Gunilla Carlsson, Minister for Development Cooperation, met Wednesday with Cambodian Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Kheng.
Sar Kheng is visiting Sweden to study the Swedish experience with decentralization and local governance. Sar Kheng also met with Speaker of Parliament Per Westerberg and Minister for Public Administration and Housing Stefan Attefall.
Gunilla Carlsson and seated opposite Sar Kheng
The Swedish government decided 8. Marts 2012 a new two year plan for development cooperation with Cambodia worth SEK 400 million (US$ 60 million), with the overall goal of creating favorable conditions for a sustainable and democratic development with increased respect for human rights.
The ministry for foreign affairs wrote in a evaluation of the previous three year period that: “The process of democratization and the development of a constitutional state that respects, protects and addresses the human rights has in many respects been moving in a negative direction during the past strategy period. The development is in many ways negative in the areas of civil and political rights, in particular freedom of expression and freedom of association. Some progress is being made in terms of economic, social and cultural rights.”
