{"id":9533,"date":"2026-10-23T17:35:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T10:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lec.events\/?p=9533"},"modified":"2026-10-24T09:47:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T02:47:19","slug":"heng-sour-cambodia-needs-a-response-policy-and-strategy-to-graduate-from-the-group-of-least-developed-countries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/2026\/10\/23\/heng-sour-cambodia-needs-a-response-policy-and-strategy-to-graduate-from-the-group-of-least-developed-countries\/","title":{"rendered":"Heng Sour: Cambodia Needs a Response Policy and Strategy to Graduate from the Group of Least Developed Countries"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u179b\u17b8\u1784\u1791\u17c5\u1780\u17b6\u1793\u17cb\u1796\u17d0\u178f\u17cc\u1798\u17b6\u1793\u178a\u17be\u1798<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heng Sour, Minister of Labour and Vocational Training, stated yesterday that Cambodia requires appropriate response policies and a comprehensive strategy to facilitate its graduation from the group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presiding over the 2024 National Conference on Labour Economics\u2014held on December 11, 2024, under the theme “Economic and Labour Recovery and the Path Toward Graduation from the Least Developed Countries”\u2014Heng Sour remarked: “To successfully graduate from the group of Least Developed Countries, Cambodia must develop longer production chains. This involves taking raw materials and various components and assembling them into finished products for export\u2014aiming for a value-added share of at least 60%\u2014rather than relying solely on the labour costs (wages) of workers.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The two-day conference brought together experts from the fields of labor, social security, and vocational training from various institutions to share insights on emerging trends and provide feedback aimed at strengthening Cambodia\u2019s labor market, while also addressing the implications of Cambodia\u2019s graduation from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that, based on past achievements, Cambodia has met the criteria for graduation from the LDC category on two occasions\u2014first in 2021, and again in 2024. He added, \u201cAs a result, Cambodia is set to graduate from the group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in 2029, pending an official announcement by the United Nations General Assembly. In the lead-up to this graduation, Cambodia will encounter both challenges and opportunities, necessitating well-considered policy responses and a comprehensive strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He further noted that some of the challenges arising from this transition include the loss of preferential tariff treatment in key export markets\u2014such as the European Union and the United States\u2014where such preferences currently cover approximately 90 percent of trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, Cambodia is currently required to meet “rules of origin” criteria, which mandate that at least 30 percent of raw materials and inputs must originate from within Cambodia. However, upon graduating from LDC status, this requirement will increase to 60 percent\u2014a shift that presents a significant challenge. Graduating from the category of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) presents an opportunity for all stakeholders to redouble their efforts toward industrial diversification and the strengthening of economic capacity. This includes increasing value-added in the industrial and agro-industrial sectors, expanding export markets, boosting domestic consumption and investment, developing high-quality infrastructure, and adopting digital technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, exiting the LDC category allows Cambodia to focus on strengthening human resources, developing domestic models to improve the business environment, and building local industrial linkages through integration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He further noted that employment growth in the industrial and service sectors shows a highly optimistic outlook, with the total number of jobs projected to rise from 9.8 million in 2023 to 10.1 million in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alissar Chaker, Resident Representative of the UNDP in Cambodia, stated that this discussion is both timely and significant for Cambodia as the government prepares for a smooth graduation from the LDC category. Furthermore, the upcoming graduation from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) category will mark significant progress since Cambodia was first included in the list in 1991.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She noted that, with economic growth averaging around 7 percent annually over the two decades prior to COVID-19\u2014alongside investments in human capital\u2014Cambodia has been able to substantially improve its socio-economic indicators. For instance, before the pandemic, Cambodia reduced its poverty rate from 47.8 percent in 2007 to 17.8 percent in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added, \u201cAs we gather today, it is important to reflect on the journey the country has taken thus far. Cambodia\u2019s progress over the past several decades has been remarkable. However, it must also be recognized that the transition ahead will bring both challenges and the potential to seize new opportunities.