More than 90 delegates gathered in Phnom Penh to look at ways to promote inclusive, smart, and sustainable urban development in Cambodia as part of the ‘Cities for All’ program.

Stakeholders from international organisations, UN agencies, development partners, and the Government convened on Tuesday to initiate the implementation of ‘Cities for All’ to promote inclusive, smart, and sustainable urban development in Cambodia.

According to a UN press release, the program sits in line with Sustainable Development Goal 11 of the 2030 Agenda, which emphasises the need to create inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and communities.

The project aims to address the needs and challenges faced by urban citizens by integrating a human security dimension into Cambodia’s urbanisation process.

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The approach entails a people-centric, comprehensive, context-specific, and prevention-oriented strategy to identify common urban challenges and devise sustainable solutions.

The outcome of this project will contribute to the development of a National Policy Framework for Smart and Sustainable Cities by 2025.

Ngy Chanphal, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Interior and Chair of the Smart Cities Steering Committee, said, “By 2030, the vision of the sub-national administration reform is to empower the sub-national administrations with strengthened resources and capacities to provide better services to citizens.”

He confirmed that the smart cities initiative is an approach to accelerate the realisation of the reform vision. In the meantime, implementation of smart cities initiatives will bolster the sub-national administrations to better address urban issues in constituencies.

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Eda Kraja, UNOPS Country Manager a.i. for Cambodia, said, “With our complementary expertise in resilient infrastructure and sustainable urban planning, I am confident this collaborative endeavour will exemplify UN Cambodia’s vision to deliver as one and to be fit for purpose in line with Cambodia’s urban development agenda.”

Urbanisation is also one of the strategic priorities outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Cambodia, which is paving the way for cities that have everyone in mind.

UNOPS, as a central resource for the United Nations system in fund management and infrastructure development, brings its expertise to implement projects in changing contexts. UN-Habitat, with its focus on reducing inequality and improving living standards, shows a proven record of work in synergy with Cambodia's urban development efforts.