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7/27/2019 National Strategy for the Poor and Vulnerable 2011-2015 ENG
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KingdomofCambodia
Nation Religion KingY~Z
RoyalGovernmentofCambodia
National
Social
Protection
Strategy
forthePoorandVulnerable
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2
MESSAGE
SamdachAkkaMohaSenaPadeiTechoHunSen
PrimeMinisterofKingdomofCambodia
Cambodian peoplehavevoyagedona longway in the history indefending for life, integrity,
nationalunity, independency,nationalterritoryandpride.Since1979,Cambodianpeoplehad
put very strong efforts under numerous constraints and had taken opportunities from
challengingissuestodevelopthenationandtransformKingdomofCambodiaintoacountryof
hope and dignity in SouthEast Asia. Royal Government of Cambodia had a focusing vision
towardthelongtermfutureinthereformagendasbyadaptingintoalleventualsituationsand
graduallyimprovingtoachievetheplannedobjectivesofsocioeconomicdevelopment.
Since the first election of the Royal Government of Cambodia in 1993, RGC has faced and
overcomemany
formidable
challenges
before
to
maintain
the
political
stability,
develop
and
rehabilitate the social, physical and institutional infrastructure, and identify the longterm
vision. After 1998, Royal Government of Cambodia had achieved and ensured the peaceful
situation and eliminated all of the civil conflicts happened in the past. The efforts of RGC in
maintaining the social and political stability, peace, and internal security and the economic
development had made the achievement of high economic growth and poverty reduction
continuously in the last decades. The main objectives of the Rectangular Strategy are to
improvetheeconomicgrowth,addresstheemploymentforCambodian labourforces,ensure
the social equity andjustice, and enhance the effectiveness of public sector by developing
action
plans,
governance,
and
comprehensive
reforms
in
all
sectors.
The overriding goal of the Royal Government of Cambodia is to firmly and steadily build a
Cambodian society which enjoys peace, political stability, security and social order, and
sustainableandequitabledevelopment,withstrictadherencetotheprinciplesofliberalmulti
partydemocracy,respectforhumanrightsanddignity;andasocietyinwhichsocialfabricwill
bestrengthenedtoensurethattheCambodianpeoplearewelleducated,culturallyadvanced,
engagedindignifiedlivelihoodandlivinginharmonybothwithinfamilyandsociety.
For the Royal Government the most formidable development challenge is the reduction of
povertyand
improving
the
livelihoods
and
quality
of
life
of
the
rapidly
growing
population.
The
RoyalGovernmentconsiderpovertytobeawasteofavaluableeconomicresourcewhichisno
onlymorallyunacceptablebutcanalsoresultinsocialpolarisationandinstability.
Tocontinuetoimplementsocialsafetypolicies,theRoyalGovernmentoftheFourthLegislature
will: give priority to improve working conditions for workers and employees through the
enforcementofSocialSecurityLawforthoseunderthosecoveredbytheLabourLawandthe
establishment of National Social Security Fund. The Royal Government will continue to
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strengthensupporttodisabledpeopleandfamiliesofveteranswhosacrificedtheirlivesforthe
nation.Furthermore,theRoyalGovernmentwillcontinuetosupportretiredcivilservantsand
veterans through the development of Law on Protection and Promotion of Rights of People
with Disability and social benefit for people with disability and vulnerable households at
communitylevel.
Royal
Government
of
Cambodia
recognised
that
the
existing
social
safety
nets
in
Cambodia
werenotimplementedsystematicallyyet,thustheRectangularStrategyPhaseIIhadaddressed
the improving of good governance in social safety net delivery through the institutional
arrangement and collaboration with allstakeholders involved and including the expansion of
the coverage of social service and emergency response. The integration of social Protection
issue into the NSDP Update 20092013 underlined the high consideration of RGC on social
protectionpolicyanditisaresponsetothelongtermsocioeconomicdevelopmentandcrises.
Royal Government of Cambodia has a duty to provide the essential services to develop and
enhance the human capita (health, education and livelihood), which means to create an
environmentwhereevery individualscanfindandreachtheir fullpotentialandcontributeto
theirownwelfareimprovementandnationaldevelopment.Simultaneously,RoyalGovernment
of Cambodia will continue to provide the interventions in social sectors including 1) the
reduction of vulnerabilities of poor people, 2) the measurement to alleviate the impact of
naturalcatastrophe, 3) thesupport to thevictimsof thosecatastrophes, 4) the expansionof
rehabilitationand integrationprogrammesforpeoplewithdisability,victimsofdrugs,victims
ofhumantraffickingandexploitation,andlawviolatingchildren,aswellastheimprovementof
social welfare programmes for elderly, orphans, poor widowers, femaleheaded households,
femalevictims,homelesspeople,andveteransandtheirfamilies,and5)thepreventionoflaw
abusingand
protection
of
community
safeties
at
commune,
districts,
provincial,
and
national
levelswithpartnershipcollaboration.
Royal Government of Cambodia through the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development
together with line ministries, stakeholders involved, and development partners, had put a
strong effort to develop this National Social Protection Strategy by reflecting the strong
commitmentofthegovernment,theexperienceofCambodiaandbybasingontheappropriate
contextandfoundationofCambodiatocontributenotonlyintherehabilitationandstabilityof
economicsectorinthepresentdays,butalsotoenhancethehumancapitalindicatorsincluding
education, health and livelihood development toward the achievement of longterm
CambodianMillennium
Development
Goals
through
maintaining
the
high
economic
growth
and
sustainable development and the presenting of this strategy as the vision of comprehensive,
integrated, and sustainable social protection in Cambodia in particularly for the poor and
vulnerablepeople.
The main approaches of this strategy are to 1) protect the poorest and most disadvantaged
whocannothelpthemselves,2)preventtheimpactofrisksthatcouldleadtonegativecoping
strategies and further impoverishment, and 3) promote the poor to move out of poverty by
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4
buildinghuman capital andexpanding opportunities including theaccess tohealth,nutrition,
andeducationserviceforpoorhouseholdssothattheycanmoveabovethepoverty lineand
transform the poor and vulnerable people and Cambodian communities into the productive
forceofthenationandactivelycontributedynamically inthesocioeconomicdevelopmentof
Cambodia.
Ihave
the
honour
to
request
to
all
line
ministries,
all
stakeholders
involved
both
at
national
and
subnationallevel,nationalandinternationaldevelopmentpartnerstoimplementthisstrategy
persistently,comprehensively,andrespectfullyasaddressing intheNationalSocialProtection
Strategyinthedesignandimplementationoftheprogrammes.
PhnomPenh,April,2011
PrimeMinister
SamdachAkkaMohaSenePadeiTechoHunSen
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PREFACE
H.EYimChhayLy,DeputyPrimeMinister
ChairmanofCpuncilforAgriculturalandRuralDevelopment
SocialProtection
is
apriority
of
the
Royal
Government
of
Cambodia
of
which
the
initiative
of
developingthesocialprotectionsystem istheutmoststipulationof thegovernment toserve
for Cambodian people as stated in the Constitution, the Rectangular Strategy Phase II for
Growth, Employment, Equity and Efficiency in Cambodia, and explicitly presented in the
National Strategic Development Plan Update 20092013 as well as the legal documents and
internationalconventionswhereRoyalGovernmentofCambodiaisthesignatory.
IntheRectangularStrategyPhaseI,theRoyalGovernmentofCambodiawaswillingtoenhance
thesocial interventionbypromotingemploymentopportunities,reducingvulnerabilityofthe
poor, increasing relief support during natural disaster and calamities, and enlarging the
rehabilitation
programme
for
people
with
disability,
elderly,
orphans,
homeless
people,
veterans and their families. The Rectangular Strategy Phase II pointed out the promotion of
good governance in delivering social safety net programmes by institutional strengthening,
collaboration with development partners, and improving social services and emergency
relieves.
Thenecessityofdevelopinganationalsocialprotectionstrategyforthepoorandvulnerableis
to promote the livelihood of people and the effectiveness of achieving the Cambodian
MillenniumDevelopmentGoal.Ruraleconomicdevelopmentisachievednotonlythroughthe
rehabilitation
and
development
of
rural
infrastructure,
the
address
to
seasonal
unemployment,
vocationaltraining,orthesupportofmicrocredit,butalsothroughtheinterventiontoensure
thequalityoflifewiththecomplementationofsocialdevelopment.
The development of this National Social Protection Strategy began at the 2nd Cambodia
Development Cooperation Forum (CDCF) on 34 December 2008. Royal Government of
Cambodiaanddevelopmentpartnershadnoticedthesignificantprogressthathasbeenmade
in reducing overall poverty levels, parts of the population remain vulnerable to various
economic and social shocks, pushing them into poverty. Responding to this issue, RGC and
developmentpartnershadagreedtoundertakescopingandmappingexercisetodeterminethe
natureof
existing
social
safety
nets
in
Cambodia
in
addressing
risks
resulted
from
instability
of
foodpriceandeconomiccrisesthatmayhavenegativeimpactonthelivelihoodofthepoorand
vulnerablepeople.
The development of this strategy is at the same time with the postglobal financial and
economiccrisesandthefoodandfuelpricesoarwhichhadnegativeimpactsonthepoorand
vulnerable people and had delay the achievement of Cambodian Millennium Development
Goals. The first step of this strategy development is the exercise to generally examine and
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analysetodeterminethescopeofexistingsocialsafetynetsandto identifythestrategicand
political options for the development of an integrated and systematic social safety net
programmesuitableforthesocioeconomiccontextofCambodia.
