2015-2016

Japan International Cooperation Agency独立行政法人　国際協力機構

Outline of Cooperation in Cambodia

Contents

Foreword ............................................................................................. 1What is JICA? .................................................................................... 2History of JICA’s Cooperation in Cambodia .................. 4JICA’s Cooperation Strategy and Priority Areas ........... 5

<Priority Area 1> Economic Bases ...................................... 6<Priority Area 2> Social Development ............................ 8<Priority Area 3> Governance ............................................... 11

Water system supported by Japan brings pleasure and improved health to Cambodian children. [Photo by Kenshiro Imamura]

Itsu AdachiChief RepresentativeJICA Cambodia Office

ForewordSince dispatch of first volunteers in 1965 and opening an office in Phnom Penh in 1993, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been supporting the people of Cambodia as they strive to improve their standard of living. In the early stages, our assistance focused on the reconstruction of basic infrastructure to secure people’s lives, combined with the provision of Technical Cooperation in various fields to achieve long-term human resource development. It would not be an overstatement to say that the impacts of our more than two decades of assistance nowadays touch the life of every Cambodian. This also resonates beyond borders as Cambodia has now become a provider of assistance to other countries in areas which have been the focuses of our long-term assistance, such as demining and water supply.

Today, as we stand at a crossroad of Cambodia’s remarkable development, our assistance is being realigned and refocused in accordance with the changing needs of the country. While maintaining the three main strategic pillars of “Strengthening Economic Bases”, “Promotion of Social Development” and “Strengthening of Governance”,

more emphasis is being placed on improving domestic and regional connectivity both in hard and software, addressing urbanization challenges and improving the business climate to promote investment and economic diversification, while also building much needed human capital for industrialization.

The keyword here is ‘quality’ – which becomes increasingly critical in virtually all sectors as the country continues to develop – in infrastructure and its management, agriculture, health, education, governance, environment, investment as well as partnerships. We strongly believe that the comparative advantage of our assistance very much lies in ensuring results of the highest quality in everything we do for, and with, the people of Cambodia.

By mobilizing JICA’s various assistance schemes and resources, we are commited to continue providing assistance of the highest quality to achieve sustainable and equitable socio-economic development of Cambodia, and thereby to serve as a solid bridge between our two countries and peoples.

JICA Cambodia Office Staff

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What is JICA?

JICA’s Approach

A Bridge Linking Japan and Developing Countries

JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)* is the executing agency of Japanese ODA, which assists and supports developing countries to resolve various issues they are facing. Funds that are used in Japanese ODA are supported by the taxes paid by Japanese people.

JICA is in charge of implementing the majority of bilateral ODA including Technical Cooperation, ODA Loans and Grant Aid in an integrated manner.

JICA is currently the world’s largest bilateral aid agency working in over 150 countries and regions and having nearly 100 overseas offices.

* JICA is an Incorporated Administrative Agency in Japan.

ODA Loans support developing countries above a certain income level by providing low-interest, long-term concessional loans to finance their development efforts. ODA Loans are used for large-scale infrastructure and other forms of deve- lopment works that require substantial funds. In the case of Cambodia, the terms and conditions of 0.01% interest with 40 years repayment period including 10 years grace period are applied.

Consultants and contractors for ODA Loan projects are selected through inter-national competitiveness processes led by the loan recipient country. As a result, a number of local companies have been involved in project implementation.

Sihanoukville port container terminal.

Grant Aid is provision of funds to deve- loping countries which have low income levels, without the obligation of repay-ment. Grant Aid is used to improve basic infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, water-supply facilities and roads, along with health and medical care, equipment and other requirements.

Chruoy Chang War Bridge. [Photo by Stephan Janin]

For human resources development and improvement of administrative systems of developing countries, Technical Coop-eration involves dispatching of experts, provision of necessary equipment and training of personnel in Japan and other countries. Cooperation plans can be tailored to address a broad range of issues and needs of developing countries.

JICA experts transferred their knowledge. (Photo by Kenshiro Imamura)

What is Japanese ODA?

Technical Cooperation

JICA conducts cooperation by encou- raging participation of Japanese citizens including volunteers.(See page 12 and 13 for details)

Cooperation through Citizen Participation

ODA Loans Grant Aid

Technical Cooperation

Grant Aid*

JICA

* This excludes Grant Aid directly implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for diplomatic consideration.

Official Development

Assistance (ODA)

Bilateral Assistance

Multilateral Assistance

ODA Loan

The financial and technical assistance that governments of developed countries provide to developing countries as part of this economic cooperation are called Official Development Assistance (ODA)*.

Since 1954, Japan has been providing financial and technical assistance to developing countries through ODA, aiming to contribute to the peace and development of the world. Japanese ODA is broadly divided into bilateral aid, in which assistance is given directly to developing countries, and multilateral aid, which is provided through international organizations. JICA provides bilateral aid in the form of Technical Cooperation, ODA Loans and Grant Aid.

* ODA, as defined by the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), must meet

the following three requirements:

It should be undertaken by governments or government agencies.

The main objective is the promotion of economic development and welfare in developing countries.

It has concessional terms, having a grant element of at least 25%.

The grant element measures the concessionality or “softness” of the financial terms of a loan. The lower the interest rate and the longer the maturity period, the higher the grant element, which means it is more beneficial to the borrower. The grant element for a grant is 100%.

