H.E. LY Chantola and the Cambodian Delegation Conclude Their Mission to the Philippines, Following Participation in the 11th ASEAN–OECD Good Regulatory Practice Network Meeting and Bilateral Discussions with International Partners.

From 20 to 23 October 2026, H.E. LY Chantola, Secretary of State of the Office of the Council of Ministers, Vice-Chairman and Secretary-General of the Legal Reform Committee (LRC), accompanied by three legal experts from the General Secretariat of the LRC, led a Cambodian delegation on an official mission to Manila, Republic of the Philippines, to participate in the 11th Meeting of the ASEAN–OECD Good Regulatory Practice Network (GRPN), held from 21 to 23 October 2026. The mission concluded following the delegation’s participation in the meeting and bilateral discussions with international partners. The delegation also included H.E. Pech Sokha, Undersecretary of State of the Office of the Council of Ministers and Secretary-General of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), together with members of the Council.

Held under the theme “Complexity to Clarity: Advancing Simplification Together,” the 11th GRPN Meeting provided a platform for ASEAN and OECD countries to exchange knowledge, experiences, and good practices in improving regulatory quality, reducing regulatory burdens, simplifying administrative procedures, and enhancing the effectiveness of public service delivery.

On the morning of 21 October 2026, H.E. LY Chantola delivered a presentation entitled “Whole-of-Government Legal Reform in Cambodia” during Session 2, “Aligning Government for Reform: Coordinated Action for Regulatory Burden Reduction and Simplification.” The presentation highlighted Cambodia’s legal reform journey, the roles and mission of the LRC, inter-ministerial and institutional coordination mechanisms, and current priorities for improving the quality of laws and regulations. H.E. LY Chantola also highlighted the Royal Government of Cambodia’s efforts to reduce regulatory and administrative burdens on businesses, particularly through the establishment of the Small and Medium Enterprise Coordination Unit (SME-CU), which aims to facilitate business operations and improve Cambodia’s investment environment.

In addition to attending the GRPN Meeting and delivering the presentation, H.E. LY Chantola led LRC legal experts in bilateral meetings with three international institutions and partners:

1. Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), Republic of the Philippines – 21 October 2026. The discussion focused on exchanging experiences in regulatory reform, simplifying administrative procedures, strengthening institutional capacity, and promoting good regulatory practices. Both sides also explored opportunities for technical cooperation and knowledge exchange between the LRC and ARTA.

2. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Secretariat – 21 October 2026. The meeting was held with an OECD delegation led by Mr. Daniel Trnka, Head of Southeast Asia Cooperation and Head of Regulatory Design and Performance, Regulatory Policy Division, accompanied by three OECD Policy Analysts. Discussions covered legal and regulatory reform, improving regulatory quality, reducing regulatory burdens, and exploring opportunities for closer cooperation in knowledge sharing, technical assistance, and institutional capacity-building.

3. ASEAN–UK Economic Integration Programme (EIP) – 23 October 2026. H.E. LY Chantola and the LRC delegation met with Ms. Zoe Dayan, Senior Regulatory Reform Attaché at the UK Mission to ASEAN. The discussion focused on Cambodia’s regulatory reform priorities, including strengthening the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) framework, developing a National Policy on Good Regulatory Practices (GRP), reviewing and simplifying existing regulations, and exploring the development of a digital regulatory management system. Both sides also explored potential technical assistance, capacity-building support, and the possibility of establishing a dedicated Cambodia workstream.

Overall, the mission of H.E. LY Chantola and the Cambodian delegation to the Republic of the Philippines has concluded. The LRC delegation shared Cambodia’s legal reform experiences at an international forum while gaining insights into good practices and regulatory reform mechanisms from partner countries and international organisations. The discussions provided opportunities to strengthen institutional relations and explore future technical cooperation in support of the Royal Government of Cambodia’s legal reform programme.

H.E. LY Chantola also expressed his appreciation to the organisers of the meeting and international partners for facilitating exchanges of knowledge, experiences, and constructive discussions throughout the mission to the Republic of the Philippines.