A/HRC/41/17
77.
Uruguay commended the measures taken to eliminate child labour and violence
against women and girls. It urged the State to continue action to prevent violence and
sexual abuse, including rape, and to promote effective complaints mechanisms and physical
and psychological care for victims.
78.
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela noted the sustained economic growth and
reduction in poverty. It also noted the strategic health plan for 2016–2020, the law on the
eradication of trafficking in persons and sexual exploitation, universal primary education
and the progress made in establishing a national human rights institution in accordance with
the Paris Principles.
79.
The delegation of Cambodia pointed out that the Cambodian Human Rights
Committee was a central body that had been established to coordinate with other ministries
and stakeholders when compiling reports for the treaty bodies and to monitor the
implementation of recommendation made by those treaty bodies and the special procedures.
The Government had issued a subdecree on 18 December 2017 establishing an
interministerial working group, comprising all relevant governmental agencies for better
coordination when preparing reports.
80.
The Ministry of Information had led and collaborated with the Embassy of Sweden
and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on the drafting of
a law on access to information. The drafting process had been undertaken through the
establishment of a joint technical working group consisting of State institutions, United
Nations agencies, civil society organizations, professional media experts, academia,
researchers and development partners. The Government was committed to completing the
draft law on the right of access to information together with other two important laws: the
cybercrime law and the amendment to the law on the press.
81.
The Government had a plan to promote gender equality and sexuality education in
order to eliminate discrimination and gender-based violence, including by mainstreaming
gender equality into the policy framework and the national development plan, reducing the
gender gap in education, promoting vocational training and women’s entrepreneurship
initiatives, combating domestic violence and the sexual abuse of women and children,
uplifting social morality, women’s dignity and the Cambodian family, improving legal
services for women and children and implementing the social protection policy framework
for 2016–2025.
82.
Even though there was no policy or legal framework governing the rights of the
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, the Government had taken action to
eliminate discrimination against that community by organizing public awareness campaigns,
disseminated via the media and in the context of formal and informal education. While civil
law still did not recognize the legitimacy of homosexual marriage and registration, it did
not actually criminalize such marriage and practices. Homosexual marriage was in fact very
common in Cambodian society, in traditional and cultural practices. Approximately 1,000
same-sex couple had already married with a traditional party and ceremony.
83.
National reconciliation was subject to a genuine commitment by all parties
concerned to prioritize national interest, without taking orders from foreign powers. The
current actions taken by Cambodia against Kem Sokha and institutions that had committed
treason and conspiracy were the only legitimate way to protect peace and democracy under
the rule of law. Acts of treason, espionage and conspiracy with a foreign power that
advocated the overthrow of a legitimate Government were subject to severe punishment
under the law of all countries, and Cambodia was no exception. The State regretted,
however, that the only legitimate action possible for a sovereign State had been politicized
under the banner of “human rights and democracy” because of the geopolitical interests of
other States.
84.
Cambodia was a paradise for non-governmental organizations. With a total
population of only 15 million people, Cambodia, surprisingly, was home to almost 6,000
registered local and international associations and non-governmental organizations and
more than 4,000 trade unions, proportionally impressive when compared with other
countries in the region. Since the introduction of the law on associations and nongovernmental organizations, 509 local associations and 400 local non-governmental
8