\u201d She stated that a key challenge facing Cambodia is ensuring that the labor market is structured to support national growth and meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oktavianto Pasaribu, Deputy Director and representative of the ILO, remarked that graduating from the group of Least Developed Countries by 2029 is a highly demanding undertaking, \u201cbecause what you aim to achieve must be accomplished in less than five years.\u201d He stated, \u201cThe ILO is proud to support this conference, and our ongoing initiatives in Cambodia will continue to promote labor policies, social protection, and training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are committed to working closely with our UN partners and other development partners\u2014in close collaboration with the Royal Government of Cambodia and other stakeholders\u2014to achieve the objectives of this conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are committed to collaborating with our UN partners and other development partners\u2014working closely with the Royal Government of Cambodia and other stakeholders\u2014to achieve the objectives of this conference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that this conference represents a significant step in shaping Cambodia\u2019s labor market policies and preparing the country for the conditions associated with its graduation from the category of Least Developed Countries (LDCs).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u179b\u17b8\u1784\u1791\u17c5\u1780\u17b6\u1793\u17cb\u1796\u17d0\u178f\u17cc\u1798\u17b6\u1793\u178a\u17be\u1798 Heng Sour, Minister of Labour and Vocational Training, stated yesterday that Cambodia requires appropriate response policies and a comprehensive strategy to facilitate its graduation from the group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Presiding over the 2024 National Conference on Labour Economics\u2014held on December 11, 2024, under the theme “Economic and Labour Recovery and the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":271897663,"featured_media":4155,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[785745625],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2024-media-cover-en"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgX6KX-2tL","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9569,"url":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/2026\/10\/24\/minister-of-labor-conference-on-labor-economy-2024-provides-inputs-to-ensure-favorable-working-conditions-in-cambodia-by-2029\/","url_meta":{"origin":9533,"position":0},"title":"Minister of Labor: Conference on “Labor Economy 2024” Provides Inputs to Ensure Favorable Working Conditions in Cambodia by 2029","author":"sovannsokheng360","date":"October 24, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"[:km] \u179b\u17b8\u1784\u1791\u17c5\u1780\u17b6\u1793\u17cb\u1796\u17d0\u178f\u17cc\u1798\u17b6\u1793\u178a\u17be\u1798 Phnom Penh: Minister of Labour and Vocational Training, Mr. Heng Sour, stated that the National Conference on \"Labour Economy 2024\" has provided crucial inputs to ensure that Cambodia maintains favorable labour conditions following its graduation from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) category in 2029. Speaking at the National\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2024 Media Cover"","block_context":{"text":"2024 Media Cover","link":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/category\/2024-media-cover-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sbm-WjT6Fu4Bp70QzGsqnfx46.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sbm-WjT6Fu4Bp70QzGsqnfx46.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sbm-WjT6Fu4Bp70QzGsqnfx46.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sbm-WjT6Fu4Bp70QzGsqnfx46.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sbm-WjT6Fu4Bp70QzGsqnfx46.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/sbm-WjT6Fu4Bp70QzGsqnfx46.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9525,"url":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/2026\/10\/23\/h-e-heng-sour-minister-of-labour-and-vocational-training-stated-that-cambodia-will-graduate-from-the-group-of-least-developed-countries-by-2029\/","url_meta":{"origin":9533,"position":1},"title":"H.E. Heng Sour, Minister of Labour and Vocational Training, stated that Cambodia will graduate from the group of Least Developed Countries by 2029.","author":"sovannsokheng360","date":"October 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"[:km] \u179b\u17b8\u1784\u1791\u17c5\u1780\u17b6\u1793\u17cb\u1796\u17d0\u178f\u17cc\u1798\u17b6\u1793\u178a\u17be\u1798 During the National Conference on the Economy and Labor 2024\u2014held on the morning of December 11, 2024, under the theme \"Economic and Labor Recovery: The Path Toward Graduation from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Category\"\u2014H.E. Heng Sour, Minister of Labor and Vocational Training, stated that discussions between the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2024 Media Cover"","block_context":{"text":"2024 Media Cover","link":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/category\/2024-media-cover-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Thumnails-TVK-Web-Facebook-with-Sponsor-copy-43-1093x580-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Thumnails-TVK-Web-Facebook-with-Sponsor-copy-43-1093x580-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Thumnails-TVK-Web-Facebook-with-Sponsor-copy-43-1093x580-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Thumnails-TVK-Web-Facebook-with-Sponsor-copy-43-1093x580-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Thumnails-TVK-Web-Facebook-with-Sponsor-copy-43-1093x580-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9457,"url":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/2026\/10\/23\/h-e-heng-sour-the-2024-national-conference-on-labor-economics-provides-vital-input-as-cambodia-prepares-to-graduate-from-the-group-of-least-developed-countries-in-2029\/","url_meta":{"origin":9533,"position":2},"title":"H.E. Heng