CouncilforAgriculturalandRuralDevelopmenthadbeenentrustedtoensuretheefficiencyof
coordination mechanism among interministerial agencies with the participation of all
stakeholdersinvolved
with
the
activities
focusing
on
social
safety
net
service
delivery
to
the
poor and vulnerable people. In the firsthalf of 2009, Council for Agricultural and Rural
Development, with the support from line ministries and development partners, had worked
together to build the consensus on key concepts and comprehensive direction toward the
development of social safety net policy. The results of findings and recommendations were
presentedduringtheNationalForumonFoodSecurityandNutritionunderthethemeofSocial
SafetyNets in Cambodiaon 67 July,2009. SamdachAkkaMoha SenaPadei Techo Hun Sen,
PrimeMinisterofCambodia,intheclosingremarks,hademphasisedthattheimprovementof
social safety nets for the vulnerable people is a principle strategy of RGC in mitigating the
negative impacts and other risks resulted from the global economic crises. The core role of
socialsafetynet istoprotectthevulnerablegroupandpreventthemfromnegativeimpactof
crisesaswellastopromotethehumancapitaandexpandtheeconomicopportunities.Inthe
secondhalf of 2009, RGC and development partners had worked together to develop the
NationalSocialProtectionStrategyforCambodiafocusingondeterminingthepriorityforsocial
safetynetin20112015.
TheexperienceofasocialsafetynetisnotnewtoCambodia,butthetermandunderstanding
mightbeconceptuallydifferent.Cambodiahadimplementedtheseprojectsandprogrammesin
rehabilitating, integrating and improving food security that address both to emergency
situationand
livelihood
development
for
the
poor
people.
SocialsafetynetprogrammeisamaincomponentoftheNSPSwhichweredevelopedbasedon
the context of Cambodia with a systematic and integrated manner to allow the RGC to
response immediatelyandontime to theemergencysituationandwiththecomprehensive,
effective and efficient manner among all stakeholders involved for the short, medium, and
longterm responses. The National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS) complements to other
sectoralpolicy,plansandstrategyinvolveddirectlyorindirectlyinsocialprotectiontowardthe
building of comprehensive, integrated and systematic social protection for the poor and
vulnerablepeople.Moreover,fortheeffectivenessofimplementation,theframeworkofNSPS
had
been
developed
with
balancing
of
addressing
chronic
poverty,
supporting
the
poor
to
developthecapacitytoaddresstheenvironmental,economicandsocialcauses,andpromoting
thehumancapitatomovefrompovertybythemselvesinthefuture.
This strategic document is organised accordingly by beginning with the definition, scope of
strategy, conceptual understanding on of social protection and social safety net, and the
inventoryandexperienceofexistingsocialprotectionactivitiesinCambodia.Legalframeworks,
internal conventions, and various strategic papers in Cambodia related to social protection
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wereusingasreferencetoconsideronthe legalaspects indevelopingthisstrategyaimingat
maintainingcomplementaryactivitieseffectivelyonlimitedbudgetandavoidingtheoverlapof
institutionalmandates.Thisstrategyalsopresentstheanalysisonprofileandsourceofpoverty
andvulnerabilities inorder to issue thepolicy, instruments,and frameworksofeffectiveand
efficientresponses.Moreover,thisstrategypresentstheexistingsocialprotectionactivitiesfor
thepoorandvulnerablepeople inCambodiaand theexperienceof implementationofsocial
protectionat
national
and
international
level.
TheNSPSenvisionsthatallCambodians,especiallythepoorandvulnerable,willbenefitfrom
improvedsocialsafetynetsandsocialsecurityasan integralpartofasustainable,affordable
and effective national social protection system. The main goal of the NSPS is that poor and
vulnerable Cambodians will be increasingly protected against chronic poverty and hunger,
shocks, destitutionand socialexclusionandbenefit from investments in their human capital.
Underthisgoal,theNSPShasthefollowingobjectives:
1. The poorandvulnerable receivesupport including food,sanitation,waterandshelteretc,tomeettheirbasicneedsintimesofemergencyandcrisis.
2. Poor and vulnerable children and mothers benefit from social safety nets to reducepoverty and food insecurity and enhance the development of human capital by
improving nutrition, maternal and child health, promoting education and eliminating
childlabour,especiallyitsworstforms.
3. The workingage poor and vulnerable benefit from work opportunities to secureincome,foodandlivelihoods,whilecontributingtothecreationofsustainablephysical
andsocialinfrastructureassets.
4. The poor and vulnerable have effective access to affordable quality health care andfinancial
protection
in
case
of
illness.
5. Specialvulnerablegroups, includingorphans, the elderly,singlewomenwithchildren,people livingwithdisabilities,people livingwithHIV,patientsofTBandotherchronic
illness,etcreceiveincome,inkindandpsychosocialsupportandadequatesocialcare.
Achieving these objectives require the scalingup and harmonisation of the existing social
protection programmes and the piloting of new interventions to fill the gaps of social
protection. As a priority, the Public Work Programmes to provide job opportunities and
incomesforthepoorandvulnerablepeoplewillbescaledup.TheCashTransferProgrammes
forhouseholdwithmanychildrenfocusingonnutritionalandeducationalimprovementwillbe
implementedto
provide
the
protection
for
children
from
short
term
impact
of
the
crises
at
the
presenttimeandtheimprovementofhumancapitadevelopmentinlongterm.
Implementation is the responsibility of line ministries and decentralised government
institutions. The NSPS thus complements the efforts of line ministries in achieving sector
targets by developing the Framework of sustainable, effective and efficient implementation.
Most programmes in the NSPS are by nature intersectoral and require coordination across
ministries and government agencies, to avoid thematic and geographical overlaps, to
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harmonise implementation procedures and to coordinate the effective and efficient use of
available funds from the national budget and development partners. It also entails active
dialoguewithsupportivedevelopmentpartnersandcivilsocietyorganisations
Toimplementthisstrategy,RoyalGovernmentofCambodiawillconsideronthestructureand
mechanism of coordination to provide the policy support, monitoring and evaluation,
information
and
knowledge
management,
and
capacity
building.
The
priority
ahead
is
the
institutional arrangement, capacity building for coordination agencies at national and sub
national level,andthefunctionalisedcoordinationtogetherwiththemonitoringstructurefor
the medium and longterm implementation of the strategy. The ongoing social protection
activitiesandthenewpilotsonsocialservicewillbeharmonisedandassessedtointegrateinto
amorecomprehensivenationalprogramme inthemediumand longterm implementationof
NSPS in order to bring various schemes under one integrated programme, at least per
objective.
OnbehalfofCouncilforAgriculturalandRuralDevelopment,Iwouldliketoextendmycordial
appreciation to Your Excellencies, Ladies, representatives from all line ministries and
developmentpartnersinthedevelopmentprocessofthisstrategyfromthebeginninguntilthis
final stage and I would like to further request the support and collaboration during the
implementationphaseofthisstrategyinordertoachievethesocioeconomicdevelopmentand
CambodianMillenniumDevelopmentGoals.
PhnomPenh,April,2011
DeputyPrimeMinister,
ChairmanofCouncilforAgriculturalandRuralDevelopment
YimChhayLy
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CONTENT
Foreword..............................................................................................................................................2
Preface...................................................................................................Error!Bookmarknotdefined.
Listoffigures,tablesandboxes.........................................................................................................10
Acronyms............................................................................................................................................11
Overview...............................................................................................Error!Bookmarknotdefined.
1. Introduction...................................................................................Error!Bookmarknotdefined.
2. SocialProtectionasaPriorityfortheRGC.................................................................................24
3. PovertyandVulnerabilityProfile................................................................................................28
4. ExistingSocialProtectionforthePoorandVulnerable..............................................................41
5. NationalSocialProtectionStrategyforthePoorandVulnerable..............................................51
5.1 Vision..................................................................................................................................51
5.2 Goal....................................................................................................................................51
5.3 Objectives...........................................................................................................................52
5.4
Coordinationon
NSPS
Implementation
.............................................................................
64
5.5 BeneficiarySelection/Targeting.........................................................................................68
5.6 ResourceRequirements.....................................................................................................70
5.7 PriorityOptionsfortheNearFuture..................................................................................71
References.............................................................................................Error!Bookmarknotdefined.
Glossary.................................................................................................Error!Bookmarknotdefined.
Appendix1:InventoryofExistingInterventionsforCambodia............Error!Bookmarknotdefined.
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LISTOFFIGURES,TABLESANDBOXES
Figure1:Socialprotectionanditscontributiontoeconomicandsocialdevelopmentand
disasterresponse..................................................................................Error!Bookmarknotdefined.
Figure2:ScopeoftheNSPS,focusingonthepoorandvulnerable...................................................20
Figure3:Gradualprogressiontowardscomprehensivesocialprotection,aspertheNSPSlong
termvision..........................................................................................................................................21
Figure4:Povertyheadcount19942007............................................................................................28
Figure5:Geographicvariationsinpovertyrates...............................................................................29
Figure6:Povertyandvulnerability.......................................................Error!Bookmarknotdefined.
Figure7:Bridgingsocialprotectionforchildren:Alifecycleapproach............................................57
Table1:SummaryoftheNSPSconsultationprocess........................................................................21
Table2:Risks,shocks,determinantsofvulnerabilityandvulnerablegroups...................................38
Table3:Snapshotofcurrentgovernmentsocialprotectioninterventions......................................44
Table4:
Gaps
and
challenges
in
existing
interventions
.....................................................................
