19^th Meeting of the Government Development Partner Coordinating Committee

Phnom Penh, 26 September 2012

Any Other Business – Continued Dialogue

Delivered by: Mr Eric Sidgwick, Asia Development Bank (ADB)

Your Excellency KeatChhon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, and Chair of the GDCC

Excellencies

Distinguished colleagues

Ladies and gentlemen

First of all, let me congratulate the Royal Government of Cambodia on the impeccable arrangements for today’s meeting in these palatial surroundings, and for the detailed presentations that we have heard this morning on a variety of important topics.

Let me add my voice to those of other Development Partners who have warmly welcomed the participatory process put in place by the Royal Government of Cambodia to continue enhancing the quality of our dialogue through the established institutional structure, including the Technical Working Groups, and today’s Government-Development Partner Coordination Committee meeting.

Following the workshop held last year on Enhancing the Policy Dialogue, Development Partners agreed five priority policy areas for continued joint dialogue with the Royal Government; these are:

1. Aid architecture, in the context of the Royal Government of Cambodia’s Development Cooperation and Partnership Policy and new proposed Strategy (2014-18), including today’s endorsement of the new Joint Monitoring Indicators (JMIs), which, as highlighted extensively this morning, have been prepared in a participatory and consultative manner; 

2. Land registration and economic land concessions;

3. Skills development in the context of Cambodia’s efforts to reach middle-income status;

4.  Public administration reform and compensation; and

5. Public financial management and budget integration.

We look forward to deepening our dialogue with the Royal Government of Cambodia in the months ahead on these, and other issues, and to continue strengthening our cooperation, in close consultation with concerned members of civil society, for the benefit of all Cambodians, especially those most in need.

Thank you.