INTRODUCTION

Cambodian Senate

The Cambodian Senate is the supreme national institution which holds legislative power. Starting from this, the Cambodian Senate has fulfilled its role and gradually achieved results even at a limited range. The support from the legislative body and assistance from development partners, governments from friendly countries, international organizations and its own efforts have constituted a driving force for the Cambodian Senate to build its capacity to an extent that all necessary indicators are in place to enter a new era of integration into the framework of regional and international inter-Parliaments. In this circumstance, the Cambodian Senate and its partners have realized that the Cambodian Senate has evolved at a new stage in changing its strategies in order to increase the efficiency in the implementation of its three roles-legislative, oversight and representative roles. The Senate should fully expandits scope of actions in a sustainable manner so that it is in conformity with working standard of democratic parliaments in the world. These strategic principles respond to the needs of socio-economic development of Cambodia in a new stage based on the strengthening of democracy and rule of law. The principles and activity plan which support these strategies bear with openness characteristics aimed at modernizing the Cambodian Senate so that it is strong, self sufficiency, and sustainable in all aspects of operation including procedure, standard, material and technical capacity as well as an updated communication system. Principles and activity plan for these strategies facilitate all development partners to pick one or more points to contribute in their short, medium and long term engagement.

The Cambodian Senate is optimistic that these new strategic principles, which require many more years of engagement, will yield success based on the commitment of the Cambodian Senate, and the precious and timely assistance from all development partners of the Cambodian Senate.