48
Table5:ObjectivesoftheNSPS.........................................................................................................53
Table6:TargetingmechanismforNSPS............................................................................................70
Table7:NSPSshorttermpriorityactionsandcostestimates..........................................................73
Table8:NSPSresultsmatrix...............................................................................................................78
Box1:Articlesfromthe1993Constitutionregardingsocialprotectionprovision...........................24
Box2:StatementofPrimeMinisterSamdachAkkaMohaSenaPadeiTechoHunSen....................26
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ACRONYMS
ADB : AsianDevelopmentBank
AusAID : AustralianAgencyforInternationalDevelopment
BETT : BasicEducationandTeacherTraining
BTC : BelgischeTechnischeCoperatie(BelgianDevelopmentAgency)
CARD : CouncilforAgriculturalandRuralDevelopment
CBHI : CommunityBasedHealthInsurance
CCWC : ConsultativeCommitteeforWomenandChildren
CDC : CouncilfortheDevelopmentofCambodia
CDCF : CambodianDevelopmentCooperationForum
CDHS : CambodiaDemographicandHealthSurvey
CESSP : CambodiaEducationSectorSupportProject
CMDG : CambodianMillenniumDevelopmentGoal
CRC : CambodianRedCross
CSES
:
CambodianSocio
Economic
Survey
DAC : DevelopmentAssistanceCommittee(OECD)
DFID : UKDepartmentforInternationalDevelopment
DP : DevelopmentPartner
ECD : EarlyChildhoodDevelopment
EEQP : EnhancingEducationQualityProject
EFA : EducationForAll
FTI : FastTrackInitiative
GDCC : GovernmentDonorCoordinationCommittee
GTZ : Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Technische Zusammenarbeit (German Technical
Cooperation)
HAR : Harmonisation,AlignmentandResult
HEF : HealthEquityFund
HFC : HealthFinancingCharter
HIV/AIDS : HumanImmunodeficiencyVirus/AcquiredImmuneDeficiencySyndrome
IDPoor : IdentificationofPoorHouseholds
IFPRI : InternationalFoodPolicyResearchInstitute
ILO : InternationalLabourOrganization
IWGSSN : InterimWorkingGrouponSocialSafetyNets
JFPR
:
Japan
Fund
for
Poverty
Reduction
M&E : MonitoringandEvaluation
MAFF : MinistryofAgricultureForestryandFishery
MDG : MillenniumDevelopmentGoal
MEF : MinistryofEconomyandFinance
MoEYS : MinistryofEducation,YouthandSports
MoH : MinistryofHealth
MoI : MinistryofInterior
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MoLVT : MinistryofLabourandVocationalTraining
MoP : MinistryofPlanning
MoSVY : MinistryofSocialAffairs,VeteransandYouthRehabilitation
MoWA : MinistryofWomenAffairs
MoWRAM : MinistryofWaterResourceandMeteorology
MPWT : MinistryofPublicWorksandTransport
MRD
:
Ministryof
Rural
Development
NCDM : NationalCommitteeforDisasterManagement
NPAWFCL : NationalPlanofActionontheEliminationoftheWorstFormsofChildLabour
NPSNDD : NationalProgrammeonSubNationalDemocraticDevelopment
NPRS : NationalPovertyReductionStrategy
NSDP : NationalStrategicDevelopmentPlan
NSPSPV : CambodiaNationalSocialProtectionStrategyforthePoorandVulnerable
NSSF : NationalSocialSecurityFund
OD : OperationalDistrict
ODA : OfficialDevelopmentAssistance
OECD : OrganisationforEconomicCooperationandDevelopment
PWP : PublicWorksProgramme
RGC : RoyalGovernmentofCambodia
SPF : SocialProtectionFloor
SPFI : SocialProtectionFloorInitiative
SSM : SocialServiceMapping
TB : Tuberculosis
TVET : TechnicalandVocationalEducationandTraining
TWG : TechnicalWorkingGroup
UNAIDS
:
JointUnited
Nations
Programme
on
HIV/AIDS
UNDAF : UnitedNationsDevelopmentAssistanceFramework
UNESCO : UnitedNationsEducational,ScientificandCulturalOrganization
UNICEF : UnitedNationsChildren'sFund
USAID : UnitedStatesAgencyforInternationalDevelopment
WB : WorldBank
WFCL : WorstFormsofChildLabour
WFP : WorldFoodProgramme
WHO : WorldHealthOrganization
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EXECUTIVESUMMARY
NationalSocialProtectionStrategyfor
thePoorandVulnerable
TheNationalSocialProtectionStrategy(NSPS)complementstoothersectoralpolicy,plansand
strategyof lineministriesandstakeholders involveddirectlyor indirectly insocialprotection.
This strategy is aligned with and makes operational the priority actions laid out in the
RectangularStrategyPhaseIIandtheNSDPUpdate20092013.
NSPS is developed based on the consultative process with active participation from line
ministries both at national and subnational level, development partners, and civil societies.
DuringtheCambodiaDevelopmentCooperationForum(CDCF)on34December2008,theRGC
and development partners agreed to undertake a scoping and mapping exercise and gap
analysis
on
existing
social
safety
nets
and
to
identify
the
policy
direction
toward
the
development of a more integrated social safetynet system and commensurate to the socio
economicsituationofCambodia.CARDwastaskedtoensuretheeffectivecoordinationamong
stakeholdersinvolved.inFebruary,2009,CARDhadsetupaninterimworkinggroup(IWGSSN)
forthistaskinvolvingrepresentativesfromlineministriesanddevelopmentpartnerstodevelop
the concept note and inventory list on existing social safety net programmes. In July, 2009,
CARD had organised theNationalForum on Food SecurityandNutrition under the theme of
Social Safety Net in Cambodia and was reassigned to undertake the coordination task on
developmentofaNationalSocialProtectionStrategyforthePoorandVulnerable.Anumberof
technicalconsultationsandfieldstudieswereorganisedtoreviewthesocialprotectionpolicy
by focusing on several aspects of social interventions including cash transfer to address
maternal and child nutrition, public work programmes1, education and child labour. In the
beginningofJune,2010,NSPSwaspresentedto3rd
CDCFforendorsementandcollaboration.
The comprehensive analysis and detail costing exercise will be the upcoming tasks for the
designofspecificactivitiesinthestrategy.
NSPSisorganisedinto6chapters.ThefirstchapteronIntroductiondescribetheconceptand
definition of social protection, social safety net, and other related terms, and determine the
scopeofpolicy,activities,andthedevelopmentprocessofthisstrategy.Socialprotectionhelps
people
cope
with
major
sources
of
poverty
and
vulnerability
while
at
the
same
time
promoting
humandevelopment. Itconsistsofabroadsetofarrangementsand instrumentsdesignedto
protect individuals, households and communities against the financial, economic and social
consequences of various risks, shocks and impoverishing situations and bring them out of
1 Publicworkprogrammesrefertoallactivitiesrelatedtotheconstruction,repair,andmaintainingthephysical
infrastructureandjobcreations
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poverty.Socialprotectioninterventionsinclude,ataminimum,socialinsurance,labourmarket
policies,socialsafetynetsandsocialwelfareservices.
The second chapter on Social Protection as a Priority of Royal Government of Cambodia
presents the necessity and importance of the development of this strategy based on the
Constitution,RectangularStrategyPhase II forGrowth,Employment,Equity,andEfficiency in
Cambodia,
NSDP
Update
20092013
and
national
legislation,
as
well
as
in
international
conventionstowhichCambodiaisasignatory.
PovertyandVulnerabilityProfileispresentedinthethirdchapterofthestrategydrawingon
theanalysis,typeandsituationofpovertyandvulnerabilityinCambodiaincludingtheanalysis
on type of existing and unseen risks, shock, and crises based on research papers and data
obtainedfrom20082009CambodianSocioEconomicSurvey.Thischapteralsoraisestheissue
ofnegative impact of economic and financial crises andclimate changes on the livelihood of
people.
ThefourthofchapteronExistingSocialProtectionProgrammesforthePoorandVulnerable
presentsthe institutionalstructure,mandate,sectoralpoliciesandstrategiesandtheexisting
intervention of line ministries in providing the social protection services to the people.
Informal/traditionalsocialsafetynetandthe interventionofcivilsocietiesarealsopresented.
Thischapterplaysaroleasabridgelinkedexistingsocialprotectionactivitiesandinterventions
to the profile of poverty and vulnerability of the people to identify the gaps in the
implementationthatrequiredfurthercomplementation.
Cambodia had implemented successfully a numbers of social safety net projects and
programmes,
which
mostly
funded
by
external
sources,
in
the
period
of
integration
and
rehabilitationto improvethe livelihoodandfoodsecurityforpoorpeopleandtoresponseto
theemergencyneedsoverthelast20years.Manysuccesses,especiallyindeliveringserviceto
largernumbersofbeneficiariesandinenhancingtheaccessibilitytoservices,food,andincome
securityincluding:
Food distribution to the foodinsecure areas, school feeding, take home ration, andfoodforworks,hadprovidedthebasisofrespondingtofoodinsecurity issues,chronic
poverty,andmalnutritioninsomecases
Scholarshipprovidedthebasisofaddressingpovertyofschoolagechildren Public work programmes provide the basis to address the issue of food insecurity,
underemployment,
and
chronic
poverty
of
the
working
age
population
Health equity fund and Communitybased health insurance provide the basis toaddressthehealthprotectionforthepoor
Social welfare service for special vulnerable groups including people with disability,elderly,orphanchildren...
