How E-learning Can Improve Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Practices in Rural Cambodia

Seanghak Khin & Piseth Kim

Knowledge gaps between the national and subnational departments of Cambodia’s government can lead to a poor implementation of policies and practices at rural level. This research project assesses the feasibility of e-learning as a new way to close those gaps, specifically using the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector as a case study. National WASH guidelines were adapted into an easy-to-use and interactive e-learning course with the aim to upgrade the skills and knowledge of the Provincial Department of Rural Development (PDRD) staff. Real-world tests were carried out with staff of the Disability Action Council (DAC), the WASH District Committee and four PDRD offices. The study analyses participant feedback on the e-learning course and platform, and seeks ways to further improve and adapt it to their environment. Results indicate that it works well in Phnom Penh, where participants are equipped with up-to-date computers and good internet access, but less so in rural areas due to out of date technology and incompatible web browsers which demotivate users. Rural participants also appear to prefer using smartphones and suggest to improve the e-learning experience by making it available on mobile devices, as well as allowing to print the study material and providing better Khmer language support. Implementing these features may well lead to a successful application of digitalization and e-governance at rural level.

Promoting Better Governance Through Facebook: A Pilot Study and Analysis

Makara Vorn & You Y Ly

Facebook has become the most popular social media platform in Cambodia. This study collects primary data to examine how Facebook can give Cambodian users a chance to demand better governance in terms of public services, as well as how the government can solicit public feedback through the platform. A pilot survey of 150 respondents, mostly from Phnom Penh, shows how Facebook can enable communication between government and citizens. Most respondents in the sample use Facebook to consume or share news, but also to express their opinions and ask for more action from the government. To a certain degree, this can give citizens a means to hold their government to account, but the government currently appears not to be very responsive, probably due to the lack of decision-making from higher-level officials, and the lack of attention and interest. A potential solution could be to establish a dedicated governmental committee that gathers and addresses the concerns of the citizens. This pilot study can be used as the basis for a larger scale national survey.

Reevaluating the United Nations Secretariat’s Contribution to Economic Development

In recent years, not least due to the reforms of the UN Secretary General António Guterres, the role of the United Nations Secretariat as a coordinator and actor in international development cooperation has grown in importance. Wasim Mir (Senior Fellow, UN Foundation) and Sebastian Borchmeyer (Senior Program Officer, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung New York) examined in this research report to what extent the United Nations Regular Budget should count as Official Development Aid (ODA) as defined by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). For the UN Secretariat, the coefficient determining the ODA eligible share of an organization’s budget has been 18% since 2013 – this is considerably lower than the coefficient of other international (development) organizations. This underrating of the UN Secretariat's ODA Coefficient no longer does justice to its role in implementing the Agenda 2030. A reassessment seems therefore overdue.

The Collective Volume Articles of the President and Justices of the Constitutional Court in International Conference

The Constitutional Readers 2019

This Thai-English publication published by the Office of the Constitutional Court of Thailand aims to gather and publicise academic articles as well as legal opinions relating to constitutional laws and other relevant constitutional issues from various papers that were presented at international conferences by the president and justices of the constitutional court of the Kingdom of Thailand. The publication will be a significant source for both Thai and foreign lawyers, legal students and lecturers, academics, and interested people.

The Constitutional Court Rulings 2017-2018

Due to the period of political and constitutional reforms in Thailand, this publication published by the Office of the Constitutional Court of Thailand consists of the summaries of the Constitutional Court Rulings No. 1-3/2560 of the year 2017 with a total of three cases and the Constitutional Court Ruling No. 1-8/2561 of the year 2018 with a total of seven cases in both English and Thai languages. The summaries compiled here provide a comprehensive overview for Thai and foreign readers, researchers, and parties concerned on the development of the Constitutional Court’s jurisprudence and constitutional case adjudication.

Zersplitterung, Apathie, Protest.

Bei den außerordentlichen Parlamentswahlen in Peru treibt die Politikmüdigkeit im Volk merkwürdige Blüten

Peru hat gewählt. Nach einem wenig aufreibenden Wahlkampf sind es vor allem drei Elemente, die das Wahlergebnis charakterisieren: ein hoher Anteil an Enthaltungen und Protestwählern, eine starke Zersplitterung des Parteienspektrums und eine fulminante Abstrafung der national-populistischen Partei „Fuerza Popular“ und ihrer Alliierten. Absurder Höhepunkt ist die Wahl des politischen Ablegers einer Sekte auf den nach Wählerstimmen zweiten Platz.

