Holding Government to Account:

Enabling Environment for CSOs to Empower

Communities

World Vision

Introduction: The 1990s when government was more open to CSOs involvementConfidence of government leads to reduced space for CSOsDonors, government and CSOs need to create more space for participation and involvement of the people.Only through empowered people can we have strong country.

Roles of CSOs: It is often the case that CSOs are recognize as a “partners” when it comes to helping fill in the development gaps that are left-over from governments implementation of development projects, particularly on the social side.

CSOs are not considered by government when it comes to policy input and government not able to take constructive criticisms by CSOs and the people.

CSOs need to ask for more if we are to engage in the process as true development partners.

CSOs Responses to the Paris Declaration:

There is really no formal recognition of CSOs in the Paris Declaration

CSOs engaged via Cambodia Development Cooperation Forum (formerly Consultative Group meeting), Government Donor Coordination Committee meetings, Technical Working Groups meetings.

Cases on Empowerment: What Really Happens on the Ground?

On 25 January 2007, a group of NGOs working on Indigenous Peoples Rights planned to organize a press conference in Ratanakiri province regarding land dispute in Kang Yu village. The meeting did not happen due to prevention from provincial authorities. The authority said that NGOs have no permission from the Ministry of Interior (MoI) to hold meeting.

On September 2007, CCHR[1] planned to organize a Forum on Land Dispute for community people in Ratanakkiri Province. Again permission to have the forum was rejected by the government officials.

On September 14th 2007, the same group of NGOs – CLEC[1], VOD[2] and LAC[3] wanted to interview with affected community families in Ratanakiri province regarding land dispute – the case mentioned above – but they were not allowed to enter the village.

Conclusion/Recommendations:      The Government should be more inclusive of its citizens in seeking

inputs from CSOs and community people, particularly those affected by policies.

      The Government should start providing rooms for difference of opinion and a forum for citizens to be involved in policy making and policy discussion.

Donors should work to encourage spaces for citizens/CSOs engagement in the policy-making arena.

   Donors have a role to play in pushing for more CSOs to work with the community to empower the people, without governmental restriction.

Civil Society must work harder to find channels to influence the governments as well as seeking new ways to work with the government in a more difficult environment.