(ILO Cambodia) The Royal Government of Cambodia conferred the Sahametrei Sena Medal on Mr. MP Joseph, Chief Technical Advisor of IPEC’s Time Bound Programme Support Project in recognition of the ILO’s work in the area of child labour in Cambodia.

The Medal was presented on 12 March 2010 by Her Excellency Ms. Men Sam An, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister, and the High Representative of the Prime Minister during the Annual Congress of the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT) held at the historic Chaktomuk Theatre in Phnom Penh. Mr. Joseph accepted the Award in the name of the ILO.

The Annual Congress was presided over by His Excellency Mr. Vong Sauth, Minister of MLVT. Representatives of various ministries, Members of National Assembly and Senate and over 700 officials from the central line departments and provincial departments of MLVT, representatives of embassies, employers’ and workers’ organizations and development partners were present at this prestigious event.

The Medal was conferred under a Sub-Decree issued and signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen dated 28 January.

The medal is a tribute to the efforts of the ILO in reducing and eliminating child labour in Cambodia and in recognition of the work of ILO IPEC in the country. The award highlights IPEC’s close and constructive cooperation with the ILO’s tripartite partners, the Government and employers’ and workers’ organizations in Cambodia as well as with the NGO community. At the same time it is a commendation for the work of ILO in the region and globally.

The ILO IPEC Team in Cambodia used the occasion to especially thank the support that it has been receiving from the ILO Subregional and the Regional Offices in Bangkok and from the ILO IPEC Headquarters, Geneva, enabling it to work towards ending child labour in the country and to receive this recognition.

In the past decade, ILO IPEC has worked in Cambodia to withdraw and prevent children working in the worst forms of child labour, in capacity building for local authorities, employers’ and workers’ organizations and civil society partners and in developing policies and action plans to take the country forward in line with ILO’s goal towards the complete elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour by 2016.

IPEC in Cambodia is committed to working with the Government, and in particular the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, as well as with other relevant ministries, employers’ and workers’ organizations and other stakeholders to promote decent work for all and to contribute to Cambodia in reaching its twin goals on child labour: reducing all forms of child labour to 8 per cent by 2015 and eliminating all the worst forms of child labour by 2016.