Phnom Penh: H.E Khiev Bory, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Social Affairs, and Mr. Theng Chhavirith, Deputy Director General of the General Department of Social Services, represented the ASEAN Committee on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children at the official launch of the ASEAN Localisation Toolkit and Guideline. They also participated in the Awareness Raising Workshop on the Localization of Women, Peace, and Security in Cambodia. The event, presided over by H.E Ing Kantha Phavi, Minister of Women’s Affairs, took place on December 14-15, 2023, at Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh, with the participation of representatives from the National Assembly, relevant ministries, embassies, ACWC ACW UN WOMEN, and partner organizations.

The official launch, organized by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the United Nations Women, aimed to achieve several key objectives. Firstly, it aimed to raise awareness of the Agenda for Women, Peace, and Security among key stakeholders of the Royal Government of Cambodia and representatives from ASEAN. Secondly, it sought to promote the relevance of efforts between the implementation of regional action plans and national localization on the agenda of Women in Peace and Security through the use of the toolkit and guidelines of the Regional Action Plan on Women for Peace and Security. Thirdly, the event aimed to share experiences and lessons learned from different countries in the region, including examples of national action plans on women, peace, and security. Lastly, it aimed to identify priority activities related to Cambodia from the Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security.

The official launch of the ASEAN Localization Toolkit and Guidelines was well-attended, with leaders from relevant ministries, institutions, diplomats, the ASEAN Commission on Women, the ASEAN Committee on the Promotion of Women’s and Children’s Rights, relevant ASEAN institutions, totaling 100 participants.