12 May 2026

Cambodia Embeds Green and Inclusive Public Financial Management into Public Finance Officials Training

Phnom Penh, April 2026 — Cambodia’s Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) has taken a concrete step toward institutionalizing green and inclusive public financial management (PFM) by integrating green and inclusive competences into the certification pathways for its public finance officials’ (PFOs).

Hosted by the Economics and Finance Institute (EFI), led by the MEF and supported by PAGE through UNITAR, a Training-of-Trainers workshop equipped 33 trainers, lecturers, and technical staff from MEF with skills to train others on green and inclusive principles. The workshop integrated these competences into the content of Level 1 Position Linked Certificate Programs (CP). These certificates are linked directly to professional advancement of public finance officers, i.e. at the entry-level they must complete specified programs, and present the corresponding certificate to qualify for designated Level 1 roles. The workshop covered budgeting, procurement, public investment, internal audit, and economic development.

The scale matters. With approximately 1,000 public finance officials expected to complete Level 1 of CP training in 2026 alone, the curriculum update has a systemwide impact. This ensures that green and inclusive competences are no longer the domain of specialists but embedded in how every new entrant thinks about budgets, procurement, and investment from day one. Every incoming PFM official will now engage with green and inclusion-sensitive principles as part of standard professional formation.

The alignment is strategic. The training supports the fourth phase of Cambodia’s Public Financial Management Reform Program (PFMRP), which prioritizes stronger accountability, efficiency, and service delivery through institutional modernization and capacity development to achieve “Performance Accountability”. By anchoring green and inclusive principles within an existing reform architecture, PAGE’s support strengthens institutional coherence and enables lasting change.

The approach is scalable. By investing in trainer capacity Cambodia’s approach prepares a foundation for different national and sub-national audiences to benefit from the course programme in different settings in the future.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of this training-of-trainer workshop, H.E. Pich Sambath, Under Secretary of State, highlighted Cambodia’s commitment to long-term resilient and inclusive growth. He emphasised the alignment of the new curriculum with the 4th phase of Cambodia’s PFMP, the Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan 2024-2033, Pentagonal Strategy Phase 1, and NDC 3.0 Environment Programme.

Ms. Amrei Horstbrink-Gavillet, Head of the UN PAGE Cambodia Programme at UNITAR emphasized how the updated curriculum marks a tangible shift in how Cambodia prepares its public finance workforce. At scale, it is likely to meaningfully strengthen officials’ competencies to make sustainable, inclusive, and climate-responsive fiscal decisions across government institutions.

Cambodia Embeds Green and Inclusive Public Financial Management into Public Finance Officials Training

Funding partners

Advancing Indonesia’s Circular Economy: Insights from the Validation Workshop on Electronics and Construction Sectors