ODA News in Cambodia

KOICA supports 300,000USD to Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project

in Southeast Asia

Phnom Penh: Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) donates 300,000 USD and dispatches 50 KOICA World Friends Korea (WFK) volunteers to join with former US president Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter together with thousand of volunteers to support the 26^th annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project.

The project that is facilitated by Habitat for Humanity will be implemented in Southeast Asia for 5 days from 16 to 20 November 2009 and will build and repair 175 houses. During the project, many volunteers will build houses in 5 countries along Mekong River: China, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The event will launch Habitat’s five-year Mekong Build campaign to serve 50,000 families throughout the region.

According to news release of KOICA office in Phnom Penh, KOICA will donate 300,000 USD and dispatches 50 KOICA volunteers to join in this house building.  In addition to supporting the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project, KOICA has worked to make simple and decent housing possible by sponsoring various Habitat for Humanity builds going on overseas over past 10 years.

According to organizer of Habitat for Humanity Cambodia, 21 decent and affordable houses will be built in Srah Pou village, Phnom Bat commune, Pulea Leu district, Kandal province, near Oudong Mountain, and will be handed over for free to 21 families who lived near Stung Meanchey dump site in Phnom Penh. These houses will be built by the hand of 400 volunteers who are international volunteers of Carter’s project, Khmer volunteers, mostly are university students, and Korea Overseas Volunteers.

Each year since 1984, the Carters have given one week of their time to build homes and raise awareness about the need for simple, decent and affordable housing.  The 2009 Carter Work Project will mark the fourth time the former U.S. president and his wife have built with Habitat for Humanity in Asia. Previous Carter Work Projects were held in India in 2006, in South Korea in 2001 and in the Philippines in 1999.

02 Nov 2009
Source: Government of the Republic of Korea

With regard to enormous loss of human lives and property in Cambodia caused by typhoon “Ketsana” on October 1-2, the Government of the Republic of Korea has decided to provide emergency relief supplies worth 200,000 dollars to support recovery efforts in Cambodia and join the international community in its humanitarian assistance activities.

Typhoon “Ketsana” that hit northwestern Cambodia on October 1-2 has left 43 people dead, 67 injured, about 6,000 families homeless, and around 48,000 families short of food. The typhoon also caused property and infrastructure damage, washing away or damaging about 1,000 houses, sweeping away 57,000 hectares of farmland and livestock, and destroying roads.

During the summit between President Lee Myung-bak and Prime Minister Hun Sen on October 22, President Lee expressed his intention to provide cooperation through the Foreign Ministry in response to a request from the Cambodian side to support typhoon recovery operations. The Korean government will provide relief food and daily necessities that the Cambodian government has asked for.

Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT

My sincere thanks to Mr. YIN Leangkong, Rasmei Kampuchea Daily Newspaper Reporter  for writing an article and publishing the article in his newspaper on Sunday-Monday, October 18-19, 2009.

2nd from Right, H.E. Chea Sophara, 4th from Right, Mr. KIM Byung-gwan, 5th from Right, H.E. YIM Chhayly and 6th from Right H.E. Lee Kyung-soo,. Picture by HORT Sroeu (Mr.)

Phnom Penh: The Ministry of Rural Development, on the half of this week, received the Report on Policy and Strategy from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to Cambodia.

At that time, H.E. Chea Sophara, Minister of the Ministry of Rural Development said that Ministry of Rural Development was established in September 1993, with the purpose of improving living standards and alleviating the poverty of rural people through rehabilitation and rural infrastructure development, community development, rural water supply, rural healthcare and sanitation, rural economic development, training and research, capacity improvement, rural development infrastructure preparation.

H.E. Chea Sophara went on to say that, in this important mission, Ministry of Rural Development has been prepared strategic plan in order to implement the alternative rural development program at the village, commune, district, province, city in the nationwide. The implementing of the poverty reduction strategy in Cambodia will be achieved the Millennium Development Goal of Cambodia by 2015.

Deputy Prime Minister YIM Chhayly informed that the government considers the “Final Report on the Policy and Strategy of Rural Development for Cambodia” was the optimum document for the Ministry of Rural Development in order to find out the development issues in search of ideas and policy directions in the field of rural development to reduce the poverty.

H.E. Lee Kyung-soo, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Cambodia, said his country is one of the poorest countries in the world in 1960s and the agriculture sector was the main industry of the nation. Along with starting a new economic development plan and along with the leadership of the government, Korean people have made great efforts towards economic and rural development, and have achieved great successes.

Korean ambassador added that at the present, Republic of Korea is the 11th largest economy in the world and ranks 12th in terms of world trade. Now that Korea has become a front runner among developing countries, we take it as responsibility, as well as a great privilege, to join the international drive to support other developing nations and share the valuable lessons learned through our development experience, especially in the field of rural development with partner countries.

My sincere thanks to Mr. YIN Leangkong, Rasmei Kampuchea Daily Newspaper Reporter  for writing an article and publishing the article in his newspaper on Sunday-Monday, October 18-19, 2009.

My sincere thanks to Mr. Fu Long, Cambodia Sinchew Daily Reporter  for writing an article and publishing in the website (http://www.sinchew-i.com/cambodia/node/14077?tid=5) and also providing me the article to publish in my website.

Unofficial Translation from : Google Translate

The South Korean government support Cambodian Rural Development Report

2009-10-17 15:28

Unofficial Translation from: Google translate

Ministry of Rural Development Minister Chea Sophara received the Ambassador of South Korea handed over relevant documents.

