NGOs’ Registration and Operation in Cambodia
The Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) began operating in the early 1990s, after Cambodia signed the Paris Peace Agreements to end the civil war. The very first NGOs established in Cambodia were the International Rescue Committee, Médecins Sans Frontières and Oxfam GB. The NGO aids can be directly received from the government of China, Japan, the United States, Germany or South Korea and European countries. To run an NGO effectively and smoothly, the NGOs need cooperation from government officials at all levels to get the work done in the provinces, so while there may be some jockeying for advantage, the relationships are often mutually supportive, as in the case of the Kampong Speu Governor’s office and the NGOs working on sanitation projects. According to the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia in its 2010 Review of the NGO Sector in Cambodia, 72 percent of NGOs in Cambodia are local and 28 percent are international NGOs. There are about 3500 registered NGOs in Cambodia.