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JICA’s vision

Scale of JICA’s OperationsIn 2013, Japan’s total ODA disbursement amounted to ¥1,655.6

billion. The total of JICA’s disbursements in fiscal year 2014 (¥1,303.5

billion) was made up as follows: Technical Cooperation ¥176.4 billion,

ODA Loan ¥1,015.9 billion and Grant Aid ¥111.2 billion.

JICA’s Operational FlowJICA implements effective and efficient support under the Japanese

government’s assistance policy, which is based on an unbiased and

broad perspective beyond each scheme. JICA provides its assistance

in close collaboration with the Japanese government and recipient

governments throughout the project cycle.

* JICA conducts evaluations of the projects using the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle for each scheme of technical cooperation, ODA Loans and Grant Aid, in order to further improve operations and public accountability.

Inclusive and Dynamic Development

There are many issues in the world that can not be solved by individual countries but are better addressed collectively by the global community.

In dealing with such issues, JICA set its vision as “Inclusive and Dynamic Development” aiming to realize development that encourages all people

to recognize the development issues they themselves face, participate in addressing them, and enjoy the fruits of such endeavors. The role of

JICA is to effectively facilitate this process.

In order to achieve this vision, JICA operates under four Mission statements and four main Strategies.

Mission

1. Addressing the global agenda

Addressing the global agenda, including climate change, water, food, energy, infectious diseases and financing.

2. Reducing poverty through equitable growth

Pursuing sustained poverty reduction through inclusive and equitable growth.

3. Improving Governance

Strengthening policies, institutions, organizations and human resources as back bones of development.

4. Achieving human security

Protecting people from fear and want building societies where they can live with dignity.

Strategy

1. Integrated assistance

Combining policy support, institutional building, human resource development, infrastructure development, etc. Cross-border and cross-sector assistance.

2. Seamless assistance

Speedy and continuous aid delivery from emergency relief to rehabilitation/reconstruction and peace- building. Meeting develop- ment needs flexibly according to a specific development stage from least developed countries to middle income countries.

3. Promoting development partnerships

Promoting public-private partnerships. Applying technologies and know-how. Strengthening partnerships in the international aid community.

4. Enhancing research and knowledge-sharing

Enhancing research functions on development by drawing on JICA’s abundant field experience. Sharing research findings and leading discussions on international development assistance.

Recipient Government

JICA / Japanese Government

Policy Dialogue

Project Formulation

Project Implementation

* Ex-ante Evaluation

* Mid-term Evaluation

* Ex-post Evaluation

Project Completion

Technical Cooperation, ￥176.4 billion

13.5%

ODA Loan, ￥1,015.9 billion

78%

Grant Aid, ￥111.2 billion

8.5%

Source: JICA Annual Report 2015

Chart 1: JICA’s total disbursements in FY2014

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History of JICA’s Cooperation in CambodiaIn 1993, JICA opened an office in Phnom Penh to coordinate the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) and it was then upgraded to a fully fledged JICA representative office in 1994.

About thirty years earlier in 1965, the first volunteer was dispatched to Cambodia. And, in 1969, the Government of Cambodia and Government of Japan had concluded the first ODA loan agreement for the Power and Irrigation Development Project. This was financed by the Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF), which was integrated into the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) in 1999, and subsequently merged with JICA in 2008.

The year 2013 marked the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Cambodia and the JICA Cambodia office also commemorated 20 years since resuming the work with the people of Cambodia.

Contributions to Cambodia

Year  Event

1954Establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Cambodia.

1965Agreement on volunteer dispatch between Japan and Cambodia. (1966 Dispatch to Cambodia.)

1969Signing of the first ODA loan agreement between Cambodia and Japan.

1993 Establishment of JICA Cambodia office.

2008 Merger of JICA and JBIC.

2013 20th anniversary of the JICA Cambodia office.

2015 50th anniversary of JOCV.

Immediately after the Paris Peace Accords in 1991 Japan started to actively help the reconstruction and development of Cambodia. This involved the dispatch of the Japan Self-Defense Force, civilian police and election monitors as components of Japan’s first UN Peacekeeping operation.

Since 1992, Japan has been the largest and longest serving provider of bilateral ODA to Cambodia and JICA has played an important role in supporting the development of the country through Technical Cooperation, ODA loans and Grant Aid. Up until 2013 a total amount of $2,374 million was disbursed to Cambodia.

In the early 1990s Grant Aid was Japan’s main form of assistance due to the particularly difficult post–war situation. However, JICA later resumed the provision of ODA Loans in 1999 as a response to the increasing financial need for the development of physical infrastructure, which was essential for steady and sustainable economic growth. By early 2015, the total concessional loan commitment has reached over ¥ 86.6 billion.

As shown in Chart 2, Japan has been providing a progressively increasing amount of ODA to Cambodia in recent years. A number of highly qualified Japanese experts with considerable professional experience in various fields have also been dispatched to work with the government and people of Cambodia. Furthermore, from the very beginning of JICA’s involvement, every year a number of Cambodian officials and professionals have been given training opportunities in their specialized areas either in Japan or other countries. Through these training programs they gain state-of-the-art knowledge, practical skills and expertise which are vital to advance the development of the country. Nowadays there are a large number of former JICA trainees and scholars who are passionately working as the new leaders in a wide range of sectors.

