Recently, the third Provincial Coordination Committee (PCC) meetings were held in Kampong Cham, Siem Reap, and Kampong Speu. Co-chaired by the Deputy Provincial Governors of each province and the ACCESS 2 Team Leader, the committees approved the Six-monthly Progress and the Year 3 Annual Workplan.
These meetings brought together representatives from the sub-national government, Strategic Implementing Partners (SIPs), and the ACCESS 2 team. The discussions focused on strategic directions, a review of the program’s performance, and aligning efforts with provincial priorities. The goal is to improve the quality of services for vulnerable communities.
As part of the meetings, delegates from the Australian Embassy and PCC members visited activity sites run by our partners. This gave them a chance to engage directly with beneficiaries and local authorities, and to focus on initiatives related to disability inclusion and gender-based violence (GBV) response.
Discussion and commitment
Participants provided input on strengthening collaboration among partners, exploring synergies, and ensuring the effective implementation of the workplans. They also highlighted significant progress in disability inclusion, gender-based violence (GBV) response, and decentralisation.
Perspectives from the provincial leaders and donor
Kampong Speu: “I would like to express my sincere thanks to the ACCESS 2 Program team and SIPs for attending the third PCC meeting,” said HE Long Bonareth, Deputy Provincial Governor. She added, “I would also like to extend our profound gratitude to the Australian Government for their vital funding to ACCESS 2, which makes all of this possible.”
Kampong Cham: “I sincerely express my gratitude for all the invaluable contributions during the meeting, including active participation, inputs, and shared commitment throughout the day,” said HE Pang Dany, Deputy Provincial Governor. She also highlighted the importance of the field visits, which she said served as a “powerful reminder of the real impact our work has on communities and the challenges that still need to be addressed, particularly in underserved areas.”
Siem Reap: “We are committed to fostering stronger coordination and more effective collaboration among all key partners: Strategic Implementing Partners, the ACCESS team, and our subnational administration,” stated H.E. Nak Neron, Co-Chair of the meeting and Deputy Provincial Governor.
Australian Embassy: “This third meeting marks another significant milestone, reflecting the deepening collaboration between the provincial authorities and all partners of ACCESS 2,” stated Ms. Hel Sothearoth, Portfolio Leader for Development Cooperation at the Australian Embassy. She strongly encouraged the SIPs to continue working with relevant provincial departments to strengthen essential services.
Key Decisions and next steps
- Accepted the six-monthly progress reports presented by GBV, Disability Inclusion and decentralisation partners.
- PCC endorsed Provincial Joint Workplan July 2025- June 2026.
- Conduct a follow up meeting with SIPs and District focal points to track the activities and budget in DIP and CIP allocated for GEDSI activities by districts and communes.
- The provincial police commission should provide awareness raising about DNA testing to GBV service providers
The third PCC meeting demonstrated strong collaboration between provincial authorities and all ACCESS 2 partners. This ensures that the Year 3 interventions are well-aligned with Cambodian government policies and strategies. Ultimately, this effort will help achieve ACCESS 2’s goal: ensuring that persons with disabilities and survivors of gender-based violence benefit from quality, coordinated services, as outlined in the Royal Government of Cambodia’s (RGC) priorities.