Sour: The 2024 National Conference on Labor Economics provides vital input as Cambodia prepares to graduate from the group of Least Developed Countries in 2029.","author":"sovannsokheng360","date":"October 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"[:km] \u1791\u17c5\u1780\u17b6\u1793\u17cb\u1794\u17d2\u179a\u1797\u1796\u1796\u17d0\u178f\u17cc\u1798\u17b6\u1793 (Phnom Penh): The 2024 National Conference on Labor Economics, themed \"Economic and Labor Recovery and the Journey Toward Graduation from the Least Developed Countries Category,\" was officially opened on the morning of Wednesday, December 11, 2024, presided over by H.E. Heng Sour, Minister of Labor and Vocational Training.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2024 Media Cover"","block_context":{"text":"2024 Media Cover","link":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/category\/2024-media-cover-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/banner-44.jpg?fit=1200%2C239&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/banner-44.jpg?fit=1200%2C239&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/banner-44.jpg?fit=1200%2C239&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/banner-44.jpg?fit=1200%2C239&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/banner-44.jpg?fit=1200%2C239&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9566,"url":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/2026\/10\/24\/minister-2024-national-conference-on-economic-and-labor-issues-to-provide-key-inputs-as-cambodia-prepares-to-graduate-from-least-developed-country-status-by-2029-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":9533,"position":3},"title":"Minister: 2024 National Conference on Economic and Labor Issues to Provide Key Inputs as Cambodia Prepares to Graduate from Least Developed Country Status by 2029","author":"sovannsokheng360","date":"October 24, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"[:km] \u00a0Minister of Labour and Vocational Training, Heng Sour, expressed confidence that the 2024 National Conference on Labour Economics would provide vital input as Cambodia prepares to graduate from the group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) by 2029. Minister Heng Sour shared this sentiment during the 2024 National Conference on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2024 Media Cover"","block_context":{"text":"2024 Media Cover","link":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/category\/2024-media-cover-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/unnamed-5.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9475,"url":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/2026\/10\/23\/minister-2024-national-conference-on-economic-and-labor-issues-to-provide-key-inputs-as-cambodia-prepares-to-graduate-from-least-developed-country-status-by-2029\/","url_meta":{"origin":9533,"position":4},"title":"Minister: 2024 National Conference on Economic and Labor Issues to Provide Key Inputs as Cambodia Prepares to Graduate from Least Developed Country Status by 2029","author":"sovannsokheng360","date":"October 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"[:km] \u1791\u17c5\u1780\u17b6\u1793\u17cb\u1794\u17d2\u179a\u1797\u1796\u1796\u17d0\u178f\u17cc\u1798\u17b6\u1793 Minister of Labour and Vocational Training, Heng Sour, expressed confidence that the 2024 National Conference on Labour Economics would provide vital input as Cambodia prepares to graduate from the group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) by 2029. 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Heng Sour: The 2024 National Conference on Labor Economics provides vital input as Cambodia prepares to graduate from the group of Least Developed Countries by 2029.","author":"sovannsokheng360","date":"October 23, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"[:km] \u1791\u17c5\u1780\u17b6\u1793\u17cb\u1794\u17d2\u179a\u1797\u1796\u1796\u17d0\u178f\u17cc\u1798\u17b6\u1793 Phnom Penh: The 2024 National Conference on Economy and Labor, themed \"Economic and Labor Recovery and the Journey Toward Graduation from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Status\"\u2026 Phnom Penh: The 2024 National Conference on Economy and Labor, themed \"Economic and Labor Recovery and the Journey Toward Graduation from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2024 Media Cover"","block_context":{"text":"2024 Media Cover","link":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/category\/2024-media-cover-en\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/images-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lec.events\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/unnamed-4-2.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9533","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/271897663"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9533"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9533\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9639,"href":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9533\/revisions\/9639"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lec.events\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}