Someotherprogrammes rooted totraditionandcultureofresourceredistribution forhumanitarianpurpose
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YetCambodiadoesnothaveaneffectiveandaffordablesocialsafetynetinplace.Manyofthe
interventions have been patchy and adhoc,and highly dependent on specific donor funding
sources.Thecoverageofexistingsocialprotectionprogramsforthepoorandvulnerableisstill
very limited;theydonotnecessarilyfocusonthepoorestareasandeffortshavebeen largely
fragmentedwithweakcoordinationbetweenthemanyministriesandinstitutionsinvolved.
Based on the analysis on the aspect of legal framework of social protection in Cambodia
presentedin
the
second
chapter
and
the
aspect
of
poverty
and
vulnerability
profile
in
the
third
chapter,togetherwiththehighlightofexistingsocialprotectionprogrammesandgaps inthe
implementationinthefourthchapter,thefifthchapterofNSPSonNationalSocialProtection
Strategy for the Poor and Vulnerable describe in details the approaches, vision, goal, and
objectivesofNSPS.TheeffectiveNSPSrequiresthebalanceof3approaches:
Protectingthepoorestandmostdisadvantagedwhocannothelpthemselves Preventingtheimpactofrisksthatcould leadtonegativecopingstrategiesandfurther
impoverishment
Promoting the poor tomoveout ofpoverty by buildinghumancapital andexpandingopportunities.
ThebroadvisionofNSPSincludesthecontributorysocialsecurity(social insurance)forformal
sector and civil servants and toward the high level of human development as well as the
appropriate options and opportunities for all Cambodia. The NSPS envisions that all
Cambodians,especiallythepoorandvulnerable,willbenefitfromimprovedsocialsafetynets
andsocialsecurityasanintegralpartofasustainable,affordableandeffectivenationalsocial
protectionsystem.
The main goal of the NSPS is that poor and vulnerable Cambodians will be increasingly
protectedagainst
chronic
poverty
and
hunger,
shocks,
destitution
and
social
exclusion
and
benefitfrominvestmentsintheirhumancapital.
Withintheframeworktoward2015,NSPSwillbridgethecurrentexistingprogrammeswiththe
establishment of systematic and integrated objectives into the delivery for the poor and
vulnerable people with a more protection from poverty and promotion of investment on
humancapital.Toreachthislinkage,severalstrategicstepsaredevelopedwithinNSPS.
Promotethedevelopmentofmixofprogrammesthatcoverbothchronicandtransientpovertyaswellashungerandalsohelppromotehumancapital
Strengthenthecoordination,scalingup,andharmonisationmechanismfortheexistingprogrammetomatchtherootofmainvulnerabilitytotheexistingprogrammes
Evaluateandimprove,incaseneeded,thecurrentIDPoorprogramme,amechanismtoidentifythepoorhousehold
Scaleupthecoverageoftheongoing intervention for improvementofefficiencyandeffectiveness
Pilot, evaluate, and scaleup the new programmes based on the effectiveness andsustainabilitytofillthegapsofexistingsocialprotectionprogramme.
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Underthisgoal,theNSPShasthefollowingobjectives:
6. The poorandvulnerable receivesupport including food,sanitation,waterandshelteretc,tomeettheirbasicneedsintimesofemergencyandcrisis.
7. Poor and vulnerable children and mothers benefit from social safety nets to reducepoverty
and
food
insecurity
and
enhance
the
development
of
human
capital
by
improving nutrition, maternal and child health, promoting education and eliminating
childlabour,especiallyitsworstforms.
8. The workingage poor and vulnerable benefit from work opportunities to secureincome,foodandlivelihoods,whilecontributingtothecreationofsustainablephysical
andsocialinfrastructureassets.
9. The poor and vulnerable have effective access to affordable quality health care andfinancialprotectionincaseofillness.
10.Specialvulnerablegroups, includingorphans, the elderly,singlewomenwithchildren,people livingwithdisabilities,people livingwithHIV,patientsofTBandotherchronic
illness,etcreceiveincome,inkindandpsychosocialsupportandadequatesocialcare.
ThesixthchapterofthisdocumenthighlighttheCoordinationonimplementation,Monitoring
and Evaluation of NSPS. This chapter emphasis the arrangement of the mechanism for
coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of NSPS through the active
participationsamongallstakeholders involvedandthebudgetrequirement formediumterm
implementation of NSPS. Implementation is the responsibility of line ministries and
decentralised government institutions. The NSPS thus complements the efforts of line
ministries in achieving sector targets by developing the Framework of sustainable, effective
andefficient
implementation.
Most
programmes
in
the
NSPS
are
by
nature
inter
sectoral
and
require coordination across ministries and government agencies, to avoid thematic and
geographical overlaps, to harmonise implementation procedures and to coordinate the
effective and efficient use of available funds from the national budget and development
partners.Italsoentailsactivedialoguewithsupportivedevelopmentpartnersandcivilsociety
organisations and the management on information sharing. Capacity development at the
nationalcoordinationunitandstakeholders involvedatnationalandsubnational level is the
immediate priority including the institutional arrangement, functionalised coordination, and
theM&EstructureinmediumandlongtermimplementationofNSPS.
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Chapter1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Definitions
Socialprotection helpspeoplecope withmajor sourcesofpoverty andvulnerability while atthesametimepromotinghumandevelopment.Itconsistsofabroadsetofarrangementsand
instruments designed to 1) protect individuals, households and communities against the
financial, economic and social consequences of various risks, shocks and impoverishing
situations and 2) bring them out of poverty. Social protection interventions include, at a
minimum, social insurance, labour market policies, social safety nets and social welfare
services.
Social insurance programmes are designed to help households insure themselves againstsudden reductions in work income as a result of sickness, maternity, employment injury,
unemployment, invalidity, old age (i.e. pensions) or death of a breadwinner. They include
publiclyprovidedormandated insurance,suchassocialhealth insuranceschemestoprovide
access to health care. Social insurance programmes are contributory, meaning that
beneficiariesreceivebenefitsorservicesinrecognitionoftheirpaymentofcontributionstoan
insurance scheme. The terms social insurance and social security are often used
interchangeably.Socialsecurityiscloselyrelatedtotheconceptofsocialprotectionandcanbedefinedastheprotectionthatasocietyprovidestoindividualsandhouseholdstoensureaccess
tohealthcareandtoguaranteeincomesecurity,particularlyinthecaseofsickness,maternity,
employmentinjury,unemployment,invalidity,oldageorlossofabreadwinner.
Labour market policies include interventions to address direct employment generation,employmentservicesandskillsdevelopmentaswellas incomesupportfortheworkingpoor.
Alsocoveredisthesettingofappropriatelegislationonminimumwages,socialsecurity/social
insurance contributions, child labour and other labour standards, to ensure decent earnings
andlivingstandards.
Socialsafetynetprogrammesconsistoftargeted interventionsdesignedforthepoorestandmost vulnerable and financed out of general revenues taxation or official development
assistance (ODA). This is in contrast with social insurance schemes, which rely on prior
contributionsfromtheirrecipients.Safetynetinterventionsincludepublicworksprogrammes
(cash forworkand food forwork);unconditionalandconditional transfers (incashorkind);
and targeted subsidies designed to ensure access to health, education, housing or public
utilities,suchaswaterorelectricity(CARD,2009).
Socialwelfareservicescoverthecaresforchildcare,elderlycare,peoplewithdisabilitycare,homebased careand referralsupport forpeople living with HIV, return and reintegration of
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refugee, family preservation, family and community support services, alternative care,
rehabilitationsupportforoutofschool,drugusersandchildlabourers,aswellaspsychosocial
services,includinginsituationsofemergencyanddistress.Theyarecomplementarytocashor
inkind benefits and help reinforce outcomes generated by the former. Identifying points of
contact between cash and inkind transfers and social welfare services is essential in a
coordinatedandintegratedapproachtosocialprotection.
The Social Protection Floor (SPF) is a basic guarantee of social protection for the entirepopulation through a package of benefits and complementary social services to address key
vulnerabilitiesalongthelifecycle,forchildren,pregnantwomenandmothers,theworkingage
population and the elderly. Insteadof focusing only on demand (forhealth, education, food,
minimumincomesecurity,etc),theSPFtakesaholisticapproachbyensuringtheavailabilityof
socialservices.
Figure 1. Social protection and its contribution to economic and social development and
disasterresponse
The broader social protection framework, which includes formal sector and contributory
programmes, is in turn part of a broader poverty reduction strategy. Social safety nets
complement social insurance schemes, as their target groups are usually different: health,
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educationandfinancialservices;provisionofutilitiesandlocalinfrastructure;andotherpolicies
aimed at reducing poverty and managing overall risk and vulnerability. Social protection is
closely related to other development fields. In particular, social protection, employment and
agriculturalandruraldevelopmentareinterlinkedandmutuallyreinforcing.Figure1showsthe
linkages betweensocialprotection andsocialsafetynets,and between socialprotectionand
economicdevelopment,socialdevelopmentanddisasterresponse.
TheRoyalGovernmentofCambodia(RGC)promotesinvestment insocialprotectionasbotha
contributiontolongtermpovertyreductiongoalsandashorttermemergency/shockresponse
measure to address the consequences of crises confronting Cambodia and its citizens.
