In collaboration with the United Nations, the Royal Government of Cambodia has launched a National Action Plan for Zero Hunger Challenge (ZHC), a major initiative to eradicate hunger in the country by 2025.

Ensuring food security and improving nutritional health and well-being are vital components in Cambodia’s human capital development, better enabling productive employment and active social participation, while contributing to the Kingdom’s economic growth and efforts for poverty reduction.

The official launch, led by H.E.  Yim Chhay Ly, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD), was seen as symbolic of the Government’s commitment to achieving Zero Hunger by 2025. The Deputy Prime Minister was joined by Kundhavi Kadiresan, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

The launch was supported by a number of in-country stakeholders including the United Nations Country Team in Cambodia, led by Claire Van der Vaeren.

The Zero Hunger Challenge Initiative was launched by the United Nations Secretary-General at the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development in June 2012. The ZHC calls on world leaders to join forces to end hunger and achieve sustainable development. In 2015, Cambodia announced it was taking up the challenge at a national level.

Cambodia’s National Action Plan was formulated and endorsed by the Royal Government of Cambodia with the coordination of CARD and is scheduled for immediate implementation. The plan supports the Royal Government of Cambodia’s strong commitment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal to “End Hunger, Achieve Food Security and Improved Nutrition, and Promote Sustainable Agriculture”. The National Action Plan for the Zero Hunger Challenge in Cambodia lays out a comprehensive and integrated roadmap to achieve the above goal in line with the country’s National Rectangular Strategy Phase III and Updated National Strategic Development Plan and other sectoral priorities. 

To assist the Government achieve this goal by the target date, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), and other UN agencies, donor communities, private sector and civil society  organizations are providing collective assistance to help  authorities implement  the National Action Plan.

The Royal Government of Cambodia is committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal to End Hunger, Achieve Food Security and Improve Nutrition, and Promote Sustainable Agriculture. The government is looking forward to working with its development partners, civil society organizations and the private sector to eliminate hunger and malnutrition in Cambodia by 2025. H.E. Yim Chhay Ly said in his opening remarks.

“I congratulate the Royal Government of Cambodia and the Council for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) for moving forward with the National Action Plan for Zero Hunger Challenge,” said Kundhavi Kadiresan, FAO’s Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, “While Cambodia has made great strides in reducing hunger, as many as two million people remain undernourished  and so FAO is ready to assist the government in any way we can to ensure this plan is successful. It is up to all of us to work together and prove that we can eliminate hunger and malnutrition and show that we are the Zero Hunger generation.”

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cambodia, Claire Van der Vaeren, pointed out that hunger and malnutrition represent important cross-cutting challenges, which require several stakeholders to work together using a coordinated multi-stakeholder approach.

“It is crucial for all stakeholders to increase their attention and investment to improve nutrition and food security by enabling access to nutritious food, clean water, hygiene and sanitation for all people in Cambodia,” she added. “The UN stands ready to work closely with all key stakeholders including the government, development partners, the civil society and the communities in the effort to eradicate hunger and malnutrition in Cambodia by 2025.”