Cambodia, Phnom Penh: YIM Chhayly, deputy prime minister and the South Korean ambassador to Cambodia Lee Kyung-soo Thursday afternoon, the Ministry of Rural Development held a meeting and hand-over ceremony, formally handed over, “the Cambodian Rural Development Policy and Strategy Report.”

YIM Chhayly, deputy prime minister said that Prime Minister Hun Sen in Cambodia, under the wise leadership of the agricultural economy has achieved great development, Prime Minister Hun Sen made the corners of the strategy, clearly pointed out that Cambodia is committed to developing the rural economy, improve agricultural production levels, and actively to eradicate poverty.

He thanked the South Korean government’s strong support of Cambodia, and based on actual survey data, worked out, “the Cambodian Rural Development Policy and Strategy Report”, this report could help Cambodia to develop specific steps to help the rural poor onto the road of prosperity.

Cambodia’s rural development minister Chea Sophara said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodia’s economy since 1994, 10-year period, annual growth rate of 11.2%, rural poor dropped from the original 47% to 35%; after 2004, every year nearly 1% of the poor out of poverty, even in the financial crisis of 2008, Cambodia’s economic growth rate is maintained at 7%. In recent years, more and more farmers began to emerge from poverty, but there are many poor people can not find a way out, this report will help guide the Government in accordance with the actual situation in rural development, particularly under the “One Village One Product” objective forward.

South Korean ambassador to Cambodia, Lee Kyung-soo, said South Korean investment in Cambodia is rising star, but the Korean capital will continue to enter Cambodia, especially in the development of rural agriculture and supporting industries, because South Korea has mature experience and resources for agricultural development, particularly in talent and technology resources, Cambodia, South Korea could solve many problems related to agriculture, to develop this part is a report showing the South Korean people are willing to serve as a sincere partner in Cambodia.

Cambodia Sin Chew Daily 2009/10/17

Source: http://www.sinchew-i.com/cambodia/node/14077?tid=5

My sincere thanks to Mr. Buth Reaksmey Kongkea, The Southeast Asia Weeky Reporter  for writing an article and also providing me the article to publish in my website.

“Ceremony to Hand over the Formulation of Rural Development Policy and Strategy for Ministry of Rural Development”

Picture by HORT Sroeu (Mr.)

Friday, October 16, 2009

By: Mr. Seng Sophat

Ministry of Rural Development, on October 14, 2009, has held the Ceremony to Hand over the Formulation of Rural Development Policy and Strategy for Ministry of Rural Development which was presided by H.E. YIM Chhayly, Deputy Prime Minister, H.E. CHEA Sophara, Minister of the Ministry of Rural Development, H.E. Lee Kyung-soo, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Cambodia, Mr. Kim Byung-gwan, Representative of KOICA Cambodia Office, and Excellencies, Representatives of line ministries, national and international distinguished guests.

Deputy Prime Minister YIM Chhayly informed that the government considers the “Final Report on the Policy and Strategy of Rural Development for Cambodia” was the optimum document for the Ministry of Rural Development in order to find out the development issues in search of ideas and policy directions in the field of rural development to reduce the poverty. He continued to say that the Royal Government of Cambodia, led by Samdech Akka Sena Padei Techo HUN Sen, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, has introduced Rectangular Strategy Phase 2 as a fundamental principle for social and national development to expedite poverty reduction.

Deputy Prime Minister YIM Chhayly confirmed that Ministry of Rural Development is the main body to bridge between the people and the related ministries of the Royal Government of Cambodia. In this context, the Ministry of Rural Development is the leading body to practice on the decentralization policy of the government. He also went on to say that the development as decentralization was to urge to use the in-basis resources and out-basis resources in the right direction and with the effectiveness, transparency, accountability with the meaning of basis democratic strengthening, people’s rights and the poverty reduction of the Cambodian people. He continued that the implementing of formulation of the rural development policy and strategy for the Ministry of Rural Development was not only to improve the living standard of the people but it was also provided the wide meaningfulness to the implementing of government’s policies  of the fourth mandate of the national assembly.

At the same time, H.E. Chea Sophara, Minister of the Ministry of Rural Development also said that Ministry of Rural Development was established in September 1993, with the purpose of improving living standards and alleviating the poverty of rural people through rehabilitation and rural infrastructure development, community development, rural water supply, rural healthcare and sanitation, rural economic development, training and research, capacity improvement, rural development infrastructure preparation.

H.E. Chea Sophara went on to say that, in this important mission, Ministry of Rural Development has been prepared strategic plan in order to implement the alternative rural development program at the village, commune, district, province, city in the nationwide. The implementing of the poverty reduction strategy in Cambodia will be achieved the Millennium Development Goal of Cambodia by 2015. He continued that the implementation of the first mandate of rectangular strategy of the Royal Government of Cambodia, led by Samdech Akka Sena Padei Techo HUN Sen, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, has successful complete with the achievement such as economic increase with average of 11.2%, people poverty reduction from 47% in 1994 and 2004 to 2007 this figure was positively decrease 1% as average per year. In 2008, the economic increase with average of 7%.

H.E. Chea Sophara also confirmed that Ministry of Rural Development prepared the many documents of the ministry’s strategy and policy such as 1- Cambodian Rural Road Policy, 2-National Policy on Water Supply and Sanitation, 3- National Policy on primary healthcare, 4- National Policy on Ethic Minority Development, 5-Policy and Strategy on Rural credit, and 6- Establishment and Improvement of the Village Development Committee (VDC).

Be reminded that ceremony to hand over the Formulation of Rural Development Policy and Strategy for Ministry of Rural Development was under the financial support by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

• Broadcast on Motherland Radio FM 101.25 MHz on October 16, 2009 (18:00)
• Publish in http://www.meatophumkhmer.org/ on October 16, 2009