About us
UNICEF has been working in Cambodia since 1952 to protect the rights of children
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We believe that all children, whatever their circumstances, have the right to thrive, fulfil their potential, be treated with dignity and participate in society.
Since 1952, UNICEF has been working with partners to bring services and opportunities to Cambodia, services such as education, health, nutrition, protection, water, sanitation and hygiene, civic engagement and to make sure those services reach those most in need, including during emergencies.
UNICEF promotes the rights and well-being of every child in everything it does. Together with our partners, we work to translate this commitment into practical action, with a dedicated effort to reach the most vulnerable and excluded girls and boys in urban and rural poor areas of Cambodia. We focus on equity, so our achievements benefit all children.
We work with and for young people to make their voices heard, and we work with partners–from the community to national level–to create solutions that propel children and young people into the future.
We advocate to give children the best start in life, because proper care at the youngest age forms the strongest foundation for a person’s and society’s future.
UNICEF was one the first organizations to return to Cambodia after the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979, leading the emergency response efforts. As such, we play a unique role in promoting a system where the country’s children can thrive, building on its strong cooperation with communities, civil society and the government.
We have over 65 years of expertise in the country, a network that spans the globe, a passion for innovation, dynamic partnerships and a commitment to realizing the rights of every child. Our work is impartial and non-political. We work in Cambodia to give children an environment in which they are protected, healthy and educated, so that they can build a better life for themselves and their country.
Discover our work in Cambodia.
Mandate
UNICEF has a mandate to uphold the rights of all children, everywhere.
UNICEF is the only organization mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to safeguard the rights of all children, everywhere. That mandate is rooted in the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which sets out universal and indivisible rights.
Our work in Cambodia is guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by world leaders in 2015; the Rectangular Strategy for Growth, Employment, Equity and Efficiency; the National Strategic Development Plan; and within the framework of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework in Cambodia.
We have a vision of a world in which every child has a fair chance. In Cambodia, we focus on reaching the most vulnerable, wherever they are.