Phnom Penh: On the morning of May 7, 2026, Ms. Sovann Vannarath, Permanent Secretary of State for the High Representative of Mr. Heng Sour, Minister of Labor and Vocational Training, presided over the opening ceremony of the High-Level Technical Partner Consultation of the ILO TRIANGLE Partnership Program, with the participation of representatives of ministries and institutions, the Australian Embassy, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and relevant parties, held at the Fairfield Hotel by Marriott, Phnom Penh.
On this occasion, the Permanent Secretary of State expressed deep gratitude for the presence of national and international dignitaries and highly appreciated the good cooperation of the ILO through the Triangle Program implemented in Cambodia since 2010 until now reaching the third phase. She highlighted that the 7th Royal Government of Cambodia, under the leadership of His Excellency President Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, has identified the protection and promotion of the rights of migrant workers as the ninth priority with the goal of expanding the overseas labor market legally and strengthening social protection for the better. Currently, the ministry is also upgrading the policy to the “National Policy on Labor Migration 2026-2035” to respond to socio-economic developments.
At the same time, she also recalled the challenges of the Cambodian-Thai border conflict in 2025, which caused Cambodian workers to return to their homeland in a hurry. In the face of this situation, the Royal Government has taken emergency measures by providing transportation, food, and coordination at the border with utmost care. Through the Hotline 1297 mechanism and the organization of job forums in many locations, the Ministry has successfully helped tens of thousands of workers return to local jobs. In addition, to prevent fraud by brokers, the ministry has installed billboards along major national roads.
As a follow-up to 2026, she announced that from April 24, 2026, the Royal Government will provide free Recognizing Skills (RPL) tests in eight majors to former workers from Thailand. To turn real work experience into an official certificate for use in finding high-paying jobs.
At the same time, she recommended that all relevant partners pay attention to consulting on the ILO TRIANGLE program framework to align with national priority plans.