Cambodia v. Hackers: Balancing Security and Liberty in Cybercrime Law

Somaly Nguon & Sopheak Srun

Cybercrime is a well-known, yet poorly understood issue in Cambodia, and the country’s existing legal framework is vague and unclear compared to international standards. Government websites have been subject to cyberattacks since 2002. Targets have included those of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Election Committee, the National Police, the military and the Supreme Court; thousands of official documents were leaked online by the hacktivist collective “Anonymous”. There are also reports of malicious local hackers, but most go unnoticed and unpunished. As a developing country, Cambodia lacks good technology practices and legislation because of poverty, poor infrastructure, weak institutions, low literacy and low ICT awareness. This paper outlines the cybersecurity threats it faces and analyzes existing legal measures such as the Criminal Code and the new draft Cybercrime Law, also looking at how these laws could be interpreted too broadly and thereby potentially restrict fundamental rights. Cybersecurity practices in China, Japan and Singapore are briefly explored, followed by recommendations on making cybersecurity law in Cambodia more robust, specific and proportionate, in line with international treaties like the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime.

Do Cambodians Trust E-Government Services? A Survey

Sereyvisith Sokhan , Chandary Raing & Channara Rin

Lack of user trust is a major reason why e-government projects fail. To align efforts for the successful implementation of e-government in Cambodia, the government focuses on platform development, integration between government agencies and other technical considerations. However, there is no proper discussion about how to enhance citizen trust in e-government services. This study explores user perceptions and trust around e-government in Cambodia by surveying 256 participants recruited through online platforms. The result of this study indicates that among well-educated and regular internet users in Cambodia, the knowledge of e-government is significantly low and that most are still neutral about whether it can be trusted or not. We have suggested several methods and approaches the government could consider in order to boost citizens’ knowledge and trust, which in turn could potentially influence user adoption of e-government.

E-Government: What Can Cambodia Learn From E-Estonia?

Sun Kim and Dr. Raimund Weiß

Estonia is an EU country where ‘99% of the public services are available online 24/7’ . This article aims to analyse whether Cambodia can develop its own e-government by learning from the Estonian model. To achieve this, the paper first defines and clarifies some key terminologies and phrases vis-à-vis e-government and e-governance. Second, the history of e-Estonia is outlined and its innovations for e-government examined. This includes among others e-cabinet, e-public services and e-democracy. After discussing the development of e-Estonia, the study moves to exploring the digital transformation of Cambodia and explaining the evolution of its e-government. The article also summarises what Cambodia has done already and what it hasn’t, including achievements and challenges in terms of digital infrastructure and digital human capital (digital literacy, skills, knowledge and experiences). The study concludes that Cambodia is undergoing a digital transformation towards e-government. And despite significant differences to the development path of Estonia, it can learn from e-Estonia because both countries share a common vision, that is, utilizing digital technologies to improve government-society relations.

The Risks of Industry 4.0 on Cambodia's Garment Sector

Dr. Daniel Schmücking

There are major innovations in the global economy which could change the face of industrial production forever. A term that embodies multiple new technologies in manufacturing is Industry 4.0. Highly developed countries have the necessary monetary, intellectual and industrial resources to embrace and shape this change, unlike developing countries which are still catching up economically. This is especially true when an economy is highly dependent on just one sector and its low labor costs, as is the case with Cambodia and its garment industry. The impact of digitalization on manufacturing will be significant. Low-skilled jobs could disappear on a large scale and there will be an urge to restructure. To get a better understanding of Cambodia’s economy, this report asks the question: What impact does Industry 4.0 have on the garment sector in Cambodia? The first chapter will focus on global trends in manufacturing which are often described by the term Industry 4.0 and their impact on the garment sector. Afterwards, the report analyzes the risks stemming from these developments on the Cambodian economy in general and on the garment industry in particular, before finally finding and presenting approaches that policymakers could take in order to attain the most positive outcome for Cambodia.