Fish catching by beneficiary farmers of Freshwater Aquaculture Improvement and Extention Project. [Photo by Kenshiro Imamura]

Farmers investigating the quality of harvested rice. Students going to school safe along the National Road No.1. [Photo by Koji Sato]

020406080

100120140160180200(Million USD)

ODA Loan Technical Cooperation Grant Aid2014

(estim

ate) 0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000(Million JPY)

20062007

20082009

20102011

20122013

20142015

Source: JICA Cambodia 2015Source: ODA Database / CDC, August 2015

Chart 2: Japan’s ODA Disbursement to Cambodia by types of assistance Chart 3: Japan’s concessional loan commitment to Cambodia in recent years

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JICA’s Cooperation Strategy and Priority AreasFor Steady and Sustainable Economic Growth and Balanced Development

In order to achieve sustainable development and poverty reduction, the Government of Cambodia set up its “Rectangular Strategy” and

National Strategic Development Plan, as a detailed development strategy to achieve its long-term development vision, as well as the Cambodian

Millennium Development Goals (CMDGs).

In line with these strategies, the Japanese Government revised its “Country Assistance Policy for Cambodia” in 2012 and established its overall goal

as “Steady and Sustainable Economic Growth and Balanced Development.”

In accordance with this policy, JICA has defined the midterm assistance objective for development cooperation in Cambodia as “Realizing human security through economic growth and poverty reduction” and focuses on the following three priority areas for its operation: (1) Strengthening of Economic Bases, (2) Promotion of Social Development and (3) Strengthening of Governance.

Under these priority areas and based on the latest analyses of development challenges and their socio-economic context, JICA mobilizes

all the assistance schemes to work towards the above-stated development objective, while fully respecting the ownership by the

Government and the people of Cambodia. Moreover, JICA also proactively collaborates with important partners including traditional and

emerging development partners, the private sector as well as civil society organizations which have certain level of expertise in their own

respective fields.

JICA Cooperation Strategy

Forest Management & Climate Change Demining

Economic Bases

Economic Infrastructure

Private Sector

Agriculture & Rural Development

Water Supply & Sewage System

Health & Medical Care

Education Quality

Social Development

Public Finance

Legal & Judicial Reform

Gender Equality

Governance

The Royal Government of Cambodia Rectangular Strategy

Sustainable Economic Growth Poverty Reduction

Political & Social Stability

Partnership of Relevant Stakeholders

Favorable Maroeco-

nomic & Financial

Stability

Integration of Cambodia

into the Region & the World

Agriculture Enhancement Human Resources Development

Private Sector DevelopmentPhysical Infrastructure

Good Governance

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The garment and tourism industries have been the main contributors to economic growth in Cambodia over the past decade. However, it has now become necessary for the country to diversify its production base through further industrialization, by developing high value-added industries and promoting trade, as the current undiversified industrial structure is vulnerable because it is highly dependent on the demands of particular foreign markets. In order to achieve this transformation, it is important to facilitate an access to financial resources in the country, improve domestic productivity, facilitate the transfer of production technology and promote foreign direct investment as a driving force to create job opportunities. At the same time, the competitiveness of local industries and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) should be strengthened. Furthermore, human resources in such industries should also be developed so as to further enhance competitiveness.

In this regard, JICA has provided an ODA loan for the Sihanoukville Port Special Economic Zone Development Project (ODA Loan, ¥3,651mil.) as well as arranged Technical Cooperation for the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) which contributes to the promotion of foreign direct investment.

JICA is currently working in partnership with various Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and two other major educational institutes, namely the Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC) and Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC) to foster human resource and skills development. The main focus is to build skills in both business and technical fields which are of vital importance to Cambodia today. Therefore JICA’s program for human resource development for the industrial sector aims at providing the labor market with individuals who have high quality technical skills and basic competences which are required by industry. This program includes supporting the National Employment Agency (NEA) which disseminates information in relation to labor, employment and TVET.

Since SMEs play an important role in the Cambodian economy, JICA also supported formulation of a SME promotion policy framework and strengthening the function of the National Productivity Center of Cambodia (NPCC) for the development of SMEs through the Project for Strategic Strengthening of Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Support System (Technical Cooperation).

Economic BasesPriority Area 1

Economic Infrastructure

Private Sector

JICA has a long history of supporting infrastructure development, ranging from roads and bridges to ports, as well as energy and telecom systems. In respect of roads and bridges, JICA has focused on the improvement of the trunk road network, which was largely destroyed during the Pol Pot regime. Additionally in order to strengthen connectivity in the Mekong region, JICA has been supporting the Southern Economic Corridor by improving National Road No. 1 (Grant Aid, ¥93,730mil.), constructing the Tsubasa (Neak Leoung) Bridge (Grant Aid, ¥11,940mil.) and the National Road No. 5 Improvement Project (ODA Loan, so far agreed on ¥29,759mil.), which will then link Vietnam and Thailand whilst passing through Phnom Penh. Also in urban transport sector, JICA developed Master Plan targeting year 2035 through the Project for Comprehensive Urban Transport Plan in Phnom Penh Capital City” (Technical Cooperation), and the Project for

Development of Traffic Management System (Grant Aid, ¥1,727mil.) is being implemented as one of the prioritized projects among M/P.

JICA has been assisting the port sector since 1996, which began with an ODA Loan for the rehabilitation of the port of Sihanoukville. Up to now, ten projects have been implemented in the port (four Technical Cooperation projects, five ODA loan and one Grant Aid projects) and their synergy has brought about a vast improvement in facilities and services.

In the energy sector, JICA has contributed to providing a cheaper and more stable electricity supply through the Greater Mekong Power Network Development Project (ODA Loan, ¥2,632mil.), and the Phnom Penh City Transmission and Distribution System Expansion Project (ODA Loan, Phase1: ¥6,480mil. Phase2: ¥3,816mil.), as well as through various other Grant Aid and Technical Cooperation projects.

