The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training of Cambodia, in collaboration with the United Nations, launched the country’s first Joint Technical Working Group under the Global Accelerator for Jobs and Social Protection on 21 January 2026. The group provides a governance structure to coordinate operational and programmatic implementation of Cambodia’s National Roadmap for the Global Accelerator.
The Joint Technical Working Group brings together government ministries, UN agencies, development partners, and workers’ and employers’ organizations, and is co-chaired by the Minister of Labour and Vocational Training and the UN Resident Coordinator. The inaugural meeting focused on reviewing a joint work plan designed to align national priorities with concrete implementation efforts on the ground.
H.E. Mr. Heng Sour, Minister of Labour and Vocational Training, emphasized that the work plan promotes decent job creation in green, digital, and care economies, as well as the expansion of social protection systems. These initiatives are seen as key drivers for achieving Cambodia’s Vision 2050 and fostering social justice.
The United Nations reaffirmed its commitment to support Cambodia’s transformative agenda. Ms. Xiaoyan Qian, Director of the ILO Decent Work Team for East and South East Asia and the Pacific, highlighted that the Joint Technical Working Group provides a platform for aligning government, private sector, social partners, and UN efforts to achieve tangible results for the Cambodian people.
The National Roadmap, endorsed by the Government in December 2024, sets out a strategy to strengthen human resource development, stimulate resilient employment growth, and expand social protection systems. Its five intended outcomes include adopting pro-employment policies, improving skills for inclusive employability, expanding social protection coverage, enhancing productivity and formalization, and creating an enabling environment for an inclusive labour market.
Implementation is supported through two UN Joint Programmes funded by the UN Joint SDG Fund, which focus on increasing access to decent jobs, social protection, and sustainable livelihoods. Cambodia has been a Pathfinder Country of the Global Accelerator since 2023, a flagship initiative of the UN Secretary-General to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals by promoting integrated policy solutions connecting jobs, social protection, and the green economy.
