established to
protect legal migrant workers rights
Among the huge number of Returned and deported Migrants from
Thailand in June 2014, almost 300.000 migrants, there are
approximately 30% are women.

RESPONSES
In 2008, Cambodia has adopted on new law on Suppression Human Trafficking and
Sexual Exploitation to be consistent with Palemo Protocol on suppression and punish
Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children with supplement the UN
convention on combating Organized Transnational Crime
In 2004, a Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking in persons
(COMMIT), in Yangoon, Myanmar
In 2005, Cambodia COMMIT Taskforce, established
Member of ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting Transnational Crime.
Member of Australia- Asia Program to combat Trafficking in persons (ARTIP)
Member of ASEAN mutual legal assistant treaty in criminal matters (including TIP Cases)
MoUs on the collaboration for counter trafficking. Bi lateral and multilateral with relevant
countries in the region.

MULTI SECTORIAL WORKING GROUPS

Reviewed the structure and roles and responsibilities of the National Committee for
Counter Trafficking (NCCT), with 22 ministries involved, comprised 06 Multi sectorial
working groups:
1. Prevention working group, led by Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
2. Working group on Victims Protection, led by Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and
Youth Rehabilitation.
3. Law Enforcement Working Group, led by National Police, Ministry of Interior
4. Justice Working Group, led by Ministry of Justice.
5. International Collaboration, led by Ministry of Womens Affairs
6. Migration working group led by Ministry of Labor
All working group shall taking account into all targets regardless gender, youth and
children.

Policy recommendations
Need to strengthen collaboration and coordination between Sending and
receiving countries in order to have more responsibilities on the
management of migration flow and to ensure the safety and benefits of
migrant workers
Strengthen cooperation in assisting voluntary returnees to return safely
and access reintegration program in home country in order to enable them
to use their skills and knowledge gained from host country to promote
their living conditions.
Require more care from receiving countries to migrant workers who have
been abused at destination country so that they can release themselves
from risky situation.
Require more appropriate programs in source country to introduce wider
jobs market as informed choices

THANK YOU!