Phnom Penh : On 23 October 2026, the Singapore Embassy in Phnom Penh hosted the Strategic Leadership and Public Governance (SLPG) Reception, bringing together senior Cambodian government officials, including participants of the second SLPG Programme held in Singapore from 24 to 28 August 2026. The event offered an opportunity to reconnect, reflect on their learning experiences, and underscore the Singapore-Cambodia partnership in human capital development and public sector leadership development.
In his remarks, Ambassador Steven Pang reaffirmed Singapore’s commitment to supporting Cambodia’s public administration reforms through capacity-building and knowledge exchange. He highlighted that the SLPG Programme gave senior Cambodian officials practical insights into Singapore’s governance approach, Whole-of-Government coordination, digitalisation and public service delivery – emphasising that Singapore’s aim was to share experiences for Cambodia to adapt, not to prescribe solutions. Ambassador Pang also observed that 2027 will mark the 35th anniversary of the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP), an important milestone in Singapore’s commitment to sharing its development experience with partners like Cambodia.
Organised under the SCP and conducted by the Singapore’s Civil Service College (CSC), the five-day programme brought together 30 senior officials from across Cambodian ministries and central government institutions, led by H.E. Youk Bunna, Permanent Secretary of State at the Ministry of Civil Service. In his opening remarks at the reception, H.E. Youk Bunna expressed appreciation for Singapore’s continued support and highlighted key insights gained, particularly on Whole-of-Government coordination, strategic leadership and public sector transformation, affirming their relevance to Cambodia’s ongoing reforms.
Participants gained insights into Singapore’s approach to good governance, public sector leadership development, human resource management, digitalisation and citizen-centric service delivery. Through dialogues with senior practitioners, workshops and case studies, they explored Singapore’s emphasis on meritocracy, performance and continuous innovation, and considered how these could be adapted to Cambodia’s own development context.
H.E. Phan Oun, Secretary-General of the General Secretariat of the Ministry of Commerce, also shared his reflections, highlighting Singapore’s Whole-of-Government planning system, the role of the Committee of Permanent Secretaries, and its merit-based approach to people management as key takeaways with practical applications for Cambodia.
The SLPG Programme forms part of Singapore’s longstanding technical cooperation with Cambodia under the SCP. Since its establishment in 1992, more than 19,000 Cambodian officials have participated in Singapore’s capacity-building programmes. In Phnom Penh, the Cambodia-Singapore Cooperation Centre (CSCC) established in 2002 and upgraded in 2018 continues to offer programmes tailored to Cambodia’s evolving needs. The reception cemented the close bilateral partnership and strengthened the professional networks and people-to-people ties built through the programme.
The Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) was launched in 2000 by then Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, with the aim of narrowing the development gap within ASEAN and supporting the newer member states Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam (CLMV) in their integration into the regional community. The Cambodia-Singapore Cooperation Centre (CSCC) serves as the key platform through which Singapore delivers IAI programmes to Cambodian government officials.
The Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) was established in 1992 as Singapore’s principal platform for sharing its development experience and expertise with other countries. Through training programmes, technical assistance and knowledge exchange, the SCP supports capacity-building and human resource development across a wide range of areas.
The Cambodia-Singapore Cooperation Centre (CSCC) was established as the Cambodia-Singapore Training Centre (CSTC) in 2002, following the launch of the IAI. In 2018, the Centre was upgraded to the CSCC to further enhance the range and quality of its capacity-building programmes. The CSCC is situated at the iCON Building in Phnom Penh and serves as a dedicated platform that supports capacity-building, facilitates knowledge exchange, and strengthens people-to-people ties between Singapore and Cambodia. To date, more than 19,000 Cambodian government officials have benefitted from the Centre’s programmes.
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