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ILO Launches Project with Cambodian Tourism Industry

On 22 September 2005, the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism announced a new and comprehensive series of Action Programmes that were designed to reinforce tourism as a positive force for development, while helping to prevent abusive situations from developing in the sector.

The Cambodian Ministries of Labour and Vocational Training, Social Affairs, Veteran and Youth Rehabilitation and Women Affairs are also taking part in this coordinated effort. A public awareness campaign on "Child Safe" tourism will be rolled out across the country. The main target audience of the advocacy campaign will be the 4.25 million internal tourists who outnumber international visitors by a margin of 4 to 1. The main beneficiaries will be young people drawn to the growing industry in search of work.

A strategic plan of action, a set of operational guidelines and a set of training manuals to promote the Royal Government of Cambodia's "Child Safe" tourism programme are being developed by the Ministry of Tourism with the support of the ILO's Mekong Project to Combat Trafficking in Children and Women (TICW Project).

The TICW Project is supporting ground-level workplace training in Siem Reap, through the Provincial Department of Tourism, in Sihanoukville through the Municipality Department of Social Affairs, Veteran and Youth Rehabilitation, and in Phnom Penh through the Municipality Department of Social Affairs, Veteran and Youth Rehabilitation. All three areas are experiencing annual growth in their tourism sectors.

The activities will focus on countering trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation in some of the most vulnerable areas of the service and tourism sectors, namely restaurants, hotels, guest houses and entertainment venues where young people are sometimes exposed to exploitation by job brokers, employers and co-workers. Employers and workers will receive training in how to avoid exploitative situations in the workplace. The Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training will work together to monitor workplaces.

Some direct support will also be offered for young migrant job seekers within the target areas to avoid exploitative situations.

Copies of the announcement in English and Khmer are available in PDF format below..

For further information, please contact:

Mr. Hor Sarun
Deputy Director General Admin/Fin, MOT
Head of Secretariat of CSTC-MOT
Tel: 855 23 213 741
Fax: 855 23 220 704
E-Mail: horsarun@yahoo.com

or

Mr. Khleang Rim
National Project Coordinator
ILO-IPEC TICW Project
Tel: 855-23-220-817, 216-044, 994-209 or 994-574
Fax: 855 23 221 536
E-Mail: Rimiloipeccam@online.com.kh

Please also find attached a copy of Thetis Mangahas' speech at the launch of the project in Phnom Penh. Ms. Mangahas is the Chief Technical Adviser, Mekong Sub-regional Project to Combat Trafficking in Children and Women, International Labour Organization – ILO.

Available Downloads

Announcement - English

Announcement - Khmer

Thetis Mangahas - Speech