Furthermore Telecom Cambodia has received JICA’s support through the Greater Mekong Tele-communication Backbone Network Project (ODA Loan, ¥3,029mil.), which will install a 400km fiber optic cable and related facilities to connect the missing link from Preah Sihanouk to Kampong Cham.

11% (250km/2240km)of National Road (one digit)

is asphalt-paved by Japanese ODA

Tsubasa (Neak Leoung) Bridge [photo by Ayako Kimura]

Inauguration ceremony of Sihanoukville Port SEZ. [Photo by Aya Kimura]

Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC).

The past decade has witnessed a remarkable growth of the Cambodian economy. The annual GDP growth rate from 2004-2007 even exceeded 10%, and then after a respite which resulted due to the global financial crisis in 2009, the economy picked up again very quickly. In the Rectangular Strategy Phase III that was launched in September 2013, the Government of Cambodia envisages achieving an average annual economic growth rate of 7% in the coming years. This will be achieved through the further diversification of its economic bases by strategic industrialization and private sector development as envisaged also in the Cambodia Industrial Policy launched in August 2015. In this way the government aims to develop the foundation of the economy so as to realize its long-term vision of becoming an upper-middle income country by 2030 and high income country by 2050. This requires the upgrading of infrastructure, the strengthening of the agricultural sector, and the development of the private sector which are supported by investments in human resources to acquire appropriate skills.

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Accounting for 28.7% of GDP and employing 50% of the labor force, agriculture is still a key sector in realizing poverty reduction while also being the foundation for long-term economic growth. However, the sector still faces many challenges including inadequate capabilities in irrigation systems and water resources management, as well as limited agricultural production and processing techniques which have resulted in low profit of the farmers.

In order to promote the agricultural sector and to improve the living conditions of farmers, JICA has used a comprehensive approach in providing assistance by applying both short-term and long-term assistance measures in all its major schemes.

In order to improve the dysfunctional and damaged irrigation systems, JICA has been providing support through capacity development and construction of facilities since 2001. This started with the Technical Service Center for Irrigation System Project (Phase 1-3) (Technical Cooperation), and was recently followed by the West Tonle Sap Irrigation and Drainage Rehabilitation and

Improvement Project (ODA Loan, ¥4,269mil.) and Southwest Phnom Penh Irrigation and Drainage Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (ODA Loan, ¥5,606mil.). Furthermore, JICA initiated the project on River Basin Water Resources Utilization in Cambodia (Technical Cooperation) in 2013 so as to effectively utilize and operate irrigation schemes within each of the river basins.

JICA has been providing Technical Cooperation projects to boost productivity and to improve irrigation systems, which directly promotes farmers’ income generation capabilities. This has been achieved through the Agricultural Productivity Promotion Project in West Tonle Sap (Technical Cooperation) as well as in the fisheries sector through the Freshwater Aquaculture Improvement and Extension Project (Phase 1-2) (Technical Cooperation). Moreover, in order to build the capacities of government officials who support and strengthen the farmers’ groups, the Project for Establishing a Business-Orientated Agricultural Cooperation Model (Technical Cooperation) was initiated in 2014. To respond to the rapid development and drastic changes in the agriculture field in this country, JICA aims not only to improve productivity but also to improve the quality, efficiency, skills and knowledge base of government officials.

About 145km irrigation canal

developed by Japanese ODA (2002-2014)

Over 60% increasein productivity of rice targeted farmers was chieved through

JICA’s technical assistance*From 2.75t/ha (2010) to 4.5t/ha(2014)

Cambodian hydrology experts are fixing water-level gauges with JICA experts.

Agricultural cooperative members and MAFF officials are visiting AEON to see agricultural marketing during workshop.

Like other cities in Southeast Asia, Phnom Penh and other urban areas in Cambodia are often subject to flooding and drainage problems as a result of heavy seasonal rain. In Cambodia, where most of the population is concentrated in low lying areas, urban communities are naturally prone to flooding and therefore substantial measures are required to address this problem.

Given this situation, JICA identified Flood Protection and Drainage Improvement as one of the top priorities for ensuring and improving people’s living conditions in urban areas. Within this policy framework, JICA has been assisting Phnom Penh and other municipal governments since 1999. Projects to date have included riverbank improvements, construction of pumping stations, restoration of drainage channels, installation of many large-scale drainage pipes as well as interceptors, all of which have contributed to reducing the impact of heavy rain and to alleviating the maximum inundation depth and flood duration in urban areas.

Currently JICA is working with the Phnom Penh Municipal Government to formulate a 20-year Master Plan for 2015-2035, to further identify priorities for drainage improvements which also includes consideration for the development of an effective sewage system in Phnom Penh.

Major projects: The Study on Drainage and Sewerage Improvement Project in Phnom Penh Metropolitan Area: Technical Cooperation Project (2014-2016)The Project for Flood Protection and Drainage Improvement in the Municipality of Phnom Penh (Phase III): Grant Aid (2011 – 2015)The Project for Flood Protection and Drainage Improvement in the Municipality of Phnom Penh (Phase II): Grant Aid (2007 – 2010)The Project for Flood Protection and Drainage Improvement in the Municipality of Phnom Penh: Grant Aid (2001 – 2004) The Study on Drainage Improvement and Flood Control in the Municipality of Phnom Penh: Technical Cooperation Project (1998 – 1999)

Japan’s Assistance for Drainage Improvement and Flood Protection in Phnom Penh

Agriculture and Rural Development

Before Project After Project

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Social DevelopmentPriority Area 2

Economic growth does not automatically lead to equitable social development with benefits to all members of society. In the process

of economic development it is vital to maintain a focus on the provision and improvement of basic services such as access to safe

water, health care and education as these directly impact the daily lives and welfare of every individual. These comprise the main

components of Cambodia’s MDGs and upcoming Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Due to the efforts of the Government of

Cambodia with support from development partners including JICA and various NGOs, steady progress has been witnessed in the last

20 years in improving the living conditions of Cambodian people with expanded access to safe water, health care and education.

