Cambodia is taking steps to strengthen worker safety, promote green standards, and support long-term reforms in its rapidly expanding construction sector. On 4 March 2026, senior government officials, employers, workers’ representatives, and international partners met in Phnom Penh to review research findings that highlighted key challenges facing the sector, including policy gaps, skills mismatches, and environmental pressures linked to the country’s construction boom. During the meeting, participants also endorsed an action plan aimed at aligning productivity with improved worker protection and environmental sustainability.
The initiative was supported by the ILO-Korea Partnership Programme and brought together representatives from the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, the Korea Labour and Employment Service, and various employer and worker organizations. The discussions were framed as a strategic effort to link Cambodia’s national development goals with practical improvements in construction practices and workplace conditions across the industry.
Over the past decade, the construction sector has been one of Cambodia’s major drivers of economic growth and employment, providing jobs for hundreds of thousands of workers. However, the sector also faces several structural challenges, including high occupational safety risks, limited access to social protection, and heavy reliance on low-skilled and informal labour. Climate-related factors such as extreme heat, flooding, and longer rainy seasons are further increasing the risks faced by construction workers, while fluctuations in market demand continue to create job insecurity.
Government officials emphasized that improving worker safety and promoting a just transition in the sector must go beyond environmental concerns. They highlighted the need to strengthen occupational safety and health standards, upgrade workers’ skills, and expand social protection systems, particularly for migrant workers and those in vulnerable employment. Enhancing training opportunities and supporting workers in adapting to new technologies and improved industry standards were identified as key priorities for the sector’s future development.
The proposed action plan is intended as a starting point for ongoing reforms, with Cambodia’s government expected to lead the process in collaboration with employers and workers’ organizations. Initial implementation efforts will focus on strengthening occupational safety and health measures, which have been identified as an urgent and achievable area of progress. Authorities believe that improvements in safety standards could quickly improve working conditions while also building momentum for broader reforms in skills development, social protection, and social dialogue within the construction industry.
