A Human Rights Approach to Development of Cambodia's Land Sector

Despite the tens of millions of dollars in aid and concessional loans being spent in Cambodia with the ostensible aim of securing land tenure and making the management of land and natural resources more equitable and sustainable, the evidence shows that tenure insecurity, forced evictions and large-scale land grabbing are escalating to alarming levels. Against this backdrop this discussion paper proposes a better approach to development interventions in the land sector, in which processes and tools that elevate rights, transparency and accountability are incorporated throughout the project cycle and broader country strategy. The paper calls on development partners to adopt a ten-pronged framework for a human rights approach to development that aims to shift power to Cambodia’s citizens and increase accountability of decision-makers and power-holders.