Specifically,thepovertyandvulnerabilitysituationofmanypeoplehasbeenexacerbatedsince
2007byhighfoodpriceinflation,aswellastheglobalfinancialandeconomiccrisis.Thislatter
hasaffectedthefastestgrowingsectorsoftheeconomy(especiallygarments,constructionand
tourism)andresulted indeteriorationswithregardtoemployment, incomes,remittancesand
access to essential services for the population. Social protection is an investment in poverty
reduction, human development and inclusive growth which can close the gap towards
achieving the poverty target, which the economic crisis has further widened. The National
SocialProtectionStrategyforthePoorandVulnerable(NSPS)isthusexpectedtoplayacritical
roleinreducingpovertyandinequality.
1.2 ScopeoftheStrategy
Followingthepolicydirectionsoutlined in theRectangularStrategy forGrowth,Employment,
EquityandEfficiencyPhaseII,theRGCisadvancingsocialprotectionfortheformalsectorwhile
prioritisingexpandinginterventionsaimedspeciallyatreducingpoverty,vulnerabilityandrisks
forthepoorandvulnerable.
With regard to the medium term, the NSPS focuses on social protection for the poor and
vulnerable.Thepoorandvulnerablearedefinedas:
Peoplelivingbelowthenationalpovertyline;and Peoplewhocannotcopewithshocksand/orhaveahighlevelofexposuretoshocks(of
these,peoplelivingunderornearthepovertylinetendtobemostvulnerable)
TheNSPSprioritisesthedevelopmentofeffectiveandsustainablesocialsafetynetstargetedto
the poor and vulnerable, with complementary social welfare services for special vulnerable
groups,suchaspeoplelivingwithHIVandorphansmadevulnerableoraffectedbyHIV2,3.The
contributoryinterventionofcommunitybasedhealth insurance(CBHI)isalso included,asit is
targetedatthenearpoorwhoarevulnerabletofallingintopovertyasaresultofhealthshocks.
Figure2illustratesthescopeoftheNSPS.
2TheLawonPreventionandCombatingagainstthePrevailingofHIV/AIDS(Article26)alsoenshrinestherightof
peoplelivingwithHIVtoprimaryhealthcareservices,freeofcharge,inthepublichealthsectornetwork.3 Foralistofspecialvulnerablegroups,seeChapter3.2.
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Figure2.ScopeoftheNSPS,focusingonthepoorandvulnerable
At the same time, the NSPS sets the framework for sustainable and comprehensive social
protection for all Cambodians over the long term. This includes both contributory and non
contributory
schemes.
Figure
3
illustrates
the
relationship
between
coverage
of
basic
non
contributory social protection for all and that of contributorysocial insurance for those with
higherincomes,inparticularformalsectorworkers.
The development of comprehensive social protection implies ensuring that the relevant
components (noncontributory and contributory) are developed in parallel towards a
sustainablesystem,wherebythosewhocanaffordsocialprotectionwillaccessitbasedontheir
formalcontributionsand thosewhocannotaffordthecontributionswillrelyonthestate for
supportuntiltheydevelopsuchcapacityovertime.Thereare linkagesandcomplementarities
betweenthetwomajorcomponentsofacomprehensivesystemofsocialprotection4.
4 Including complementary coverage of benefits and services for population groups of different ability; and
complementary financing mechanisms towards fiscal sustainability, whereby the contributory system to a large
extent funds the development of the noncontributory system through its crosssubsidising function and direct
contribution to public revenues, as well as through stronger societal support to the system, including through
taxation. The ultimate aim of the dual gradual system is ensuring universal coverage to protect the population
againstrisks,shocksandchronicsituationsandvulnerabilities.
Otherinsuranceschemes
CommunitybasedHealth
Insurance
PublicWorkPrograms(Cashorfoodfor
work)
ConditionalorNon
conditional CashorIn
KindTransfer
SocialSubsidy(to
facilitateaccesses to
publicutilities,health,
education,housing)
Labourmarketpolicy
SocialInsurance
(Contributory)
SocialSafetyNet
(NonContributory)
Complementary
SocialWelfare
Services
SocialProtection
SocialProtectionforthePoorandVulnerable
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Figure3.Gradualprogressiontowardscomprehensivesocialprotection,aspertheNSPSlong
termvision
1.3Process
of
Strategy
Development
InpreparingtheNSPS,theCouncilforAgriculturalandRuralDevelopment(CARD)in2009and
2010 convened meetings and held technical consultations with a broad set of national
stakeholders, giving government representatives (national and subnational), development
partners,civilsocietyrepresentativesandotherdevelopmentpractitionerstheopportunityto
exploretheoptionsandprioritiesindepth.Thistransparentandrigorousconsultationprocess
has ensured that the analytical and policy inputs have gone through several rounds of
discussionandaretheresultofacombinedeffortbyallstakeholders.
Table1:
Summary
of
the
NSPS
consultation
process
Timeline Activity/event Outcomes
34Dec
2008
CambodiaDevelopment
CooperationForum
RGC commitmenttodevelopandimplementanintegratednational
strategyforsocialsafetynets.
JanJun
2009
InterimWorkingGroupon
SocialSafetyNets(underthe
TechnicalWorkingGroupon
FoodSecurityandNutrition
Sharedknowledgeandconsensus buildingonthekeyconceptsand
broaddirectionforpolicydevelopmentandinventoryofongoing
socialprotectioninterventions.
67Jul NationalForumonFood Duringthetwodayforum,400participants(government,
Social Safety Net (Noncontributory)
Public Work Programmes (Cash or f ood for work)
Cashor inkind transfers (Conditional or nonconditional)
Social Subsidy (to facilitate accesses to public utilities, health, education, housing)
Complimentary Social Welfare Services
SocialProtectionforthePoorandVulnerable
2.ExpandedSocialProtection
1.BasicSocialProtection
Civilservants
Workers
Nearpoor
Poor
Social Insurance (Contributory) Pension
Health insurance
NSSF, NSSFC
Communitybased health insurance
(Social Health Protection)
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2009 SecurityandNutritionunder
theThemeofSocialSafety
NetsinCambodia
developmentpartners,civilsociety)discussed,withSamdachAkka
MohaSenaPadeiTechoHunSen,PrimeMinisterofKingdomof
Cambodia,providingtheclosingaddress.
1922
Oct
2009
TechnicalConsultationon
CashTransferswithafocus
onaddressingchildand
maternalmalnutrition
Participantsfromgovernment,developmentpartnersandcivil
societyconsultedduringaworkshopinPhnomPenh.Agroupof
participantsalsovisitedhealthandeducationalservicesandheld
discussionswithcommunecouncilsandtheprovincialofficein
KampongSpeu.
The
consultation
culminated
in
abrainstorming
by
keystakeholders toproduceaNoteonCashTransfers.
1214
Jan
2010
TechnicalConsultationon
PublicWorks
80+participants(government, developmentpartners,civilsociety)
consultedduringaworkshopinPhnomPenh.Thecoregroup(circa
30participants)alsovisitedsitesofcashforworkandfoodforwork
projects,oneofwhichistheprojectsiteoftheEmergencyFood
AssistanceProject(ADB andWFPsupportedinterventions)in
KampongChhnang,includingaconsultationwithrepresentativesof
acommunecouncilandbeneficiariesoftheprojects.The
consultationculminatedinaNextStepsMeetingbyCARDandacore
groupofdevelopmentpartnersandtheproductionofaNoteon
PublicWorks.
34Feb
2010
TechnicalConsultationon
theRoleofaNationalSocial
ProtectionStrategyin
AugmentingHumanCapital
throughPromoting
Education,ReducingChild
LabourandEliminatingits
WorstForms
100+participants(government,developmentpartners,civilsociety)
consultedduringatwodayworkshopinPhnomPenh.The
consultationbuiltconsensusonintegratingeducationandchild
labourissuesintotheNSPS,particularlyininstrumentssuchascash
transfers,aswellastheneedtoexploregreateraccesstosafetynet
schemestopreventchildlabourandwithdrawvulnerablechildren
fromit,especiallyitsworstforms.ANoteonChildLabourand
Educationwaspreparedbyacoregroupofdevelopmentpartners
asacontributiontotheNSPS.
MarApr
2010
ConsultationsondraftNSPS Anexecutivedraftingteamwassetuptoprepareandconsolidate
inputsintothedraftNSPS.SeveralconsecutivedraftsoftheNSPS
weresharedanddiscussedintheextendedformatoftheInterim
WorkingGrouponSocialSafetyNets.Severalroundsof
consultationsonthecontentoftheNSPSandtheproposed
objectivestookplace,towardsshapingacoherentstrategy.
TheresultsofthisconsultativeprocesshavebeencapturedinNSPSBackgroundPapers:
SafetyNetsinCambodia:ConceptandInventory,June2009(CARD,WFPandWB).Thispaperpresents themainfeatures,achievements,gapsand challengesfacedby safety
netprogrammesinCambodia.Itprovidesareviewofbasicconcepts,asummaryofrisks
andvulnerabilities,
an
inventory
of
existing
safety
nets
and
an
analysis
of
the
gaps
betweenrisksandvulnerabilitiesandexistingsafetynets.
BackgroundNote:CambodiaTowardsaSocialProtectionStrategyforthePoorandVulnerable, forthcoming (CARD and development partners). This background note
presents the outcomes of the consultation process. It gives a detailed overview of
poverty and vulnerability in Cambodia, of safety nets already inplace and ofpolicy
challenges,inordertogeneratesomeconclusionsonasocialprotectionstrategyforthe
poorandvulnerable,itsobjectivesandoptionsforthenearfuture.
