Phnom Penh: Mr. Taing Phengrithy, Undersecretary of State, High Representative of Mr. Heng Sour, Minister of Labor and Vocational Training, together with Mr. Nong Sakal, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, presided over the opening ceremony of a capacity-building workshop on the Guidelines for the Protection of Cambodian Migrants in Emergencies Abroad on the morning of May 21, 2026 at the Cambodiana Hotel, with the participation of Mr. Koen Everaert, Acting Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to Cambodia, Ms. Nellie Ghusayni, Head of Mission of the IOM in Cambodia, as well as representatives of relevant ministries and institutions, the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, the Labor Department, the Cambodian Association of Recruitment Agencies, private recruitment agencies, national and international organizations, with the aim of strengthening the capacity of relevant officials to prevent, reduce risks and resolve problems for Cambodian migrant workers in emergencies abroad.
Speaking in his opening remarks at the workshop, Mr. Taing Phengrithy highlighted the importance of the Guidelines on the Protection of Cambodian Migrants and Workers in Emergencies Abroad, which is an important step in strengthening the response and coordination mechanisms between ministries, relevant institutions, embassies, partner organizations and the private sector to provide support. and timely intervention.
On that occasion, he also highlighted that the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training has also launched a strategic plan for the development of the labor, social security and vocational training sectors for 2024-2028, in the fourth strategy on “Strengthening the management of safe, quality and efficient immigration and employment” Determined the preparation of risk prevention mechanisms, procedures for notification, emergency response and support for Cambodian migrant workers in times of emergency, which is in line with the objectives of the capacity building workshop.
At the same time, he also recommended and advised the participants of the capacity building workshop to pay attention and actively participate in the discussions. and share country-specific information as a basis for developing a comprehensive set of guidelines, with a particular focus on the pre-emergency, emergency and post-emergency preparedness phases.
Finally, Mr. Taing Phengrithy highly appreciated the IOM who always provide good cooperation and support to the Royal Government of Cambodia, especially the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, in strengthening the governance of labor migration in Cambodia and protecting the rights and welfare of Cambodian labor migrants, and thanked the European Union and the Royal Government of Sweden for their support in organizing this important workshop.
