Phnom Penh – H.E Em Chan Makara, Secretary of State and Secretary General of the Disability Action Council, representing H.E Chea Somethy, Minister of Social Affairs, Veterans, and Youth Rehabilitation, emphasized the Royal Government of Cambodia’s commitment to enhancing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. This commitment aligns with the leadership of both former Prime Minister of Cambodia, Samdech Hun Sen, and the current Prime Minister, Samdech Hun Manet, with H.E. Chea Somethy at the forefront of these efforts.

H.E Em Chan Makara made these remarks during the opening ceremony of the National Forum on “Inclusive Employment for People with Disabilities 2023,” which took place on November 3, 2023, at the Cambodiana Hotel.

As the representative of the Minister of Social Affairs, H.E Em Chan Makara highlighted the Royal Government’s focus on disability in the policy program of the 7th legislature of the National Assembly and the first phase of the Pentagon Strategy. This prioritization includes strengthening the implementation of the Law on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and promoting the well-being and rights of persons with disabilities in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Furthermore, H.E. Em Chan Makara underscored the significance of the forum, describing it as an opportunity to foster inclusive employment for individuals with disabilities. The aim is to create a job market where people with disabilities can compete equally for positions in both public and private sectors.

“Establishing inclusive employment for people with disabilities means we must go to great lengths to ensure that individuals with disabilities have the same opportunities for success as those without disabilities,” he stated.

In 2022, there were a total of 3,748 civil servants with disabilities, including 862 female civil servants with disabilities, accounting for 2.01% of the workforce in 37 ministries and institutions. In the private sector, 291 registered and certified institutions, including banks, microfinance institutions, hotels, and factories, employed 5,839 people with disabilities, of which 3,836 were women with disabilities, all in accordance with the Law on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.