Few countries have faced many monumental challenges as Cambodia following the decimation of the population during the Khmer Rouge regime, including a high percentage of the educated class; the destruction of the social and economic infrastructure; the shredding of the social fabric; and a painstaking recovery hindered by an embargo, isolation and continued conflict with the remnants of the Khmer Rouge. While an internationally recognized government emerged from the UN-sponsored elections in 1993, the armed conflict with the Khmer Rouge continued until 1998 and contributed to political tension with the coalition government.

UNDP’s support to this process of national reconstruction at the local level spanned the period from 1992 to 2010, progressively evolving to respond to changing opportunities and challenges. It moved from direct implementation of a resettlement project; to co-management with government of a pilot project in decentralization focused on system design, institution building and local development; to the primary support project to a national programme implemented by government and financed by national budget and large number of development partners focused on subnational democratic development.