Cambodia to Draft Guidelines for Inter-Ministerial and Joint Circulars to Strengthen Legal Order

On the morning of August 7, 2026, a focused inter-ministerial meeting was convened, led by His Excellency Vongsey Vissoth, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister in Charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers, who also serves as the Chairman of the Legal Advisory Council. The meeting's objective was to discuss guidelines for the preparation of ministerial circulars, inter-ministerial circulars, and joint circulars issued by ministries and institutions. His Excellency Vongsey Vissoth stated that the meeting aimed to consult and gather ideas, perspectives, and direction for establishing guidelines on the scope, principles, format, content, and implementation procedures for preparing ministerial, inter-ministerial, and joint circulars. He further noted that this consultation marks the beginning of efforts to strengthen legal order and institutional discipline, which will lead to ensuring legal certainty. This is particularly important for considering the positive impacts on the lives of citizens, business people, investors, and the grassroots economy. The Deputy Prime Minister added that Sub-Decree No. 170 ANK.BK dated July 23, 2024, on the implementation of guidelines for the procedure and rules of drafting laws and other legal normative documents, focuses on the format rules and procedures for drafting laws and legal normative documents. However, it does not yet define the major principles for preparing the content of draft laws and legal normative documents, which is a subsequent step in the legal reform framework. He emphasized that circulars are also legal normative documents that require preparation guidelines. In the past, the issuance of circulars by ministries and institutions has sometimes led to overlapping jurisdictions and negative impacts on the lives of citizens, businesses, and economic efficiency. Therefore, the discussions focused on the necessity of issuing circulars, legality, and their impact on society, economy, and citizens. Specifically, defining the scope of implementation for circulars related to investment, business, and public services is a key issue in addressing the livelihoods of citizens and businesses, which the government is paying close attention to, and also addresses concerns raised by the public regarding business burdens. The meeting participants actively discussed the principles and scope for determining which types of circulars should undergo legal review to avoid arbitrary implementation. In conclusion, the meeting reached a consensus on preparing guidelines for the preparation of ministerial, inter-ministerial, and joint circulars, based on three key aspects: legality, necessity, and careful consideration of the impacts on the lives of citizens and businesses. Defining the scope of implementation for circulars related to investment, business, and public services is a crucial issue in addressing the livelihoods of citizens and businesses, which the government is prioritizing. This also addresses public concerns about business burdens. His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister Vongsey Vissoth instructed the establishment of a specialized working group to study and draft the guidelines in response to the Prime Minister's directives and in line with the spirit of the meeting.