December 2020 2nd Regional Ocean Policy Dialogue

1. Cambodia Efforts in
Plastic Waste
Management,
The Second Regional Ocean Policy Dialogue, to be held on 15th and 16th
December 2020
Presented by Mr. Roath Sith, Assistant to the Ministry of Environment

2. Cambodia efforts to address plastic wastes
 Since 2015: Cambodia became a lower middle-income country
 Early 2020: the COVID-19 pandemic created additional challenges and barriers
with the sudden increase in single-use plastics,
 MOE set up the vision with 4 main pillars of strategies: Institution Modernization,
Biodiversity Conservation and Natural Resources Protection, Environmental
Protection, and Sustainable Development
 We have been drafting the of Natural and Environment Code, which is served as
legal instrument for all relevant ministries, to address environmental management
related issues,
 In 2015: Decentralization the power and responsibility to subnational level (city
and district) for strengthening the Solid Waste Management,
 In 2017: Taking step in plastic reduction by regulating the importation, production,
distribution the use of plastic bag, and imposed a small charge for the purchase of
plastic bags at supermarkets,

3. Cambodia joins hand with international communities
to address plastic wastes
 Cambodia is member to the London Dumping Convention, MARPOL Convention,
BASEL Convention, the Stockholm Convention on POPs, etc.
 2019: MRC with supported by UNEP conducted “Project on Promotion of
Countermeasures Against Marine Plastic Litter in Southeast Asia"
(CounterMEASURE), to identify sources of plastic waste leakage and the
development of a standardized methodology for plastic waste assessment and
monitoring in the Mekong River.
 2019: Cambodia also had the endorsed of the Bangkok Declaration on Combating
Marine Debris in ASEAN Region and the ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine
Debris.
 Sooner, MOE will work with the World Bank to develop legal framework on plastic
waste management by imposing economic instrument, restriction and ban specific
single-use plastic products.
 MOE also working with partners, i.e. COBSEA, FFI, PEMSEA, UNEP, etc. to address
sound wastes management including plastics.

4. Challenges to address marine plastics pollutions
 Since 2015: Cambodia became a lower middle-income country
 Challenges in solid waste management including marine plastic pollutions
 Limited legal framework,
 Limited enforcement of legal instruments and
 Limited human and financial resources
 Limited citizens participations

5. Coordination to address marine plastics pollutions
 Cooperation between intergovernmental initiations,
 MOE-MOI: Decentralized power on solid waste management to sub-national level,
 MOE-MOEF: Impose levy on plastic bags, banned of importation of plastic wastes,
 MOE-other ministries: awareness raising on sound handling of plastic wastes and 3R principle
 Cooperation between cooperation and development partners
 Develop legal framework on plastic waste management by imposing economic instrument,
restriction and ban specific single-use plastic products,
 Improve solid wastes management infrastructure, from collection, handling, transfer, disposal,
and landfills management,
 Enhance awareness about the plastic crisis and its solutions among citizens and the private
sector through environmental education and awareness-raising activities
 We will also continue working with our partners, i.e. ASEAN community, COBSEA, FFI, PEMSEA,
UNEP, UNDP, other development countries, etc. to address environmentally sound wastes
management including plastics.

6. Thanks you!