NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON VICTIM ASSISTANCE

Phnom Penh: 05 to 06 September 2001

right to left: Mr. Ouk Sisovann, Executive Director DAC Secretariat, H.E. Prak Chantha, Secretary of State of the MOSALVY; Mr. Lee Forsythe, Program Specialist for Humanitarian Assistant, USAID, and Ms. Isabell Plumat, Country Director of Handicap International - Belgium To fulfill its mandate as the only existing national coordinating mechanism on disability and rehabilitation (for services and programs provided to people with disabilities including mine victims), the DAC has been approached to organize a National Workshop on "Victim Assistance", which was conducted from 5 to 6 September 2001 at the National Institute of Public Health (former Pasteur Institute). The workshop was successfully organized with support and assistance provided by the Cambodian Mine Action and Mine Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) and Handicap International - Belgium (HI-B).

The National Workshop brought together around 43 professional and technical actors including government official, staffs of non-governmental organization (from 37 organizations / institutions) with relevant knowledge / experiences related to the victim assistance in Cambodia. It has been a rare opportunity for all key players to meet, discuss and share information and experiences on how to find ways to overcome the challenges.

Participants from NGOs, and Gogernvental Institutions attent the National Workshop on Victim Assistance, held from 05 to 06 September 2001, at National Public Health Institute, Phnom Penh The high-ranking government officials from two key institutions responsible for victim related issue expressed their interest and commitment to fully support the organization of the event. H.E. Sam Sotha, Advisor to the Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen and Secretary General of the CMAA presided over the opening session of the workshop, on September 5, 2001 at 8:00 to 9:00. While H.E. Prak Chantha, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Labor, Vocational Training and Youth Rehabilitation (MOSALVY) prsided over the closing session on September 6, 2001 at 16:00 to 17:30.

The focus of the workshop aimed mainly on reviewing and finalizing of the draft national strategic plan on victim assistance in Cambodia. The linkage between components of victim assistance and relevant section of the DAC Strategic Directions for Disability and Rehabilitation was also another focus of the workshop. The proposed list of the Cambodian delegation to the First Regional Conference on Victim Assistance in the framework of the Mine Ban Treaty - South East Asia that will be held in November 6-8, 2001 in Thailand has been produced.

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Welcome remarks of the Workshop Organiser by Mr. Ouk Sisovann, Executive Director of DAC.
Opening Remark addressed by Ms. Isabelle Plumat, Country Director of HI-B.
Opening Speech addressed by H.E Sam Sotha, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Secretary General of CMAA.
Closing Speech addressed by H. E Prak Chantha, Secretary of State of MoSALVY and Chairperson of DAC.