Background 

Youth Council of Cambodia (YCC) is a registered non-governmental organization established on October 14, 2002 to advocate for peaceful democratic reform and to empower youth through education and training to become active economic, social, and political citizens. YCC’s vision is to see a society with active participation of youth in strengthening democracy, economic development, good governance, social accountability, human rights, natural resource management, health, gender, and Cambodia’s development. YCC’s mission is to foster greater participation among Cambodian youth and strengthen their capacity to be an informed and influential voice in the development of Cambodian society while also promoting honesty, peace, and sustainability. 

YCC’s Main Activities 

Since its establishment, YCC has strategized to provide capacity development to youth networks to ensure that they have the knowledge and capability to advocate for their rights and their community issues. YCC does this through training, coaching and mentoring. One successful activity includes YCC forming 17 youth networks and providing capacity building, resulting in these key actors  disseminating information and mobilizing community members to enhance their social accountability in their community. Consequently, 90,000 youth (63,400 girls/women) have developed their knowledge and skills and have become more active in contributing to Cambodian development by acting as a bridge in engaging citizens and subnational authorities to meet the needs of citizens. Additionally, 540 of these youth are working in the government sector, 320 working in the private sector, and 230 working in non-governmental organizations. Additionally, 450 commune offices in 15 provinces have developed their capacity in providing better services to citizens (faster, more transparent, and more accountable), and 500,000 citizens know their rights around public service delivery, and have become more active citizens in constructively opening dialogue to voice their demands. 

Partnership with Ponlok Chomnes 

YCC is implementing an activity on “Covid-19’s Impact on Vulnerable Youth in Cambodia” to assess the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on vulnerable youth groups and to provide evidence-based recommendations. This research will also provide strategies for how to best advocate for support from government, private sector, and civil society organizations. The findings of the study will provide policy brief for government and related stakeholders to design inclusive and effective recovery measures for the most vulnerable groups, focused on adaptive actions for YCC’s target groups in Phnom Penh, Takeo, Oddar Meanchey, and Stung Treng provinces. The evidence from this study will be used as the recommendations for how to undertake an integrated public governance approach and to promote fair and inclusive recovery. It will also be used to promote more resilient societies that are more informed on crisis response and recovery and better prepared for future crises.

Please click here for more information about YCC.