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CashTransferProgrammetoSupportthePoorWhileAddressingMaternalandChildMalnutrition: A Discussion Note, March 2010 (World Bank, with contributions from
UNICEF,WFP,GTZ,WHOand CARD).Thisoutputof the technicalconsultationprofiles
maternalandchildmalnutritioninCambodiatoassesstherationalebehindinvestingin
nutritionprogrammes. Itgivesadescriptionofapossiblecashtransferprogramme,as
wellas
discussing
and
evaluation
and
costing
and
fiscal
implications.
ABackgroundNoteonaPublicWorksProgrammeasPartofSocialProtectionforthePoor and Vulnerable, March 2010 (ILO). This output of the technical consultation
presentsavulnerabilityandneedsanalysisfollowedbyanassessmentoftherationale
forinvestinginaPWP,aswellasanoverviewofapproachanddesignissues.
InputonTacklingChildLabourandIncreasingEducationalAccess,March2010(ILO,inconsultation with UNICEF and UNESCO). This output of the technical consultation
assesses socialprotection and its role inprotecting vulnerable children, inparticular
lookingateducationandchild labourand the linkagesbetween them.With regard to
theNSPS,itdetailsincentivesforfamiliestoensurethatchildrenattendschool,services
for vulnerable children (including those in theworstformsof child labour)andpublic
works.
1.4 Roadmap
The NSPS is to be presented for endorsement by the Council of Ministers in 2010. The
immediatenextstepswillbetofurtherdevelopand implementthepriorityactionplan upto
2013. Implementation will be monitored regularly, with a midterm review in 2013 that will
inform
an
update
of
the
implementation
plan
for
20142015.
In
2015,
there
will
be
an
evaluation of implementation and the NSPS will subsequently be updated and revised as
needed.
20092011 : StrategyformulationandadoptionbytheCouncilofMinisters
20112013 : Implementationofshorttermpriorityactionplan
2013 : Midtermreviewandadjustment/updateofimplementationplan
20142015 : Implementationofupdatedimplementationplan
2015 : Evaluateandupdate/reviseNSPS
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Chapter2
SOCIALPROTECTIONASAPRIORITYOF
ROYALGOVERNMENTOFCAMBODIA
SocialprotectionisapriorityoftheRGC.TheformulationoftheNSPSdrawsoncommitments
expressed in the Constitution, the Rectangular Strategy, the National Strategic Development
Plan(NSDP)andnationallegislation,aswellasininternationalconventionstowhichCambodia
isasignatory.
2.1 Lawsandlegaldocuments
TheConstitutionofKingdomofCambodiaistheframeworkforthescopeofsocialprotection
provisiontocitizens.Itcoverstherightofallcitizenstoobtainsocialsecurityandothersocial
benefits, as well as making special provisions for social security in the formal sector. The
Constitutionalso identifiesparticulargroupsthatmayrequirespecialassistance,suchaspoor
womenandchildren,people livingwithdisabilitiesand the familiesofcombatantswhohave
diedservingtheircountry.
Box1.ArticlesfromtheConstitution5regardingsocialprotectionprovision
Article36: EveryKhmercitizenshallhavetherighttoobtainsocialsecurityandothersocialbenefitsas
determinedbylaw.
Article46: TheStateandsocietyshallprovideopportunities towomen,especiallytothoselivinginrural
areaswithout
adequate
social
support,
so
they
can
get
employment,
medical
care,
and
send
theirchildrentoschool,andtohavedecentlivingconditions
Article73: TheStateshallgivefullconsiderationtochildrenandmothers.TheStateshallestablish
nurseries,andhelpsupportwomenandchildrenwhohaveinadequatesupport
Article74: TheStateshallassistthedisabledandthefamiliesofcombatantswhosacrificedtheirlivesfor
thenation.
Article75: TheStateshallestablishasocialsecuritysystemforworkersandemployees.
National legislation for statutory social security provision includes the Labour Law, the
Insurance Law, and the Subdecree on the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) covering
employment
injury
insurance,
the
pension
scheme,
a
shortterm
benefit
system,
the
Royal
DecreeonNationalSocialSecurityFundforCivilServant(NSSFC)coveringthesocialsecurity
system for public civil servants as well as the Law on Pension and Invalidity Benefits for
Cambodian Royal Arm Forces. Other special vulnerabilities are also addressed including the
LawonProtectingandImprovingRightsofPeoplewithDisabilities,LawonthePreventionof
5TheConstitutionofKingdomofCambodiain1993
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Domestic Violence and Protection of Victims, Law on InterCountries Adoption, Law on
SuppressionofTraffickinginHumansandSexualExploitation...
2.2 RectangularStrategyPhaseIIandNationalStrategicDevelopmentPlan
Update20092013
TheRGCsRectangularStrategysetsthebroadpolicydirectionsforimprovingsocialprotection
andidentifies
priorities
for
the
development
of
social
safety
nets.
It
promotes
sustainable
and
equitable development and prioritises improvements in social protection provision. Through
socialsafetynets,theRGCintendstoincreasesocialsectorinterventions,thereby:
Enhancingemergencyassistancetovictimsofnaturaldisastersandcalamities; Reducingvulnerabilitiesofthepoor; Reducing disparities in maternal and child health outcomes and inequities in health
serviceutilisationandaccesstocarebetweenrichestandpoorestquintiles;
Preventingandwithdrawingchildrenfromchildlabour,especiallyitsworstforms; Enhancingaccesstoandqualityofchildrenseducation; Improvingemploymentopportunities; Enhancingprovisionoffeeexemptions,healthequityfunds(HEFs)6andsubsidyschemes
toensureaffordableaccesstohealthservices;and
Expanding rehabilitationprogrammes for thedisabled,aswellaswelfareprogrammesfortheelderly,orphans,femalevictims,peoplelivingwithHIVandTB,thehomelessand
veteransandtheirfamilies.
The National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP) Update (20092013) further specifies the
needtostreamlinesocialprotection.InguidingthedevelopmentoftheNSPSandthepriorities
overthe
short
to
medium
term,
it
highlights
the
need
to:
Give preference to social protection measures that not only provide immediate reliefbutalsocontributetobuildingthebeneficiarypopulationsability/capacitytocontribute
tothesocialandeconomicdevelopmentoftheircommunity;
EnsuregreatertransparencyandbettertargetinginthedeliveryofsocialprotectionforthepoorthroughtheuseoftheIdentificationofPoorHouseholdsprogramme(IDPoor)7,
andthroughanotherappropriatelyadaptedtargetingmechanismforurbanpoorwhile
IDPoorisbeingadjustedtourbanareas;
Minimise
the
planning
and
delivery
costs
(overheads)
of
social
safety
net
programmes
to
achieveamaximumnettransferofresourcestobeneficiarypopulations;and
6 TheHEF isamechanism toreimbursehealth facilities for treatingpatientswhoareclassifiedas toopoorto
pay. The aim is toprovide poor people withaccess to appropriate health services and protect them against
healthrelatedimpoverishment. HEFswereintroducedintothenationalframeworkdevelopedin2003andthe
HealthSectorSupportProject from20042008,and followedthrough into thesecondHealthSectorSupport
Projectfor20092013.7 IDPooristheRGCsstandardisedsystemforpreidentifyingpoorhouseholds,
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Ensure crosssectoral coordination and integration of social protection measures withdecentraliseddevelopmentplanning.
2.3 Commitmentsatthe2008CambodiaDevelopmentCooperationForum
TheRGCscommitmenttosocialprotectionasakeyprioritywasreaffirmedattheDecember
2008 Cambodia Development Cooperation Forum (CDCF). Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Keat
Chhonnoted
that,
while
significant
progress
has
been
made
in
reducing
overall
poverty
levels,
partsofthepopulationremainvulnerabletovariouseconomicandsocialshocks,pushingthem
into poverty and denying them equal opportunities to participate in economic growth.
Improving social protection was selected as a priority intervention for the RGC and
development partners in response to the crisis and as a longterm goal to enhance the
capacitiesofthepopulationtowithstandtheeffectsoffuturesimilaroccurrences.
2.4 ReaffirmedCommitmentattheNationalForumonSocialSafetyNets
RGCcommitmentstosocialprotectionandtheestablishmentofasocialsafetynetsystem,an
importantpartofa longertermgrowthstrategy,werereinforcedbyPrimeMinisterSamdach
AkkaMohaSenaPadeiTechoHunSen,presidingovertheJuly2009NationalForumonFood
Security and Nutrition under the Theme of Social Safety Nets in Cambodia. Box 2 presents
highlightsofthePrimeMinistersstatement.
Box2:StatementofPrimeMinisterSamdachAkkaMohaSenaPadeiTechoHunSen
The RoyalGovernment takes the global economic andfinancial crisis as a lesson, an experience and an
opportunitybyfiguringoutstrategicmeansandselectingpoliciesandmechanismstoacceleratesocioeconomic
development. In this purpose, the Royal Government has been actively strengthening and expanding its
collaboration with developmentpartners, theprivate sector, and the civil society to improvepeoples living
standard,speeduppovertyreductionandensurefoodsecurityasstipulatedinthenationaldevelopmentstrategy
ofthe
Royal
Government
of
the
4th
Legislature
of
the
National
Assembly.
