Cambodia Reviews Achievements of Commune/Sangkat Councils, Highlighting Decentralization Progress

The Ministry of Interior of Cambodia convened a conference on September 7, 2026, at the Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel to summarize the achievements of the 5th mandate (2022-2025) Commune/Sangkat Councils. The meeting was presided over by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Sokha, with participation from government officials, ministry representatives, provincial governors, development partners, civil society organizations, and Commune/Sangkat Council members, both in person and online. In his opening address, Deputy Prime Minister Sar Sokha highlighted the remarkable achievements of the decentralization and deconcentration reforms. He affirmed that for over two decades since the first Commune/Sangkat Council elections in 2002, these reforms have become increasingly entrenched in Cambodia's governance system. He further stated that the Commune/Sangkat Councils, elected directly by the people, have significantly contributed to strengthening representation, participation, transparency, accountability, and ownership at the local level, under an environment of peace, political stability, and national unity. Moreover, the Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that in the 5th mandate, the roles of the Commune/Sangkat Councils have expanded to encompass a broader range of responsibilities, including administration, infrastructure development, social service provision, social protection, early childhood education, protection of women and children, sanitation, environmental protection, climate change adaptation, and digital transformation. Specifically, commune/sangkat administrations have implemented and completed a total of 9,824 economic projects. These include the construction and improvement of over 4,520 kilometers of concrete roads, more than 11,434 kilometers of gravel roads, as well as rubber-paved roads, small concrete bridges, irrigation systems, and other essential infrastructure. The organization of this "Conference to Summarize the Achievements of the 5th Mandate Commune/Sangkat Councils" is the third such event (following those held for the first and second mandates) and holds historical significance. The conference serves to reflect on and evaluate the implementation of roles, duties, and work achievements of the Commune/Sangkat Councils over the past four years (2022-2025), as well as to review the progress of local administration reform over more than two decades. It also aims to clearly identify the impacts of policy implementation, the status and capacity of human resources, and key challenges and risks. Furthermore, it seeks to extract best practices and lessons learned to transform them into strategic inputs for defining directions, measures, and key recommendations to support the 6th mandate Commune/Sangkat Councils in fulfilling their roles more effectively, efficiently, and transparently, and in better responding to the needs of the local population. Source: AKP Khmer