However, major gaps still exist and at the present development juncture, further focus on quality in addition to quantity is needed.

Water Supply and Sewage Systems

Cambodia’s water supply system was severely damaged during the Pol Pot regime, and before the

1990s most people struggled to obtain safe water, while at the same time expensive and poor-

quality water was being sold by private distributors. JICA started working with the Phnom Penh

Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) in 1993 and conducted the Study on Phnom Penh Water Supply System (Technical Cooperation), which was later updated in 2006 to the Master Plan of Greater Phnom Penh Water Supply (Phase 2) (Technical Cooperation). Based on this Master Plan, JICA

has provided assistance to support the following strategy, making PPWSA known as one of the

most successful and best performing public water utilities in the world:

(i) Utilize Grant Aid to quickly rehabilitate, construct and to replace/expand the pipe network.

(ii) Technical Cooperation projects to build the capacity of individuals to effectively manage, operate and maintain the facilities.

(iii) Provide ODA Loan project to further enhance PPWSA’s operational capacity to run a safe, affordable water supply system.

As of 2013, PPWSA has received a total of approximately $124 million (based on PPWSA data) in Japanese assistance.

Other than Phnom Penh, JICA has been extending its assistance to improve access to clean water supply in other provinces since 2006 through, (i)

Technical Cooperation projects with PPWSA, to build both the technical and management capacity of the eight targeted provincial waterworks in

Pursat, Battambang, Siem Reap, Kampong Thom, Kampong Cham, Svay Rieng, Kampot and Preah Sihanouk and (ii) Grant Aid and ODA loans to

construct water supply facilities such as water treatment plants and to replace/expand pipe networks in major provincial cities.

Urban population access to clean water supply has significantly increased from 53.5% in 2009 to 81.28% in 2014 according to the Ministry of Industry

and Handicrafts. However, apart from Phnom Penh where about 90% of the people have access, the number is still low in provincial cities (65.71%),

and this is far behind the Cambodian Millennium Development Goals (CMDGs) target of 80% by 2015. In order to make further improvements, JICA

is continuing its support to build facilities and improve water supply services in major provincial cities by fully utilizing extensive knowledge and

experience of related, successful activities in Cambodia.

PPWSA staff is connecting water pipes. [Photo by Kenshiro Imamura]

Installing drainage pipes in Phnom Penh.

JICA had also provided Grant Aid from 1996 for improving access of rural population to safe drinking water through construction of approximately 655 wells in Phnom Penh peri-urban areas and Kampong Cham province.

About 1,100,000 people

are provided with access to safe and clean water

* number is sum including the expected new connection by on-going projects)

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In the early 1990s Cambodia was confronted with an extremely deteriorated health care system, both in terms of infrastructure and human resources. It was crucial to rebuild it in order to save people’s lives after the Pol Pot regime, and therefore JICA began providing support for the urgent rehabilitation and construction of medical facilities. This has been done through Grant Aid, such as The Project

for Construction of the Maternal and Child Health Center (Grant Aid, ¥1,761mil.), The Project for Improvement of the National Tuberculosis Center (Grant Aid, ¥803mil.) and The Project for Improvement of the Kampong Cham Referral Hospital (Grant Aid, ¥1,039mil.). In addition to providing such vital assistance JICA has been involved in human resource development in the fields of maternal and child health care and tuberculosis (TB) control.

JICA has worked with the National Maternal and Child Health Center (NMCHC) through Technical Cooperation since 1992, namely the Maternal and Child Health Project (Phase 1-2), the Project for Improving Maternal and Child Health Services in Rural Areas in Cambodia, and the Project for Improving Maternal and Newborn Care through Midwifery Capacity Development. Through these efforts health sector indicators including the infant and maternal mortality rates have significantly improved and achieved MDG’s goal by 2014. After so many years of cooperation, NMCHC has now developed the capacity to train medical staff of other countries such as Afghanistan.

Cambodia had one of the world’s highest incidences of TB in the 1990s. Given this alarming situation, the Government of Cambodia set out the National TB Control Strategy and started DOTS* with support from the World Health Organization (WHO). JICA began its support in this field by dispatching a Medical Advisor in 1997, and for more than 10 years had also worked with National Center for Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control (CENAT) to improve the quality and scale of DOTS through the National Tuberculosis Control Project (Phase 1-2) (Technical Cooperation). The Second National TB Prevalence Survey to review DOTS’s effectiveness was conducted with JICA’s support and the outcome has been highly acclaimed throughout the world as a good practice of TB control.

A woman delivering baby at health facility

Health and Medical Care

In today’s development cooperation architecture, South-South Cooperation (SSC) is gaining increasing recognition as a complement to traditional North-South Cooperation. SSC is a process whereby two or more developing countries pursue their individual and/or shared national capacity development objectives through exchanges of knowledge, skills, resources and technical know-how. JICA has been playing an important role in the promotion and development of SSC as a pioneer of this field in the world.

In Cambodia, to date outstanding SSC cases have been materialised especially in the “Mine Action” and “Water” sectors.

