Three Decades in Cambodia: Strengthening Civil Society and Supporting Sustainable Development

A Focus on Democracy, Human Rights, and Environmental Protection

In the early years, ForumCiv partnered with Cambodian NGOs to promote democracy and human rights, with a strong emphasis on increasing women’s participation in politics and addressing gender-based violence. Since 2010, the focus shifted to empowering rural communities to lead in environmental protection and manage their natural resources sustainably.

Our programs reached rural areas such as the Tonle Sap, Mekong, coastal regions, and indigenous communities in the Northeast and mountainous areas. The combined efforts of national NGOs, community-based organizations (CBOs), and local authorities led to significant achievements, including poverty reduction, improved livelihoods, and the protection of natural resources.

Key Achievements: Real Change Through Collaboration

ForumCiv's long-term commitment to Cambodia has led to tangible progress in several areas. Some of our key successes include:

• Increased political participation: By working with civil society organizations (CSOs), we helped influence election laws, boost voter turnout, and significantly increase women's representation in the National Assembly through gender quotas.
• Strengthening civil society: Institutional support enhanced NGOs' ability to monitor elections, advocate for reforms, and raise awareness about gender equality, resulting in reduced gender-based violence.
• Advocacy for legal reforms: Our partners played a critical role in pushing for decentralization, indigenous rights, and natural resource management reforms. This led to numerous community land registrations and resolution of land conflicts, securing communities' legal rights to their land.
• Environmental protection and climate change: We supported environmental initiatives that reduced carbon emissions, promoted biodiversity, and empowered communities to manage their natural resources sustainably.

From 2021 to 2024 alone, 32 CBOs, including community fisheries and protected area groups around Tonle Sap Lake, received support, leading to improved livelihoods and more sustainable practices.

The End of an Era: Closing the ForumCiv Office in Cambodia

Despite these successes, ForumCiv has had to make the difficult decision to close our office in Cambodia. Although we were not directly affected by the Swedish government’s decision to end aid to Cambodia, it limited our ability to secure future funding from Sida, and our efforts to find alternative funding sources were not successful.

Moving Forward: Recommendations for Continued Support

Based on our experiences, ForumCiv sees a clear opportunity to continue supporting Cambodian civil society. We recommend that future development efforts focus on:

• Inclusive community engagement: Supporting CBOs that represent all community members, ensuring they can identify their own needs and problems and lead their own development.
• Building local capacity: Developing operational structures within communities that are transparent, accountable, and gender-inclusive, with strong, trusted leadership.
• Strengthening accountability: Ensuring that both state and non-state duty bearers are held accountable by citizens, while promoting democratic governance and sustainable development practices.
• Empowering women: Recognizing women as key right-holders, leaders, and change-makers, integrating gender perspectives into all aspects of community development.
• Flexible, long-term funding: Donors should shift away from short-term, project-based funding and instead provide flexible, long-term support that allows CSOs to adapt and thrive in changing environments.

ForumCiv’s work in Cambodia may be ending, but the lessons learned and the progress made over the last 30 years will continue to serve as a foundation for future efforts to empower marginalized communities and ensure sustainable, inclusive development.