Participants at the inception meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
The Land and Housing Rights Network (LAHRIN) and its 91 national and international non-government organisation (NGO) members organised its first Regional Annual Conference in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
The objective of the workshop was to engage right holders with the government to demand laws and policies that protect the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities to land, housing, and natural resources. Participants also called on the national government to effectively implement and focus on solutions to address the social and environmental impact of land policies as well as promote sustainable livelihoods of the Cambodian people.
The regional conference has provided an opportunity to government representatives and members of civil society, the private sector, academia, and development partners to discuss land, housing rights, and natural resource management in order to contribute to the achievement of the Cambodian Sustainable Development Goal (CSDG).
Participants were able to develop recommendations for the key policies aimed at eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable land governance. Government representatives present at the conference were happy to hear such fruitful discussions and promised to deliver them at the local and national level.
About 250 people attended the regional conference held on August 11th. Following this conference, LAHRIN will organise three other events to continue the policy advocacy in motion. The following are the details of such events:
- The 2nd Regional Annual Conference on 9 - 10 September 2020 in Battambang
- The 3rd Regional Annual Conference on 1 - 2 October 2020 in Kampot
- The National Annual Conference on 13 - 14 October 2020 in Phnom Penh
The recommendations from these three regional conferences will be discussed at the National Annual Conference, where top officials from the government, Senate, and Assembly will be invited to join.
Story by NES Cambodia and edited by ILC Asia