JICA has been supporting Cambodian demining activities through contributions to the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) since the 1990s. During JICA’s long and continuous support, CMAC’s capacity has steadily strengthened and it gained a high international reputation as a leading demining organization. Nowadays, CMAC is capable of not only conducting its clearance activities in Cambodia but also utilizing its substantial experiences, skills and knowledge in other countries facing similar problems with landmines. Up to 2015, CMAC has successfully conducted SSC projects with Columbia, Laos, Angola and Iraq with support of JICA.

Cambodia’s Water Sector is another sector where achievements are recognized worldwide, and many countries are interested to learn from the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) and the Siem Reap Water Supply Authority (SRWSA). JICA, which supports water supply projects in other countries, selected Cambodia as a site for training, and until now, a number of training programs have been conducted for officials from Myanmar, Nepal, Lao PDR, Timor-Leste, and Nigeria. Since participant feed back has been very positive, PPWSA currently provides training to a group of multinational participants being trained in Japan, via TV conference .

South-South Cooperation

Angolan demining officials from Angola had field study at demining site, Angola-Cambodia South-South cooperation

* Direct Observed Treatment, short-course

Over 110,000 children

were delivered in the NMCHC (1997-2014)

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Cambodia’s former education system was

destroyed during the Pol Pot regime. Although

the Government of Cambodia has been

engaged in the reconstruction of its education

system since the 1990s with support from

development partners including JICA and

NGOs, it still faces numerous challenges.

These include a high dropout rate and an

insufficient number of qualified and experienced teachers, which directly affects the quality of

education and limits children’s potential intellectual development.

Tapping into Japan’s rich resources of professional teacher trainers in the fields of science and

mathematics, JICA implemented the Secondary School Teacher Training Project in Science and Mathematics in Cambodia (Phase 1-2) (Technical Cooperation) from 2000 until 2012. The

project aim was to improve capacity of the National Institute of Education, as well as of the regional

and provincial teacher training centers to provide training for science and mathematics teachers.

Currently, JICA is implementing the Project for Educational Resource Development in Science and Mathematics at the Lower Secondary Level (Technical Cooperation) to strengthen the

foundation of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports to support teachers in the improvement

of their science and mathematics teaching skills.

Furthermore, due to the insufficient number of school buildings, JICA has provided Grant Aid

for the Project for Construction of Primary Schools in Phnom Penh (Phase 1-3) (Grant Aid, ¥1,543mil.) to create and improve the learning opportunities and environment for students.

JICA considers the improvement of the education system as a high priority as there is a great demand to provide the industrial sector with skilled

human resources. JICA will continue to support improvement of the quality of education in science and mathematics, so as to give children the

opportunity to experience the joy of learning as well as to develop logical and critical thinking skills together with practical abilities. In the long run

these capable students will then become the country’s core driving resources who will be able to build a brighter future.

Quality of Education

Children studying in one of the schools built by Japanese ODA

Activity of Science Teacher Education Project

The “Training and Dialogue Programs” are a form of Technical Cooperation that JICA carries out in Japan. The programs offer rare opportunities for counterparts of JICA projects to learn and acquire knowledge, skills and Japanese experiences in respective fields, which are required by recipient countries. JICA has been accepting trainees from Cambodia with a purpose of developing human resources to address developmental issues in their country. To date, more than 10,000 Cambodians have been trained in Japan in a number of sectors, such as governance, agriculture, health, transportation, infrastructure, industry and so on.

In addition to these programs, JICA has been implementing “Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarships (JDS)” as a means to support training for young officials in developing countries. This program provides participants with opportunities to acquire expert knowledge, conduct research, and build professional through networks a Master’s Degree program at Japanese universities. In Cambodia, this program has been conducted annually since 2000, and 320 young Cambodian government officials have been sent to Japan up to 2014 in various fields.

These programs are an important and integral component of JICA’s Technical Cooperation. Most of the former participants have been actively contributing to development of Cambodia. As a mechanism to further support their activities, JICA Alumni of Cambodia was established in the beginning of 2012 with more than 1,780 members in order to strengthen closer networking and friendship among all ex-participants of these Training Programs in Japan.

Japan Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarships

JDS batch 15th Send-off Reception

Over 60,000 children in Phnom Penhstudied at 18 elementary

schools constructed by Japan (2004-2014)

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The financial situation of the Government of Cambodia still remains vulnerable as is indicated by the fact that the tax revenue against GDP stood at 14.5% as of 2014. This rate is actually the lowest of all the countries of the Mekong region.

JICA is supporting human and institutional capacity building in the public financial mana- gement sector through firstly the Capacity Development of the General Department of Taxation (GDT) under the Framework of PFM Reform (Technical Cooperation).

The project provides support for General Department of Taxation by developing the official skills and capacities to provide better tax payment services to tax payers.

Through the cooperation, it is expected that tax-related information will be provided effectively to taxpayer and taxpayer’s awareness and understanding of taxes are enhanced.

The project provides support for General Department of Taxation by building the officials’ skills and capacities to conduct tax audits. Additionally it enhances tax payment services by raising the awareness of tax payers and by making fair and accurate tax collection possible.

JICA has also dispatched Advisors on Customs Policy and Administration who have been helping the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) to move towards international standards and to modernize their administration.

JICA has been supporting the Government of Cambodia to strengthen its revenue base so that the government is able to provide various public services that are necessary for improving people’s daily lives.

