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20 January 2025

On 20 January 2025, PAGE and the Ministry of Commerce conducted a workshop on Green Trade in Cambodia, bringing together key stakeholders, to establish a comprehensive roadmap to align Cambodia’s trade practices with green standards for improved international market access and competitiveness.

 

Presiding the workshop, the Minister of Commerce CHAM Nimul highlighted that this roadmap will serve as a practical guide for strengthening trade readiness, focusing on promoting sustainable trade practices, strengthening value chains, and ensuring market access for Cambodian exports.

“The said assessment and roadmap will also serve as a key input for the Smooth Transition Strategy for LDC graduation expected in 2029 and the new Trade Policy Framework 2030 under preparation by the Royal Government”, added Alissar Chaker, Resident Representative UNDP Cambodia, who attended the workshop.

This event served as a follow-up to the consultation workshop held in December, to develop a Roadmap for Green Trade Standards, Rules of Origin, and Double Transformation in anticipation of Cambodia’s graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2029.

UNDP is supporting the Royal Government of Cambodia in generating needed diagnostics to inform a smooth LDC transition and the upcoming Smooth Transition Strategy. Within this framework, a roadmap is being developed to guide Cambodia’s preparedness for the EU green trade standards, rules of origin (RoO) and double transformation, with PAGE support. The roadmap will promote sustainable trade practices, value chains, technology, and skills updates, enhance competitiveness, and ensure market access for Cambodian exports to the EU market.

By adhering to EU green trade standards, Cambodia’s industries can access high-value markets, enhance resilience, and contribute to global sustainability goals. The workshop placed emphasis on public-private partnerships, policy coherence, and capacity-building efforts to support Cambodia’s integration into global value chains.

Additionally, the roadmap will support environmentally sustainable economic growth and create quality jobs aligning with global standards and the Kingdom’s international commitments (NDCs, Carbon neutrality, etc.), positioning Cambodia as a reliable trading partner committed to responsible business practices.

EU Ambassador Igor Olivier Driesmas underscored the European Union’s commitment to supporting Cambodia during this transition in status by adapting to new trade conditions and sustainability regulations outlined in the EU Green Deal. The trade relationship between Cambodia and the EU is substantial; in the first eleven months of 2024, the trade volume reached USD 4.9 billion, with Cambodian exports totaling USD 4 billion.

cambodida workshop

The said assessment and roadmap will also serve as a key input for the Smooth Transition Strategy for LDC graduation expected in 2029 and the new Trade Policy Framework 2030 under preparation by the Royal Government.

Alissar Chaker, Resident Representative UNDP Cambodia.
Alissar Chaker, Resident Representative UNDP Cambodia.

The event was presided over by H.E. CHAM Nimul, Minister of Commerce, alongside H.E. Driesmans, Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Cambodia, and Ms. Alissar Chaker, UNDP Resident Representative in Cambodia. It brought together 92 participants, including representatives from line ministries, civil society, the private sector, and international development partners.

In 2015, the country achieved a lower middle-income status. By 2024, Cambodia met the criteria for graduation from its designation as a Least Developed Country (LDC), with plans to officially graduate by 2029, following a five-year transition period. Cambodia aims to attain upper middle-income status by 2030 and aspires to become a high-income country by 2050. “Cambodia’s departure from LDC status and the increasing requirements for sustainable practices present opportunities to transform our growth model into one that is more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient, ensuring we are prepared for future global economic dynamics.” said Alissar Chaker – Resident Representative UNDP Cambodia.

Cambodia joined PAGE as a new partner country in 2022. UNITAR acts as the main coordinating agency for the PAGE project in Cambodia. The main Government counterpart is the Department for Green Economy at the Ministry of Environment, in its capacity as the General Secretariat of the National Council for Sustainable Development.

The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) has grown into a prominent UN inter-agency programme, including UNEP, UNDP, ILO, UNIDO and UNITAR, that aims to transform economies into drivers of sustainability by supporting partner countries in reframing economic policies and practices around sustainability.

Source: Ministry of Commerce, UNDP, PAGE

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