In
this
context,
the
strengthening
of
SocialSafetySystemforrescuingandsupportingvulnerablegroupsistheRoyalGovernmentsmajorstrategyto
tacklethenegativeimpactandrisksarisingfromtheglobaleconomiccrisis
TheForumconcludedbyissuingarecommendationstatement,whichoutlined:
Theneedtodevelopanationalpolicy/strategy,andworkingactivitiesforanintegratedandsystematicsocialsafetynet,aswellastheexpansionandstrengtheningofexisting
Cambodiansafetynets;
The importanceofrespondingtotheeffectsofthecrisesandaddressingtheneedsofvulnerable
people
in
rural
areas
who
are
facing
food
shortages
caused
by
the
global
economiccrisisandfoodpriceincreases;
Theestablishmentofmeasures forpreventing,respondingtoand facilitatingresponsetocrisesinthefuture;
Thestrengtheningoftheprocessofimplementationofsafetynetprogrammesthroughthe subnational level to enable provision of efficient and transparent assistance to
vulnerablegroups;
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The strengthening of the mechanism for the identification of poor households andvulnerablepeople;
The development of capacity at all levels to implement safety nets in an effective,accountableandtransparentmanneraccordingtopolicyandtheRectangularStrategy
PhaseII;
ThedelegationtoCARDoftheresponsibility forcoordinationand facilitationwith lineministries,
institutions
and
development
partners,
in
the
development
and
implementationofsafetynetprogrammes.
2.5 InternationalCommitments
The RGC is signatory to a number of international conventions which provide the legal
framework for the realisation of the right to social protection and the reinforcement of the
scopeofsocialprotectionprovisiontocitizens.Theseinclude,amongothers:
TheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights;
The
United
Nations
Convention
on
the
Rights
of
the
Child;
TheConventiononEliminationofAllFormsofDiscriminationagainstWomen; TheInternationalCovenantonEconomic,SocialandCulturalRights; TheConventionontheRightsofPersonswithDisabilities;and TheMadridInternationalPlanofActiononAgeing.
The RGC has also ratified all International Labour Organization core labour standards and
conventions,includingConventionNo.138ontheMinimumAgeforAdmissiontoEmployment,
ConventionNo.182ontheEliminationoftheWorstFormsofChildLabour,andConventionNo.
122onEmploymentPolicy.
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Chapter3
POVERTYANDVULNERABILITYPROFILE8
Cambodiahasenjoyedsignificanteconomicgrowthoverthepastdecade.Thenationaldatain
2004and2007showedthatthenationalpovertyratehaddroppedfrom34.7%in2004to30.1
in2007 indicatingthearateofpovertyreductionof1.2%peryear. In2010,thepovertyrate
haddroppedto25.8% (NSDP,20092013andCommuneDatabase,2009).However,thegaps
between the rich and the poor and the inequality between rural and urban areas are still
challengingissues.
Figure4:Povertyheadcount19942007
Source:CSES2004,NSDP20092013.
Thereareregionalvariationsinpovertylevels.Themostrecentregionaldatain2010usingthe
CommuneDatabaseshow thattheTonlSapzoneandthePlateau/Mountainzonehave the
highestpovertyheadcounts(36.6%forplateauandmountainousareas,30.8%fortheTonlSap
areas, 22.1% for the central plain areas, and 21.3% for the coastal areas where the national
averageis25.8%in2010)9.
8 ReferencesforthepovertyandvulnerabilityprofileareprovidedintheBackgroundNotetotheNSPS.
9 Data and information using in this chapter were excerpted from the most available updated documents.
However, given the fact that some surveys had been conducted since 2005 or 2008, the statement and
descriptionusingthisdatamightnotreflectthecurrentprogressiveness.
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Figure5:Geographicvariationsinpovertyrates(in%)
Source:CommuneDatabase(2009).
Since
these
snapshots
of
poverty
were
taken,
Cambodia
has
been
hit
by
consecutive
macroeconomicshocksthefood,fuelandfinancialcriseswhichhavefurthercompromised
theabilityofthepoorandvulnerabletocope.Theimpactsofthesecriseshavebeencomplex,
andhaveaccentuateddifficultiesandcompromisedthe livelihoodsandwellbeingofmany, in
particularthosenearorbelowthepovertyline.
3.1 Risks,ShocksandVulnerabilities
Householdsfaceseveralrisksthatincreasetheirvulnerabilityandcanpushthemintopoverty.
Whentheserisksmanifestthemselves,householdsfaceshocksthatcandrasticallychangetheir
socioeconomic situation. The degree to which this change can happen depends on how
vulnerablehouseholds
are
to
shocks.
The
vulnerability
of
an
individual
or
household
depends
ontheirlevelofexposureandabilitytocopewithashock.
Povertyandvulnerabilityareintrinsicallyrelated.Vulnerabilityisacauseofpoverty,aswellasa
perpetuatinganddefiningelementofit.Poorhouseholdstendtohavefewercopingstrategies
toprotectthemagainstshocks,andvulnerablehouseholdsaresusceptibletobeingpushedinto
ordeeperintopovertyasaresultofshocks.
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Figure6:Povertyandvulnerability
The key risks and shocks can be grouped into four categories: 1) emergencies and crises; 2)
human development constraints; 3) seasonal unemployment and income insecurity; and 4)
healthshocks.
3.1.1 EmergenciesandCrises
Cambodiaseconomyandhouseholdsweresignificantlyexposedtotherecentfood,fueland
financialcrises.AsCambodiabecomesmoreintegratedintotheglobaleconomy,theimpactof
externaleconomic
shocks
is
likely
to
become
more
frequent.
The impact of price fluctuations is complex, and the aggregate poverty impacts of the 2007
2008 price rises (the price of rice, the staple food crop of Cambodia, increased by
approximately 100% between 2007and 2008) areyet to be determined (pendinganalysis of
theCSES2008).Thepoorarenetfoodbuyers,whichmeantheywere leastabletocopewith
thesteeprise inprices.Thereweresomewinners (forexamplemilled ricesellers,oilsellers,
andagriculturaldaylabourers).
Poorandvulnerablehouseholdshavebeenhithardbytheimpactoftheeconomiccrisis,witha
significant
social
and
poverty
impact
in
constrained
circumstances.
There
are
concerns
that
women may have been disproportionately affected by the crisis, with significant loss of
employment in the garment industry (which predominantly employs female workers),
increased riskofdomesticviolenceandgreatervulnerabilityto traffickingandexploitation in
thecommercialsexindustry.Lowskilledmaleworkershavealsobeenvulnerable,inparticular
in the maledominated construction industry. The effects of the current economic crisis for
childrenofpoorandvulnerablehouseholdsarealso likelytohavebeensignificant,witharisk
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of increasing child labour and poor families switching to less nutritious food and deferring
healthtreatment.
Cambodiaisalsovulnerabletonaturaldisasters,giventheuniquehydrologicalregimeandlow
coverageofwatercontrolinfrastructure.Theseaffectlivelihoodsandfoodsecurityandtakea
heavy toll on peoples living standards, pushing many further into poverty. Most rural
households
rely
heavily
on
subsistence
agriculture:
an
estimated
72%
of
Cambodians
are
dependent on fishing and agriculture for their livelihoods. Fishing and agriculture (and thus
households food security) are heavily dependent on weather conditions and can fluctuate
significantlyfromyeartoyear.
In the past decade, unusual floods and droughts have severely affected large parts of the
countryside,resultinginthreeyearsofnegativeagriculturalgrowth(2000,2002,and2004).In
2009,TyphoonKetsana left43peopledeadand67severelyinjuredanddestroyedthehomes
and livelihoods of some 49,000 families or 180,000 people (equivalent to 1.4% of the
population). Most of the districts affected were among the poorest in the country, and the
widespread damage to property and public infrastructure will have a longterm impact on
communitieslivelihoods(CambodiaNationalCommitteeforDisasterManagement,2010)
Floodsanddroughtsareamongthemostdamagingshocks for ruralhouseholds,andclimate
changewillheightentheirseverity.AlthoughmanyregionsinCambodiaarerelativelyshielded
fromclimatehazards,almostallprovincesareconsideredvulnerabletotheimpactsofclimate
change owing to low adaptive capacity resulting from financial, technological, infrastructural
andinstitutionalconstraints.Climatechangeimpactswillhavesignificantimplicationsforfood
security.
Somegroupsinthepopulationneedspecialassistanceduringcrisesbecausetheyhavelimited
capacitytohelpthemselves.Inparticular,iftheyarenot integrated intosocialnetworks,they
will find it more difficult to recover and may require immediate response to ensure
uninterruptedaccesstoservicestheydependonforsurvival(e.g.accesstoantiretroviraldrugs,
physicalrehabilitation,etc).
3.1.2 HumanDevelopmentConstraints
Individual crises along the lifecycle can also have negative impacts on human development.
Malnutrition iscausedby inadequateinfantandyoungchildfeedingpractices,high levelsof
infectiousdisease
and
inability
to
access
and
afford
nutritious
food.
Despite
efforts
to
address
the underlying causes of malnutrition, the proportions of thin (8.9%), short (39.5%) and
underweight(28.8%)childrenremainhigh(CambodiaAnthropometricSurvey2008).
