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UN Joint Programme:
Decent Jobs and Social Protection Expansion for Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Growth in Cambodia
Project Preview
This Joint Programme unlocks opportunities for decent job creation and strengthens social protection for sustainable and inclusive economic growth in Cambodia, aiming to benefit at least 2.3 million people, especially those at risk of being left behind.
Project Summary
As Cambodia expects to graduate from least developed country (LDC) status by 2029, this Joint Programme supports the creation of decent work and the development of integrated, inclusive, and shock-responsive social protection systems. Following a cross-sectoral approach, the JP aligns with the government's Pentagonal Strategy to provide technical assistance for: 1) pro-employment macroeconomic policies through strategic foresight and innovative financing; 2) demand-driven skills development via public-private partnerships; 3) expanding social protection coverage through digital transformation and flagship national programs; and 4) enhanced formalization of the informal economy. The evidence-driven programme convenes diverse stakeholders to build a sustainable, nationally owned ecosystem for decent jobs and universal social protection.
Key Expected Outputs
The following outputs will be delivered by UNDP under the Joint Programme:
Outcome 1: Pro-employment macroeconomic and financing policies adopted
- Gender-sensitive Financing Strategy for the Implementation of the GA Cambodia Roadmap: Integrate the Global Accelerator financing strategy into the National Financing Policy Framework (NFPF).
- Rapid Integrated Policy Assessment: Align national regulatory frameworks using a gender-sensitive assessment.
- Technical Advisory on Labour Foresight and New Sources of Economic Growth: Develop a National Foresight Roadmap and report to support inclusive growth and employment generation.
Outcome 3: Increased coverage of Social Protection and UHC
- Support for the National Implementation of Graduation-Based Social Protection (GBSP): Roll out the national GBSP programme and TVET for 5,000 poor households, particularly women-headed households.
- Integration of Digital Systems for Social Protection and Social Services: Integrate digital social service systems to generate gender-disaggregated policy data.
Outcome 4: Enhanced formalization, sectoral growth, and productivity
- Implementation of the National Strategy for Informal Economic Development (NSIED): Support the transition of informal enterprises and women-owned businesses to the formal sector.
- Research and Evidence Generation on the Care Economy and Women in the Informal Sector: Conduct research on the care economy to drive investment and gender-responsive formalisation.
Results to Date (June 2026)
Outcome 1: Pro-employment macroeconomic and financing policies adopted
- Developed Cambodia's National Foresight Roadmap for official adoption, provided capacity development to a national Foresight Technical Working Group, and produced the National Foresight Report.
- Integrated the Global Accelerator (GA) financing strategy directly into the government's National Financing Policy Framework (NFPF).
Outcome 3: Increased coverage of Social Protection and UHC
- Launched the national Graduation-Based Social Protection (GBSP) program, securing USD 2.35 million in national budget funds and enrolling over 4,000 IDPoor households (70% women) in 2026 in Preah Vihear and Kampong Chhnang provinces.
- Advanced digitalization of social protection by rolling out the Digital Social Protection Platform (DSPP) and the Social Protection Registry (SPR), and piloting the Integrated Case Management System (ICMS).
Outcome 4: Enhanced formalization, sectoral growth, and productivity
- Launched the M&E framework for the National Strategy for the Development of the Informal Economy (NSDIE), with a digital M&E system under development for national rollout.
- Conducted a comprehensive statistical analysis of CAM-IE, the digital onboarding platform for informal economy development to inform evidence-based decision-making and inclusive policy design.
- Engaged over 900 national and sub-national stakeholders in consultations to strengthen informal economy policies.
