Legal Development and Human Rights in Cambodia

This page provides researchers with information on human rights issues in Cambodia. At this time, the emphasis of this page is on laws and legal institutions affecting civil society workers and advocates. Please also see our bibliography on transitional justice in Cambodia. Peacemakers Trust has created these links for research purposes only, and cannot take responsibility for content of third party websites. Inclusion of a link to a site does not imply endorsement of or association with Peacemakers Trust.

This page
Reports on Human Rights in Cambodia
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC)
Human Rights and Legal Organizations in Cambodia
International Human Rights Organizations concerned with Cambodia
Law, Policies and Government Bodies in Cambodia

Other pages
Bibliography on Reconciliation and Transitional Justice in Cambodia (off this page)
Bibliography on Media in Cambodia (off this page)
Media Organizations (off this page)
Cambodia News Sources (English language) (off this page)
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Reports on Human Rights in Cambodia

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Human Rights and Legal Organizations

Alliance For Freedom of Expression, a network of 28 Cambodian institutions founded November 2005.
    ■ Statement 17 February 2006 (pdf)

Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia. BAKC website in Khmer only. See online yellow pages for contact information.
    ■ Law on the Bar, 1995
    ■ Internal Regulations of the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia (pdf)
    ■ Code of Ethics for Lawyers Licensed with the Bar Association of the Kingdom Of Cambodia (pdf)

Cambodia Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), a coalition of 18 Cambodian human rights organizations including ADHOC, LICADHO.
    ■ CHRAC home page

Cambodian Centre for Human Rights (CCHR). CCHR is a non-governmental human rights organization founded in 2002.
    ■ CCHR Homepage.

Cambodian Defenders Project (CDP). The CDP was established in 1994 by the International Human Rights Law Group, Cambodia Project, to strengthen respect for human rights, the legal system, rule of law and liberal democracy in Cambodia. CDP, which is scheduled to become a Cambodian NGO in 2000, operates a legal aid program, providing free representation to the poor and victims of human rights abuses. CDP also conducts education to raise legal awareness in the community, especially on women's rights, and conducts advocacy for sound legislation. P.O. Box 921, No. 12, Street 282, Boeng Keng Kang I, Phnom Penh; tel 855-23-720032 or 855-23-362524, fax 855-23-720031, e-mail cdplas@worldmail.com.kh.
    ■ CDP Homepage
    ■ Selected Laws of the Kingdom of Cambodia

Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC). Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC). ADHOC was the first human rights organization in Cambodia established in 1991. It conducts education and monitoring to promote the respect of human rights and rule of law in Cambodia.
    ■ ADHOC Homepage

Acting for Women in Distressing Situations (ASEFIP). Founded in 1996, ASEFIP provides works to combat trafficking in women and girls for sex slavery through advocacy and assistance in recovery to those rescued from sex slavery.
    ■ ASEFIP Cambodia Homepage

Bridges Across Borders Cambodia (BABC). BABC works on human rights and environmental issues. This organization first began in 2003 as the Cambodia Country Program of the international organization Bridges Across Borders (BAB). It became an independent organization in 2011.
    ■ BABC Homepage

LICADHO (Cambodian League for Promotion of Human Rights), #103 Street 97, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tel.: 023 364 901, 360 965, Fax: +855 23 217 626, 360 965, e-mail: licadho@camnet.com.kh. LICADHO is an acronym for La Ligue Cambodgienne pour la Promotion et la Défense des Droits de l'Homme. Founded in 1992, the organization now has offices throughout Cambodia for the purposes of education, monitoring and defense of human rights.
    ■ LICADHO Homepage

Child Rights Foundation (CRF), is a "child-focused, non-profit, non-political and non-religious Cambodian non-governmental organization working towards full implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in Cambodia."
    ■ CRF Homepage

Community Legal Education Center (CLEC), is a local Cambodian NGO dedicated to the promotion of the rule of law, democracy and development in Cambodia. CLEC was established in 1997 as part of the University of San Francisco Camobodia Law and Democracy Project. It works on land law, labor law, business law, dispute resolution, legislative drafting, legal education and law reform.
    ■ CLEC Homepage

Cambodian Women's Crisis Center.The CWCC is a non-profit organization established in 1997 with a view to eliminating violence against women, including trafficking, rape and domestic violence. CWCC conducts training, media campaigns, community organizing, and legal advocacy. CWCC has offices and shelters in Phnom Penh, Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap provinces.
    ■ CWCC Homepage

.NGO Coalition to Address (Sexual) Exploitation of Children in Cambodia (COSECAM). COSECAM is a Cambodian NGO coalition for research, education and advocacy to combat sexual exploitation of children in Cambodia.
    ■ COSECAM Homepage

Council of Arbitration. Cambodia's Arbitration Council is an independent tribunal established in 2003 under the Labor Code to decide on collective labor disputes which cannot settled by conciliation.
    ■ CoA Home page

Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-CAM). DC-CAM is a Cambodian academic research institute established in January 1995 by Yale University's Cambodian Genocide Program (CGP). The DC-Cam became an autonomous non-governmental and non-political Cambodian institute in January 1997. DC-CAM recently went on-line with an updated database of documentation concerning the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge.
    ■ DC-CAM Home page

ECPAT Cambodia. End Child Prostitution, Abuse and Trafficking in Cambodia (ECPAT)
    ■ ECPAT Cambodia Home Page

