Excellency Kim Sereyvuth, Deputy General Director of General Department of Digital Technology and Media, Ministry of Interior. 

Mr. Reth Phuongpagna, Director of the Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Post and Telecommunications

Mr. Ouk Sarat, Deputy Director General and Director of Payment System Department, Central Banking Operation Directorate, National Bank of Cambodia

Esteemed Delegations, Representatives of Development Partners, UN Agencies, Private Sector, and Civil Society,

Welcome to the Multi-Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on Tackling Digital Scams in Cambodia. As we gather here, we recognize the pressing need to confront the increasing threat that digital scams pose to the development of the Kingdom and its ambitions. 

The current landscape of digital scams ranges from social engineering and phishing to e-commerce and employment fraud, among others. The complexity of this challenge transcends national borders and sectors. The sophistication of scams continues to evolve, particularly with advancements in artificial intelligence. 

There is no specific information yet about Cambodia, but in addition to the social and individual impacts, the annual global economic loss is significant. It is estimated at more than USD 1 trillion, representing over 1% of the global GDP. The issue is also pervasive, with three out of four people having experienced scams in the past year.[1] Yet, these figures are most probably greater as empirical evidence shows that many incidents go unreported. Thus, the impacts could be  severe, particularly for developing countries. UNDP is spearheading a global research initiative, led by the UNDP Global Centre in Singapore, to better understand and address this challenge. Over the past months, we have convened a coalition of public and private partners at global and national levels to drive this initiative and engaged experts from regions including Africa, Asia Pacific, and Latin America to gain comprehensive insights into this issue. The planned country-level engagements will enhance existing initiatives globally and locally and will provide broader insights that would contribute to a more effective global response.

Cambodia is at the vanguard being the first country-level engagement to understand the local context and distill insights to complement the proactive efforts invested by the Royal Government in responding to digital scams. 

The digital economy and society policy framework 2021-2035 places a great emphasis on strengthening digital government, digital citizenship, and digital businesses. One critical enabling priority is to enhance the capacity of safeguard against the risks and potential negative consequences of the misuse of digital advancements and build trust which is an essential element for an inclusive and sustainable digital society. 

Recognizing that effective action against digital scams demands robust multi-stakeholder collaboration, the global research initiative aims to fill critical gaps in our understanding and response to digital scams, including:

1. Clarifying the true prevalence and impact of scams, particularly in developing countries;

2. Anticipating emerging trends and challenges to remain proactive;

3. Creating toolkits to aid countries in their efforts to combat scams; and 

4. Fostering collaboration among public and private sectors at both global and national levels. 

The initial Research in Cambodia provided valuable insights into local challenges and existing initiatives, such as enhancing cybersecurity legislation, increasing public sector capabilities, promoting digital financial literacy, and investing in counter-scam technologies. This was complemented by an ethnographic research, conducted in both urban Phnom Penh and rural Kampong Speu, which highlighted diverse experiences and perceptions of digital services across various demographics. We will share the findings of this research in the upcoming session for further discussion.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, the Ministry of Interior, and the National Bank of Cambodia for their valuable contributions.  

During this workshop, I invite you to: 

1. Build a shared understanding of the trends and impacts of digital scams, with a focus on Cambodia;

2. Review current initiatives across public, private, and community sectors to identify gaps and opportunities for collaboration; and 

3. Determine actionable next steps and needed connections with relevant global and local stakeholders.

Following this workshop, a synthesis report will be developed in consultation with the three co-hosts for this workshop; it will reflect insights and lessons from Cambodia that are of global relevance. This report will also map current initiatives and highlight high-impact collaborative efforts that can be pursued with both local and global support. The synthesis report will also serve as input for the global publication to be issued later this year.

I wish you productive deliberations over the next one and a half days and look forward to the outcomes of this workshop. 

Thank you, Arkun