H.E. Mom Bunthan, Secretariat of State, Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans, Youth and Rehabilitation 
H.E. Chhuon Samrith, Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Economy and Finance
H.E. Theng Pagnathun, Delegate of the Royal Government of Cambodia in charge of Director General of Planning, Ministry of Planning
Mr. Andreas Zurbrugg, Head of Development Cooperation, Embassy of Australia
Ms. Roueida El Hage, Representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia
Mr. Sardar Umar Alam, Representative of UNESCO Cambodia 
Representatives of line ministries, central and provincial departments of planning, development partner community, CSOs and private sector entities
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning.

Resilience has always been in the mainstream international humanitarian and development debate and is recognized as an important prerequisite for sustainable development. The COVID-19 pandemic was a strong reminder and an accelerator as it became clear that the focus on saving lives alone was not enough. At the onset, strengthening resilience was not intuitive. It required new ways of working to anticipate and address complex uncertainties. 

The Resilience Facility was put in place as a flexible and risk-oriented mechanism to anticipate and mitigate the impacts of the pandemic and reduce vulnerabilities among the most-hardly hit, using a wide approach that encompasses rights, opportunities, human security and safety nets. 

Allow me to pause and express my sincere appreciation to our development partners for their audacious and pioneer bid and their trust in UNDP. The many results achieved by the project could not have been possible without the financial support of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Gratitude goes also to Luxembourg and the Republic of Korea who contributed through the UNDP Poverty and Inequality Funding Window. 

The leadership and the ownership of the Royal Government of Cambodia were also critical, I would like to specifically highlight the Ministry of Economy and Finance; the National Social Protection Council; the Ministry of Planning; the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation; the Ministry of Commerce; the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation (MISTI); the National Bank of Cambodia and the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the valuable and direct contributions of OHCHR and UNESCO, and the strategic partnerships developed with ILO and partner NGOs to accelerate specific results.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

As we conclude the project, let us reflect on its significant achievements. My colleagues will discuss it more in the following sessions, but I would like to highlight a few, namely, the development of the on-demand ID Poor registration permitting the timely roll-out of the COVID-19 Cash Assistance programme. Over 700,000 vulnerable and poor households received the unconditional COVID-19 cash transfers, benefitting around 2.8 million individuals, including 64,000 children and 559,000 persons with disabilities. This was a key foundation for resilience during a major and generalized hardship. The on-demand ID Poor registration was eventually adopted as a complementary mechanism to the traditional 3-year registration campaign for ID Poor household updates. The Resilience Facility also advanced the integration of the different social protection databases to strengthen the social registry. 

Old people were notably vulnerable and marginalized during the pandemic. The Facility developed policy options for a nationwide pension programme for the elderly and permitted the launching of the community-based social protection pilot currently implemented in 7 provinces, namely Kampong Thom, Thboung Khmum, Svay Rieng, Battambang, Preah Vihear, Siem Reap and Banteay Meanchey. 

Fostering digital transformation of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and access to e-commerce platforms enabled business continuity and adaptation to the pandemic new normals and contributed to the acceleration of digital economy uptake afterwards.

Among the most vulnerable are people living in landmine-contaminated areas, the legacy of Cambodia’s turbulent past. The Resilience Facility contributed to the release of 125 square kilometres of mine-contaminated land for safe farming and other development uses, benefiting 218,864 vulnerable people (almost 50% are women and girls). 

 
As the country was recently emerging and recovering from COVID, the focus was shifted to understanding the potential impacts of Least Developed Country (LDC)  graduation on national development and key trade sectors (and the people depending on them), identifying needed financing frameworks, and advising on policies and strategies to support the informal economy and economic diversification, among others.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, 

The Resilience Facility not only addressed the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic laying the foundations for resilience and recovery, but it also bolstered access to fundamental human rights. The pandemic increased poverty, inequalities, structural and entrenched discrimination, and other gaps in human rights protection. From the outset, our collective response was grounded in a firm belief that the public health response and the recovery process cannot succeed without bridging these gaps advancing human rights for all and for a more resilient, just and sustainable society. 

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the closure of the Resilience Facility, I invite you to reflect on the results and also on the system approach adopted and refined throughout its implementation, and I confirm UNDP’s intention to expand and scale up the achieved milestones we are celebrating today. You are all part of it, and I encourage you to join efforts with us for the way forward. 

I wish you a good continuation. Som Arkun/Thank you.