Since 1999, JICA has been supporting the Ministry of Justice and other institutions in addressing the challenges in the legal and judicial sector, including the development of fundamental laws and human resources. JICA has implemented the Legal and Judicial Development Projects (Phase 1-3) (Technical Cooperation) in collaboration with a team of experienced Japanese legal practitioners and scholars. These formed joint Cambodian-Japanese working groups to draft the Civil Code (CC) and the Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) as well as other relevant laws and regulations. As a result, CCP was promulgated in July 2007 and CC in December 2011. Currently JICA is implementing the Legal and Judicial Development Project Phase 4 (Technical Cooperation) with the Ministry of Justice, the Royal Academy for Judicial Professions, the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Royal University of Law and Economics. It aims to develop the core capacity of legal professionals to ensure the proper and sustainable implementation and dissemination of CC and CCP.

In the area of public administration, JICA has been assisting the country’s Decentralization and Deconcentration Reform by strengthening the capacity of the National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development Secretariat (NCDD-S) and the Sub-National Administrations (SNAs). The Project for Capacity Development for Implementing the Organic Law at Capital and Provincial Level (Technical Cooperation) provides support to NCDD-S to establish and implement a mechanism for planning, implementation and monitoring of the 5-year development plan and the 3-year investment plan and to build the capacity of SNAs at provincial level for this purpose.

JICA has also been supporting the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) of the Ministry of Planning and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MOWA). NIS and JICA conducted the 2008 Population Census, the 2011 Economic Census and other statistical activities through the Project on Improving Official Statistics in Cambodia (Phase 1-3) (Technical Cooperation) which provide key information for public organizations to develop better policies and for businesses to gain a better understanding of the market. MOWA and JICA have a long history of working together to assist women in Cambodia and promote gender equality in public policies and organizations. The Project on Gender Mainstreaming (Phase 1-2) (Technical Cooperation) has been contributing to the achievement of these objectives, especially through the implementation of pilot projects for women’s economic empowerment (WEE) in Kampong Cham Province. The knowledge and experience gained through these pilot projects will strengthen the function of MOWA, as well as the capacity and mechanisms of partner line ministries to realize gender mainstreaming through WEE activities.

GovernancePriority Area 3

Good governance is a critical precondition for equitable and sustainable socio-economic development. As such, the Government of

Cambodia has placed good governance at the core of its Rectangular Development Strategy, with a focus on, among others, Public

Financial Management Reform, Public Administrative Reform, Decentralization and Deconcentration and Legal and Judicial Reforms.

However, institutional and human capacities are still limited for advancing these reforms in an efficient and coordinated manner, and

substantial support is still required in these areas. Gender equity is also recognized as an important element in good governance.

Legal and Judicial Reform and Improvement of the Function of Public Administration

12.4%

14.1%14.5%

16.9%

10.0%

100.0%

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

2011 2012 2013 2014 Estimate

Domestic TaxRevenue (billionriel)

Tax Revenue Ratioin GDP (%)

Source: IMF

Chart 4: Domestic Revenue and Tax Revenue Ratio in GDP

Improvement of Public Financial Management

Donut Maker Visit: Women’s Affairs Minister visits a pilot project site in Kampong Cham Province (Project on Gender Mainstreaming Phase 2)

NIS staff conducting door-to-door survey for economic census.

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The Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCVs) program was

initiated in April 1965, with the establishment of its secretariat as part

of the Overseas Technical Cooperation Agency (JICA’s predecessor).

The bilateral agreement (Exchange of Notes) between the

Governments of Japan and Cambodia on the dispatch of JOCVs

to Cambodia was signed in December, 1965. Subsequently in

January 1966, the first four JOCVs were sent to Cambodia in the

fields of sport and agriculture.

However, this program was interrupted due to internal conflict in

the country, and 16 volunteers who were in-country at that time

were forced to leave Cambodia by May, 1970.

After the civil war, a new agreement was signed in 1992 on the dispatch of volunteers to Cambodia under the current JOCV Program with a view to

promoting Technical Cooperation between Japan and Cambodia. Five volunteers in the fields of education, health and tourism arrived in Cambodia

at the end of 1992.

In 1993, JICA opened its office in Phnom Penh in order to manage ODA programs including JOCV placements. In addition, the Senior Volunteers

(SVs) program was started in Cambodia in 2001. Since 1994 up to the present, the activities of JOCVs and SVs have gained recognition as one of

JICA’s flagship activities.

JOCVs program marked its fiftieth anniversary in 2015. Since the first JOCVs were dispatched in 1965, the program has continued to answer calls for

assistance from the Government of Cambodia, training and sending eager young volunteers to share their skills and knowledge in local communities

around 16 provinces/cities in Cambodia. Participants, who are between the ages of 20 and 39, provide assistance during their two-year assignments

in five main sectors, namely education, health, agriculture, tourism and vocational training.

JICA volunteers live and work alongside local people, carrying out their activities with an emphasis on fostering self-reliance. The programs aim

to contribute to social and economic development through community-based efforts to address poverty, to enrich healthcare and education,

and handle other issues. To date, 649 volunteers have been dispatched to 16 provinces/cities in Cambodia. Participants’ activities have served as

“grassroots diplomacy” fostering mutual understanding between both countries.

