សារគន្លឹះ / Key Messages:

• ដោយសារការគាំពារសង្គមភាគច្រើនសម្រាប់ជនពិការក្នុងប្រទេសកម្ពុជានៅមានកម្រិតនៅឡើយ ការលើកកម្ពស់គុណភាពមូលធនមនុស្ស និងការផ្លាស់ប្តូរការយកចិត្តទុកដាក់លើកម្មវិធីសង្គមជាតម្រូវការដ៏ចាំបាច់។
• ក្នុងការបង្កើនសមត្ថភាព និងការយល់ដឹងពីបរិយាបន្នពិការភាព មានសារៈសំខាន់ណាស់។ ការជូនដំណឹងដល់សាធារណជនអំពីតម្រូវការពិតប្រាកដរបស់ជនដែលមានពិការភាព និងតួនាទីរបស់អង្គការជនពិការ OPDs នៅថ្នាក់ក្រោមជាតិ ក៏ជាការចាំបាច់មួយដែរ។
• ការកែលម្អឱ្យកាន់តែប្រសើរឡើងនូវកម្រិតនៃការយល់ដឹងអំពីពិការភាពប្រកបដោយបរិយាបន្ន នៅក្នុងប្រទេសកម្ពុជា គឺមានសារៈសំខាន់សម្រាប់អ្នកផ្តល់សេវាដែលអាចឆ្លើយតបទៅនឹងតម្រូវការផ្លាស់ប្តូរយ៉ាងឆាប់រហ័សរបស់ជនដែលមានពិការភាព។
• ថ្វីបើរាជរដ្ឋាភិបាលកម្ពុជាបានកែលម្អ និងកំពុងអនុវត្តគម្រោងជាច្រើនដើម្បីផ្តល់នូវប្រព័ន្ធសុវត្ថិភាពសង្គមជូនជនងាយរងគ្រោះបំផុតរួមទាំងជនពិការផង ក៏នៅតែមានមធ្យោបាយមួយចំនួនដើម្បីកែលម្អការគាំពារសង្គម។
• ការបង្កើតនិងអនុវត្តប័ណ្ណសម្គាល់អត្តសញ្ញាណជនពិការ និងកម្មវិធីបង្ការនៅទូទាំងប្រទេសកម្ពុជាដូចជា៖ការថែទាំភ្នែក ជំងឺមិនឆ្លង និងការចាក់វ៉ាក់សាំងបង្ការ គឺជារឿងដ៏សំខាន់ដើម្បីធានាថាជនមានពិការភាពត្រូវបានដាក់បញ្ចូលក្នុងគោលការណ៍ណែនាំសុខភាពជាតិក្នុងរយៈពេល​បួនឆ្នាំ។
• អ្នកតាក់តែងគោលនយោបាយគួរតែបង្កើនថវិកាជាតិដើម្បីឱ្យក្របខណ្ឌគោលនយោបាយជាតិគាំពារសង្គមឆ្នាំ២០១៦–២០២៥ ទទួលបានមូលនិធិពេញលេញក្នុងរយៈពេលប្រាំពីរឆ្នាំ។
• Given that the majority of social protection for people with disabilities in Cambodia are still limited, there is an urgent need to enhance the quality of human resources and to shift focus in social programmes.
• It is important to increase the capacity and knowledge on disability inclusion. It is imperative to inform the public about the real needs of persons with disability ​and the role of OPDs on a subnational level.
• Improving the level of awareness raising of disability inclusion in Cambodia is crucial for service providers who can respond to the rapidly changing needs of people with disabilities.
• Although the Royal Government of Cambodia has developed and is implementing several schemes to provide a safety net for the most vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, there are still ways to improve social protection.
• Developing and implementing disability identification cards and prevention programmes across all of Cambodia, such as eye care, non-communicable diseases and vaccinations, is important to ensure persons with disabilities are integrated in the national health guideline in four years.
• Policymakers should increase the national budget in order for the National Social Protection Policy Framework 2016 – 2025 to be fully funded within seven years.

On November 14, 2023, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, His Excellency Hun Manet, presided over the official implementation of the “Voluntary Contribution to Social Security Program,” “Vocational Training Program” and “Technology for Young People from Poor and Vulnerable Families.”

In his commitment to elevate Cambodia in 2024, budgeting prioritises social policy, Cambodia has outlined plans to earmark over 38 trillion riel (over $9 billion) for the fiscal year 2024, prioritising the education, vocational training, health and social work sectors. The draft Law on Financial Management 2024 was ratified during an October 27 Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Hun Manet.

