Cambodia Holds Inter-Ministerial Technical Meeting on Mid-Term UPR Report with OHCHR

The Cambodian Human Rights Committee (CCHR), in collaboration with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Cambodia, organized an inter-ministerial technical meeting on the mid-term Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report on July 9, 2026. The meeting was held at the CCHR meeting room under the high presidency of His Excellency Eit Rady, Vice Chairman of the CCHR, representing His Excellency Keo Remy, Chairman of the CCHR, and Mr. Anand Chand, Chief of Prevention Section at OHCHR. The meeting was organized with several key objectives: to strengthen understanding among relevant ministries and institutions regarding the requirements for implementing recommendations and Cambodia's participation in the UPR process; to promote inter-ministerial cooperation and ownership of the recommendation implementation process; and to support the government in preparing the mid-term UPR report. In his opening remarks, His Excellency Eit Rady stated that the presence of the meeting participants demonstrates the attention of all ministries and institutions of the Cambodian government towards promoting and protecting human rights in Cambodia. He emphasized that human rights obligations are the responsibility of all, requiring strengthened ownership in implementing recommendations according to their respective jurisdictions. The UPR is the only mechanism of the Human Rights Council that provides a platform for reviewing the human rights situation of all 193 UN member states every four and a half to five years. Cambodia has already participated in four rounds of the UPR: in 2009 (1st round), 2014 (2nd round), 2019 (3rd round), and 2024 (4th round). He added that for Cambodia's 4th review, 100 countries participated and provided a total of 275 recommendations. Cambodia decided to accept 232 recommendations and noted 43. The overwhelming voluntary acceptance of over 84% of recommendations for implementation demonstrates the Cambodian government's tangible commitment to further developing the human rights sector for the greater benefit of the general population. This acceptance has been welcomed and praised by all circles, both national and international. The preparation of the mid-term UPR report and subsequent reports aims to track the implementation of recommendations and serve as an opportunity to present the achievements resulting from the Cambodian government's efforts in the human rights sector to the national and international community. During the meeting, representatives from OHCHR and CCHR presented on the UPR process, best practices, and an overview of the UPR recommendations accepted by Cambodia, along with plans for preparing the mid-term UPR report. These presentations enhanced the participants' understanding of the process and the importance of submitting UPR reports to the United Nations. Furthermore, there was a dynamic and constructive discussion among the meeting participants, focusing on the implementation of recommendations by relevant ministries and institutions and methods for preparing effective and targeted reports in response to each recommendation. In closing the meeting, His Excellency Eit Rady expressed his gratitude to OHCHR for its excellent cooperation with CCHR in organizing this important meeting. He expressed his belief that both institutions will continue their strong collaboration to jointly promote and protect human rights in Cambodia for continuous progress. Concurrently, His Excellency highly valued and commended the meeting participants for their attentive listening and active participation with a spirit of responsibility and a desire to contribute to the human rights sector in Cambodia, which led to the meeting achieving commendable results. By: Bunrith © All rights reserved by National News Agency of Cambodia 2018