BecauseIlliteracyisoneofthesourcesofvulnerability,improvingaccesstoqualityeducation
iscontinuedtobeapriorityofMoEYSincludingbasicschoolfacilities,textbooksandsupplyof
(trained) teachers. According to the data of MoEYS in the 20092010 schoolyear, the net
enrolmentrateatthethreeeducation levels(primary,secondaryandhighschool)were94.8,
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31.9,and19.4%respectively.Therepetitionanddropoutrateatprimaryschoollevelisstilla
concernofMoEYSaimingtoreducethisratetolowerthan10%.Inaverage,thesurvivalrateto
primary, secondary and highschool level are 83, 48.7, and 26% respectively. The ratio of
teachingstafftopupilsatthethreeeducationlevelswere49,24,and29respectively.Children
inruralareasaremorethantwotimeslesslikelytocontinuetolowersecondarythanchildren
inPhnomPenh(25%oftheformervs.61%ofthelatter).
3.1.3 SeasonalUnemploymentandIncomeInsecurity
Labour force underwent dramatically changes in the last decade. In 2010, the proportion of
populationbelow15yearoldwas61.8%.Youth labour forcehadbeendroppedslightly from
60.7% in 1998 to 60.1% in 2008 reflecting the positive trend of longer retention of youth in
educationsystem.
According to the analysis in the Labour and Social Trend in Cambodia 2010 by MoP,
unemployment rate is low in Cambodia. However, 82.5% of workers remain in vulnerable
employmentreferringtounpaidfamilyworkersandselfemployedworkers.Theoutofschool
rate among children was about 15% in 2010 even though this rate had been dropped from
18.7% in 2005. This issue raises a serious concern since those outofschool children will
participate in labourmarketsandreceive lowpaid incomeandjobs. Inthecontextrelatedto
education, youth will have to challenge to 2 types of risks: the difficulties to find job
opportunities for those who dropped out and outofschool system, and the mismatch
betweenfieldofstudyandlabourmarketdemandforthosewhohadattainedschoolbuthad
low opportunities to get jobs. Although the proportion of the illiterate and no primary
education employed population over 15 yearolds had been dropped from 71.6% in 1998 to
58.8%in2008,thisrateisstillremarkablyhigh.Meanwhile,unskilledworkersareunderstrong
pressureto
find
ajob
and
are
more
likely
to
accept
precarious
and
poorly
remunerated
jobs.
ThefundamentalchallengesforlaboursectorinCambodiaarethedemandforincreasingwork
productivityandtoensurethatthisgrowthhastobeinlinewithbetterworkingconditionand
wage rate.The averageannualgrowth ofworkproductivity inagricultural sector, the largest
sectorprovidesjobopportunities,(72.1%ofemployedpopulation)wasonly1.7%(Labourand
SocialTrendReport,MoP,2010).
On the other hand, as stated in the Policy Document on the Promotion of Paddy Rice
Production and Export of Milled Rice developed by SNEC, with the production of 7.59M
tonnes,Cambodia
has
the
capacity
of
self
supply
and
export
about
3.51M
tonnes
in
2009.
This
figureconfirmsthatCambodiahasthecapacitytoensurefoodsecurityatnationallevel.
Food insecurityathouseholdandcommunity level isaconcernrooted fromchronicpoverty.
The numbers of foodinsecure households occur during the lean season, natural disasters,
calamities and shocks. Among the rural poor, the main causes of food insecurity are lack of
access to land, livestock, credit, markets and agricultural inputs. Poor rural households are
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dependentpredominantlyontheirown limitedfoodproductionand irregular,lowpaidcasual
wagelabour.
The vast majority of the poor people live in rural areas. Poverty is associated with low
agricultural productivity and limited alternative livelihood opportunities. The seasonality of
labourrequirementsinfarmingmeansthathouseholds,especiallythosewithlittleorno land,
areobliged
to
find
off
farm
employment
in
the
slack
agricultural
season
to
supplement
family
income. Given the limited availability of nonfarm employment, households, especially those
withlittleorno land,increasinglyneedtorelyon incomefromunskilledwageemployment in
urbanareasor inneighbouringcountries.Seasonallabourmigration isparticularlycommon in
provincesnearThailandandVietNam.
3.1.4 HealthShocks
Healthshocksaffectthepoordisproportionatelythroughthreechannels.Firstly,thepoormay
havehigherprevalenceofinjuriesandillnessesastheyareoften involvedinphysicaljobsand
facegreaterriskofaccidentsand injury;havepoornutrition;have lessaccesstocleanwater
and sanitation10; live in poorer housing conditions; and have less access to health and social
services. Secondly, thepoorare affected through forgone income by not being able to work
which,becauseofa lackofsavings,hasagreaterimpactonthepoor.Lastly,poorhouseholds
gettrapped inaviciouscycleof1)highhealthcarecosts;2)highoutofpocketexpenditures
involved inseekinghealthcare;3) indebtednessatoverwhelminglyhigh interestrates11when
householdresourcesare insufficient;and4)sellingassets (usually land)whenallother funds
aredepleted.Oncethecyclestartsitisverydifficulttobreakoutofit;assuch,itisimportantto
preventitbystartingbytacklinghighhealthcarecostsandoutofpocketexpenditures.
Progressin
enhancing
the
delivery
of
health
services
has
been
significant.
From
early
on,
the
RGC had adopted a health sectorwide management (SWiM) approach to guide the
developmentofthissector.Upto2008,thenumbersofHealthCentresandhealthposts,the
front linefacilitiesprovidingMinimumPackageofActivity located inremoteareas,hasbeen
increasedto967and108respectively.ThetotalnumberofReferralHospitals is84.However,
theNSDPUpdate200920013alsorecogniseissuesoccurringinpublichealthservicedeliveries.
Healthoutcomesandhealthserviceutilisationratesindifferentsocioeconomicgroupspoint
toequityissuesthatneedstrongerattention.Criticalconcernsabouttheunevendistributionof
Emergency Obstetric Neonatal Care services across the country indicate the need for
increasing quality of continuum of care for Reproductive, Maternal, New Born and Child
Health
Programmes.
Because
the
Maternal
mortality
remains
unacceptably
high
(461
casualties per 100,000 born), substantial investments in delivery services and fast track
10 Halfofhouseholdsinthepoorestquintiledonothaveaccesstoimprovedsourcesofdrinkingwaterand87.2%
livewithoutsanitation.11
The2007CSESfoundthattheaverage interestrateofhealthrelateddebtrangedbetween50%and60%per
year.
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interventionsarerequired12.Only63%ofbirthswereattendedbytrainedbirthattendants in
2009,eventhoughthisrepresentedasignificantincreasefrom22%percentin2003(Ministryof
Health,2010a).Underfivemortality isestimatedtobeat83outof1,000children inthisage
range,withchildren inthepoorestquintileatalmostthreetimestheriskofdyingbeforethe
ageoffivethanthoseinthehighestwealthquintile.
Goodfinancing
system
is
an
essential
mean
to
ensure
the
quality
of
service
for
all
people.
Over
the past 20 years, the health sector has had a substantial increase not only in RGCs budget
allocations but also in funding provided by external development partners. In 2008, the
contributions of both RGC and the external development partners to the health sector were
aboutthesame,ataround8US$percapita.However,Cambodiansexperiencehighcostsof
access and utilisation of essential health care services. Total annual health expenditure is
aboutUS$40percapita,ofwhicharound60%isindividualsoutofpocketspending.TheHealth
Financing Charter (HFC), introduced in 1996, regulates the application of user fees at
governmenthealthfacilitiesandsanctionedafeeexemptionsystemforthosetoopoortopay
forhealthcare,toenablethemtoreceivecareatgovernmentfacilitiesforfreewhenneeded.
Currently,theHealthEquityFundandFeeExemptionhasbeenimplementedin50operational
districts(covered51referralhospitalsand120healthposts).TwelveCommunitybasedhealth
insurance schemes have been implemented in 11 operational districts (in 7 provinces and
PhnomPenh)coveredon11referralhospitaland81healthposts. Inpractice,theexemption
systemcovers fewer thanhalfofthoseconsidered toopoor topay forservices (68%ofpoor
peoplehadbeenprotectedunderHEFandfeeexemptionsystemequalto2,832,844persons
wheretheCBHIschemescoveredon73,828beneficiaries).
3.2 VulnerableGroups
Infantsand
children,
girls
and
women
of
reproductive
age
and
food
insecure
households
are
particularly vulnerable to the shocks described and therefore should be the target of social
protectioninterventions.
3.2.1 Infantsandchildren
Infants and children constitute over a third of the population. In the last recent years, the
situation of child mortality have been improved substantially where infant mortality had
decreasedfrom95to60deathsper1,000 livebirthsfrom2000to2008,(alreadyreaching its
2010CMDGtarget)andunderfivemortalityhaddecreased from124to83deathsper1,000
livebirthsfrom2000to2005(witha2010CMDGtargetof75).However,therearestillwide
regionalvariations
that
need
to
be
addressed:
infant
and
under
five
mortality
are
still
almost
doublethenationalaverage inKampongSpeu,PreahVihear,StungTreng,PreyVeng,Mondol
KiriandRatanakKiri(MoP,2010).
12 NSDP Update 20092013 recognized that maternal mortality is a crosssectoral problem, influenced by
womens education and literacy levels, infrastructure development, and levelsof womens participation and
genderequity.
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Poverty creates a barrier to access to and completion of school. Indirect costs related to
uniforms, materials, food at school, transportation and informal school fees, along with
parentsneedtomigrateforworkandtheopportunitycostofhavingchildreninschoolrather
thancontributingtothefamilyincome,placeaburdenonparents.
Infants and children are at risk of detrimental coping strategies that can have lifetime
consequences,
including
being
fed
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