Over 140 persons join the Seminar on the Role of Civil Society and Human Rights Defenders this morning at Raffles Hotel conference venue. The participants representing local and international NGOs, the Cambodian Government, Embassies, international institutions and others that share human rights concerns.
A two-day seminar, which is organized by the European Union, has a dual objective: First to enhance the EU-Cambodia official human rights dialogue by consulting with European and Cambodian civil society groups on human rights, and second simultaneously providing a space for free and constructive discussion between government and civil society in Cambodia.
To make everybody feel free to talk and to express thier views, Rafael Dochao Moreno, a delegation of the European Union to the Kingdom of Cambodia, said they don’t want statements made during the discussions to provide headlines for tomorrow’s newspapers.
Dominique Mas, the France ambassador in Cambodia, said during his welcome remark that the contibutions from participants are essential to help them conduct thier action in Cambodia, and understand the national context and the expectancies of thier partners.