JOCV Milestones1965: Exchange of notes (E/N) on dispatching volunteers was signed by the Governments of Japan and Cambodia

1966: Four volunteers arrived in Cambodia

1970: All volunteer members had to leave Cambodia due to Civil War (16 volunteers who were in service in the field of sport and agriculture)

1992: The program was restarted by dispatching five volunteers in the fields of education, health and tourism

1993: JICA opened its office in Phnom Penh. One of the major functions of the office was to coordinate the JOCV program

2001: 15 Senior Volunteers arrived in Cambodia

Present: A total of 60 volunteers (38 JOCVs & 22 SVs) are serving in Cambodia as of December 2015

[References]

http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/oda/guide/1998/2-6.html

JOCVs in Cambodia

First-batch JOCV to Cambodia: Swimming coach JOCV Primary school teacher [ Photo by Shinichi KUNO]

MAJOR AREAS OF JOCV ACTIVITIES

Science Education Primary School EducationCommunity Development

PC InstructorLaboratory Technician

Youth Activities

1415

62

3

717

7

342

15

15

44 1112

26

17

24

PREAH VIHEARSTUNGTRENG

OTDAR MEANCHEY

SIEM REAP

BATTAMBANG PAILIN

TBOUNG KHMUM

KAMPONG CHAM

PREY VENG

SVAYRIENG

KAMPONG THOM MONDULKIRI KRATIE

RATTANAKIRI

KAMPONGCHHNANG

KAMPONG SPEU

KOH KONG

PURSAT

KAMPOT TAKEO

BANTEAY MEANCHEY

KANDAL

TONLE SAP LAKE

ME

KO

NG

RIVER

PREAH SIHANOUK

PHNOM PENH

KEP

Total 649 JICA Volunteers(JOCV:443, SV:206) in Cambodia as of 1st December 2015 MAJOR AREAS OF

SV ACTIVITIESElectronic Engineering

Heavy EquipmentTelevision Program Production

Food ProcessingEducation Policy Advisor

Aikido

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JICA values and promotes working in partnerships, and through this achieving synergy in providing development assistance. In Cambodia JICA actively engages in dialogue and collaborates with other partners under the cooperation frameworks that have been established by the Government of Cambodia. JICA is an active member of various sectoral Technical Working Groups (TWGs) between the government and development partenrs, and has the role of lead co- facilitator for those on infrastructure and gender. At the project level, bilateral discussions and coordination take place on a daily basis. Regular meetings are held with key development partners with whom JICA works very closely in the same sectors, in order to exchange information and discuss future directions of sustained coordination and cooperation.

JICA has also been involved in co-financing of projects with other partners, such as the Niroth Water Supply Project (ODA Loan, ¥3,513mil.) which it co-financed with L’Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Greater Mekong Power Network Development Project (ODA Loan, ¥2,632mil.) with Asian Development Bank (ADB).

In recent years it has become widely acknow- ledged that development cooperation goes beyond ODA, and in this respect JICA has also started working more closely with the private sector. This includes especially Japanese investors and the Japanese Business Association in Cambodia as well as civil society groups. Partnerships and coordination are nowadays becoming increasingly essential to accomplish successful cooperation in the development sector and JICA in Cambodia is committed to maintaining a solid working relationship with various partners and stakeholders.

Partnership and Aid Coordination

Power transmission tower in the project site.

Niroth Water Supply facility of Niroth Water Supply Project

JICA Partnership ProgramIn response to the diverse needs of developing countries, JICA conducts the JICA Partnership Program (JPP) in collaboration with partner organizations in Japan such as NGOs, universities, local government entities and public interest corporations, which have abundant knowledge, expertise and professional human resources. In Cambodia, 40 projects have been implemented so far and these projects contributed to social and economic development from the grass roots level.

Case 1Nagoya UniversityProject on Safety Improvement of Agricultural and Processed Food products in Cambodia (Takeo, Kampong Speu, Kandal and others / 2014-19)The project’s aim is to produce and market safe vegetables and processed agricultural products in Cambodia. It aims to nurture core rice liquor producers who can produce safe and high-quality rice liquor in Takeo province, and raise awareness of the dangers of methanol additives to both producers and consumers in the major rice liquor producing regions. In the vegetable production component, the project introduces Japanese safety standards for vegetable growing and helps market the products at domestic high-end markets. Knowledge on these activities is accumulated at the Royal University of Agriculture and will be made available to wider stakeholders in the future.

Case 2Kamonohashi ProjectProject for Localization of Community Factory, Aiming for Empowerment of Ultra Poor Women (Siem Reap/ 2013-17)The KAMONOHASHI Project established in 2008 a “Community Factory” that manufactures handicraft goods made from rush plants at Sout Nikom District, Siem Reap Province. The factory provides ultra-poor women in the area with employment opportunities and improves the economic conditions of their families. The project empowers the women by not only assuring them sustainable employment with a steady income, but also provides them with opportunity to acquire various life skills that are useful in their daily lives.

The project seeks to localize the Community Factory by developing social service intervention programs for women and their families and indicators for monitoring the effectiveness of the intervention, as well as to hand over management to local staff by strengthening the capacity of the local management team.

The project seeks to localize the Community Factory by developing social service intervention programs for women and their families and indicators for monitoring the effectiveness of the intervention, as well as to hand over management to local staff by strengthening the capacity of the local management team.

Producers working at a rush selecting section in the community factory.

Rice liquor training at rice liquor producer’s house

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JICA Cambodia OfficeJICA Plaza Cambodia

P.O. Box 613, 6th-8th floors, Building #61-64, Preah Norodom Blvd, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

TEL: +855-(0)23-211673 FAX: +855-(0)23-211675Email: cm_oss_rep@jica.go.jphttp://www.jica.go.jp/english

Published in December 2015.

Tsubasa (Neak Leoung) Bridge [photo by Ayako Kimura]

From the People of Japan