The State of and Potential for Partnerships between Governments and NGOs for Enhanced Civil Participation: A Case Study of Direct and Institutionalized Partnerships at the National Level in Cambodia

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Abstract

<p>This is a study about partnerships between governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), exploring the development and current situation of civil participation in Cambodia. Generally speaking, civil participation is linked in important ways to many areas of civil life, such as development and democracy. In Cambodia, the government considers NGOs to be key partners and recently initiated formal mechanisms to cooperate with NGOs, even though a number of human rights organizations, as well as United Nation experts, have concerns about civic space in the nation. Based on primary and secondary sources obtained from government officials, a networking NGO, and 13 NGOs involved in various areas of activity, this study mainly explores how direct-institutionalized partnerships between governments and NGOs have the potential to improve civic space. Of note, the author highlights that the partnerships between government and NGOs can work at least for information sharing in a society where there is a trend of deterioration in democratic space. In the author's view, in order to solve social issues and improve civil participation, governments will need to be willing to go beyond just information exchange and set goals and actions within genuine partnerships, which will potentially lead to the enhancement of relationships and cooperation between governments and NGOs.</p>

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