SDS & PARTNERS, serving as the lead legal and policy consultant under the RCEP Implementation Support Program (RISP) of the Regional Trade for Development (RT4D) project—supported by the governments of Australia and New Zealand—organized a national dissemination workshop on “Validation of Research Findings and Sharing of Cambodia’s Strategic Roadmap on Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge, and Traditional Cultural Expressions (GRTKTCE)”, held on June 23–24, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh.
The workshop brought together around 70 participants, including representatives from key ministries—led by the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) as the government’s focal point for the project—alongside the Ministry of Environment (MOE), Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts (MCFA), Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation (MISTI), and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). Also present were development partners, NGOs, the private sector, indigenous and local communities, the SME association, and women-led businesses. As the lead counterpart, the Ministry of Commerce played a central role in guiding implementation, coordinating across ministries, and ensuring alignment with Cambodia’s obligations under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
The workshop aimed to validate two sets of research findings: the legal and policy analysis conducted by SDS & PARTNERS, and the situational analysis carried out by the Cambodian Physical Therapy Association (CPTA) under the technical supervision of SDS & PARTNERS. The event also served to promote international best practices and engage national stakeholders in shaping Cambodia’s GRTKTCE Strategic Roadmap.
This activity is part of a broader initiative to support Cambodia in strengthening its legal and institutional frameworks for protecting and promoting genetic resources, traditional knowledge, and traditional cultural expressions, while fostering equitable benefit-sharing in line with regional and global commitments.
