In the area of culture, the Cambodian government has largely supported traditional forms of expression, especially to promote tourism. Less focus has been placed on contemporary cultural and creative industries and their associated benefits, including jobs. 

A policy document was drafted in 2011, entitled Cultural Policy for Cambodia – initial proposal. It reflects the government’s political commitment and situates culture as a cross-cutting issue that affects diverse governmental sectors. However further steps were needed to make the policy a reality.

The mechanisms and structures that would enable the cultural sector to grow are yet to be developed, alongside a lack of official data and the low capacity of the majority of staff employed in the public cultural sector. 

With support from the UNESCO/EU Expert Facility programme on the Governance of Culture solid policy recommendations were devised that outline how the government can strengthen the sectors through inter-ministerial collaboration and continuous professional development for government employees, and by developing key areas of cultural policy, such as copyright. The most pressing task was raising awareness among other ministries about the developmental role of the arts and culture in economic, social and political spheres.

“We see inter-ministerial cooperation in the future as a key response for developing creative industries,” noted Ms Dragićević Šešić, one of the experts who took part in the programme. To maintain the momentum, a series of practical and low-cost actions were proposed that the relevant ministries could take. “For the Ministry of Education, for example, we prepared the Year of Art and Culture for 2015. We proposed activities such as having artists in residence at schools, or an ‘I am growing up with a book’ campaign, which is all about promoting reading among youth,” she explained. 

Another key recommendation focuses on systematically and continuously enabling the Ministry of Culture’s 3,500 staff to build their professional skills. In the 1970s, millions of Cambodians including professionals and artists were killed. The nation is still working to rebuild human capacities across all sectors, including the cultural and creative spheres. There is an urgent need, therefore, to roll-out skills development opportunities for the Ministry’s staff, which include not only administrators, but also performers, artists and museum employees. 

“This can be done through peer group training. In each institution, you have somebody who can share their skills with others. You also have a large number of volunteers coming to Cambodia every year and their expertise could be tapped,” Ms Dragićević Šešić said. 

Furthermore, a capacity building pilot programis being implemented to strengthen leadership and entrepreneurship skills and introduce a management model for a Centre for Indigenous Culture in Ratanakiri (as innovative model of inter-ministerial collaboration), and cultural actions, such as ‘School year of arts and culture’ or ‘Prize for the best design in industry’.