HumanTrafficking.org is a web site resource aiming to bring governments and NGOs in the East Asia and Pacific together to cooperate on efforts to combat human trafficking. The web site has information on national laws, action plans, NGOs.
    ■ humantrafficking.org page on Cambodia

Khmer Institute of Democracy (KID). KID was established in 1992 for the purpose of promoting and strengthening the observance of law, human rights and democratic principles. Kid also has a public library named for Om Radsady.
    ■ KID Homepage

Khmer Youth Association (KYA), founded in 1992, describes itself as a "humanitarian, non-political party, non-governmental and non-partisan organization working in the area of human resources development, gender, human rights, environment, and democratic development".
    ■ KYA Homepage

Legal Aid of Cambodia (LAC). Founded in 1995, LAC is a non-profit, non-governmental Khmer-administered association of lawyers dedicated to serving the legal needs of Cambodia's poor in all types of civil and criminal matters.
    ■ LAC Home page

International Human Rights NGOs and International Organizations

Amnesty International. This page contains Amnesty International's reports about Cambodia.
    ■ Cambodia information

Article 19: Global Campaign for Free Expression
    ■ A19 Homepage
    ■ Article 19's pages on Asia
    ■ Statement 24 January 2006

Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR), New Delhi
    ■ ACHR page on Cambodia

Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). Use the AHRC search engine to track AHRC news and appeals concerning Cambodia.
    ■ AHRC Homepage
    ■ AHRC's page on Cambodia.

Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC).
    ■ Documents (search for Cambodia)

Asia-Pacific Human Rights (HURIGHTS). HURIGHTS OSAKA aims to promote human rights in the Asia-Pacific region and has conducted a number of initiatives in Cambodia in partnership with local human rights organizations.
    ■ HURIGHTS Home page

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
    ■ CPJ Homepage
    ■ Links to Statements on Cambodia

Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR)
    ■ Links to Cambodia

Derechos Human Rights.
    ■ DHR Home page
    ■ brief introduction to Human Rights in Cambodia.

Human Rights First.
    ■ HRF Home page. HRF does occasional reports on Cambodia. Use the search engine.

Human Rights Watch (HRW), works with LICADHO.
    ■ Cambodia documents

humantrafficking.org.
    ■ Documents on Cambodia.

International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL)
    ■ Cambodia page

International Commission of Jurists (ICJ).
    ■ ICJ Home page
    ■ Pages on Cambodia

International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX)
    ■ Cambodia Alerts.

International Justice Mission. IJM is a human rights agency working on justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression.
    ■ IJM Southeast Asia page

International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH)
    ■ FIDH Homepage
    ■ pages on Cambodia (Note: ADHOC and LICADHO are members of FIDH.)

International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
    ■ IFJ Homepage
    ■ Statement 27 March 2006.

International Labour Organization (ILO). This page provides information on Cambodia's ratifications of ILO Conventions with links through to the text of the relevant conventions. This page also provides information on Cambodia's constitution and laws as well as other resources.
    ■ ILO summary page on Cambodia;
    ■ ILO's Cambodia Resources

United Nations Cambodia Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN COHCHR). Civil and political human rights in Cambodia are taken up by the UN through the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Human Rights in Cambodia and the COHCHR. The COHCHR has an office in Phnom Penh and six provincial offices.
    ■ COHCHR Homepage
    ■ Links to reports of the Special Representative of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Cambodia
    ■ Links to UN agencies working in Cambodia.

Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC)

See also our Bibliography on Reconciliation and Transitional Justice in Cambodia (off this page)

Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
    ■ Official site

Cambodia Genocide Program, Yale University. This site contains the 2001 Cambodia legislation on the establishment of a Khmer Rouge Tribunal as well as statements, indictments, chronology. (Please update this information by referring to other events and documents including the Agreement Between UN and Cambodia on Prosecution of Khmer Rouge.)
    ■ News of the Tribunal to prosecute Khmer Rouge leaders.

Open Society Justice Initiative
    ■ Extraordinary Chambers Advocacy. Search for Cambodia.

Resources on the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
    ■ by David Boyle, page published by Réseau Internet Pour Le Droit International.

Links to other international tribunals, such as the International Criminal Court, former Yugoglavia, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone.
    ■ Links

Laws, Policies (English translations) and Government Bodies

Bayefsky.com
    ■ Pages on Cambodia's treaty signatures, ratifications, reservations, reports and other documents.

Office of the Council of Ministers, Kingdom of Cambodia..
    ■ Cambodia Laws. Selected laws in English.

Council for Legal and Judicial Reform (Secretariat), Office of the Council of Ministers, Kingdom of Cambodia..
    ■ CLJR Home Page

Laws of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
    ■ Selected Cambodia Laws (pdf) on the Ministry of Justice website.

Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia.
    ■ A Selection of Laws Currently in Force in Cambodia

Open Development.
    ■ Laws and Regulations

Sithi was launched in 2009 as a project of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR) to provide information to empower those working on human rights in Cambodia. This site provides Khmer and English language versions of a number of relevant laws.

World Law: Cambodia.
    ■ Global catalog and search engine for various law and law-related topics, sponsored by the Australasian Legal Information Institute and the ADB.

See also:
Conflict Resolution, Peacemaking, and Non-Violence
Governance and Development
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC)
Laws including Treaties and Conventions
Libraries and Other Resources
Links to Online Bibliographies on Cambodia
News and Information Sources

Forrest cannopy from below, Rattanakiri, Cambodia. © Nile Sprague
© N Sprague

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