The law, structured in five chapters with 14 articles, emerges at a time when the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP)-led government continues to enjoy significant trust from the populace for its projected leadership over the coming five years, said the Government Spokesperson Unit in a press release.

For 2024, the government anticipates an expenditure of 38.829 trillion riel ($9.376 billion), with 34.497 trillion riel ($8.33 billion), or roughly 24.13% of the Kingdom’s gross domestic product (GDP), marked for national-level expenditures. This is a decrease of 5.8% in comparison to the 2023 budget. “Sub-national expenses are estimated at 4.332 trillion riel ($1.046 billion), about 11.7% of the government’s total outlay and 3.03% of the GDP, marking a 6.6% rise from the 2023 figures,” added the press release. The budget plan identifies education, vocational training, health and social affairs as core areas of focus.

The release added that the budget serves as an important mechanism for the government to navigate domestic and international challenges. It aims to optimise the efficiency of budget utilisation, with a strong emphasis on enhancing public administration reform, core governance reform, institutional capacity and people-centric initiatives. Prime Minister Hun Manet stated that the efficacy of the budget execution would significantly determine the government’s success. He urged all institutions to enhance its implementation, viewing 2024 as a crucial year for refining expenditure to achieve set objectives efficiently.

Some of the priorities of Sustainable Development and Social Programme for people with disabilities such as:

Increase capacity building and knowledge on Disability Inclusion and Public Service for PwDs (Physical Rehabilitation Center, Health, Education, small business, climate change, access to justice and access to information)

• Consider the needs of persons with disability and modify the environmental code to take account of those needs in the coming 2 years.
• Develop and implement an early warning system in response to natural disasters whereby persons with disabilities are included in all phases of disaster management in the coming 2 years.
• Ensure all existing health staff are trained in the area of disability and that disability is included as part of the curriculum of training for all new health staff within 4 years.
• Develop and implement gender specific health programs for all women and girls with different types of disability including sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) in the coming 4 years.
• Develop and implement disability specific training for at least 50% of all officials in justice system (courts, police and prisons) in the coming 3 years.
• Develop and adopt national justice system guidelines to ensure equitable services for persons with disabilities (inclusive of all types of disability) in 2 years.
• Establish a central centre to train sign language interpreters to accommodate the needs of deaf people in all areas in the coming 3 years.
• Support mainstream family violence services to include women with disabilities in 4 years.
• Support the enrolment of children with disabilities at primary schools utilizing integrated and inclusion approaches through a system of financial incentives to teachers/schools in the coming 2 years.
• Ensure inclusive education for higher education, such as high school and university level within the coming 3 years and disability awareness training in teachers training curriculum nationally within 2 years.
• Create official Khmer text-to-speech that can be installed on any operating systems for PC/laptop to support daily work, education, and access to timely information for the visually impaired persons in the coming 2 years.
• Support the government to modify the law on intellectual property following the ratification of the Marrakesh Convention 2013 in the coming 2 years.

Social Protection – Disability Pension Scheme (IDPoor/NSSF and disability card)

• Although the RGC has developed and is implementing several schemes to provide a safety net for the most vulnerable including persons with disabilities, there are still ways to improve social protection.
• Develop and implement disability identification (ID Card) and prevention programs across all of Cambodia such as eye care, non-communicable diseases (NCD) and vaccinations, and ensure its integration in the national health guideline in 4 years.
• Ensure persons with disabilities receive the national standard minimum wage in 2 years’ time.
• Increase the national budget in order that the National Social Protection Policy Framework 2016 – 2025 is fully funded within 7 years.
• Ensure all persons with disabilities, including those working in the informal sector, have access to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) in the coming 4 years.

In summary, a range of important issues concerning improved outcomes for person with disability were discussed. These are highlighted below and are elaborated on in this report, along with recommendations. These recommendations are linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), National Disability Strategic Plan (NDSP) 2019 – 2013, Incheon Strategy to “Make to Right Real” for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific, ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025, and The Law on the Protection and the Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

References

• 4^th UPR submitted by CDPO on Disability issue
• Sustainable Development Goals
• UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)
• National Disability Strategic Plan (NDSP) 2019 – 2013, Incheon Strategy to “Make to Right Real” for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific,
• ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025
• The Law on the Protection and the Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
• Sub-degree 349 the Implementation of the National Social Assistance Program for Vocational and Technical Training for Youth from Poor and Vulnerable Families by Ministry of Economic and Finance