Synopsis: United Nations special representative hails the National Action Plan, pointing to family support schemes and expanded safeguards against online exploitation.
The United Nations Special Representative on violence against children praised Cambodia’s child protection measures during a meeting in Phnom Penh, pointing to the 2025–2030 National Action Plan as a key framework for safeguarding youth from violence and online exploitation.
Najat Maalla M’jid made the remarks during a meeting with Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Peace Palace on Wednesday.
She commended the government for its reform programmes, including social protection measures aimed at reducing poverty and improving child well-being.
She said the National Action Plan for 2025–2030 serves as a national policy framework for strengthening child protection.
M’jid said placing people at the centre of government policies was essential, and added that successful implementation required policies to reflect community needs alongside cooperation with development partners.
In response, Mr Hun Manet said the United Nations contributed to Cambodia by restoring and building peace and stability since the 1990s.
He said the UN’s partnership was indispensable to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and added that the government was committed to meeting the targets.
The prime minister said the government prevented violence against children through supporting policies and drafting a Child Protection Law.
“The Royal Government does not focus solely on preventing negative impacts, but also on creating a supportive and nurturing environment,” he said, citing the cash transfer programme for pregnant women and children under two.
The programme supports maternal and infant health, including pregnant women and young children living with their mothers in prisons.
Mr Hun Manet said the government committed to human capital development under the first phase of the Pentagonal Strategy, prioritising healthcare, knowledge, skills and employment opportunities.
The National Action Plan, endorsed by Mr Hun Manet on July 30 and launched on October 6, builds on an evaluation of Cambodia’s first action plan covering 2017–2023, which was supported by UNICEF in 2022.
Informed by the evaluation, the new plan places emphasis on improving the child protection system’s ability to address online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
It prioritises the promulgation of a Child Protection Law, reviewing Cambodia’s accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure, and establishing a monitoring framework.
Other priorities include improving government digital data collection systems, such as Primero and the Child Protection Information Management System, and introducing key performance indicators to address violence against children with disabilities.
The plan incorporates commitments presented by the Cambodian Government at the 2024 Inter-Ministerial Conference on Violence Against Children in Bogota.
The commitments include strengthening the legislative framework, expanding child protection programmes, improving data collection, enhancing cooperation and increasing stakeholder participation.
Through the plan, Cambodia aims to strengthen its institutional response to violence against children, addressing online threats and child protection challenges.
