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In a truly democratic political system it is essential for the legislative and executive authorities to clearly communicate their objectives to the citizens on all levels of government. In this respect, continuous public communication and particularly the use of social media outlets such as Facebook have grown increasingly important for Cambodian political parties. Not only is a party able to reach a considerable high number of citizens through these outlets but they also allow two-way communication between voters and their respective parties.

Continuous bilateral communication is essential in two ways: First, it allows political parties to communicate their values, objectives and concerns to the public. Second, it provides citizens with the chance to express their opinions and suggestions, allowing them to actively participate in their country’s politics and offer feedback to the party’s ongoing activities. This is important for political parties in order to guarantee the citizens’ effective representation and assure that their voices being heard.

The Facebook page of the CNRP currently enjoys a comparatively high number of likes (approx. 308.000 likes). It offers apps to donate to the party, provides links to YouTube and shows content with a professional approach. The CNRP clearly understands the importance of communicating with its voters.

Yet, it still faces some challenges in terms of coordination and organization. Therefore, the training aims at advancing the CNRP’s public communication and social media usage in terms of coordination and organization, through in-depth discussions with two international experts. Furthermore, the training aims at discussing public communication opportunities for the CNRP to reach their public in a government-dominated media environment.

The expected result is an improvement of the CNRP’s usage of new media in order to effectively communicate with Cambodian citizens, providing them with updated information on the party’s political activities and allowing them to actively participate in the country’s political development.