Ms. Khoun Sudary, left, a member of Cambodia's lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, speaks to a group of high school students during a forum to mark the 61st International Human Rights Day.

The annual celebration of International Human Rights Day is an occasion to reflect how far Cambodia has come in promoting respect and protection of human rights for its citizens. This year’s event, however, was a useful chance for some school students to meet face-to-face with lawmakers to talk about issues concerning young Cambodian people.

Welcoming the young guests, H.E. Khoun Sudary, a member of the National Assembly and the Chair of Commission 1, explained why the legislative body chose to have a dialogue about youth on the Human Rights Day.

“We want to pay greater attention to roles and places of the young people in the society,” she said in her opening remarks at the forum, themed Promoting Democracy through Youth Participation.

Cambodia is a very youthful nation. Two out of three Cambodians are under 25 years old and more than 30 percent of the country’s population of 13.4 million are between 10 and 24 years of age. Young people constitute one third of the workforce and are the drivers of growth into the future. Yet their voices are rarely considered or incorporated into development planning.

Drug abuse, trafficking, HIV infection, lack of access to education and unemployment were cited by Khoun Sudary as some of the contemporary issues closely linked to the fundamental rights of young people.

“We can no longer ignore their needs. Young people are the real resource for sustainable development of the country,” she said.

But the discussion did not just revolve around what policy makers must do to tackle challenges facing the young people. The participants also looked at the roles young people can play in developing self-worth and helping to chart the course of the country’s future. One of the key messages for the young guests was: Try to create your own opportunities - do not wait for them to materialize.

The event was not just about serious talks about fundamental rights and duties of citizens. Three speakers – one lawmaker and two students – relayed their personal experiences of success to encourage and inspire hope among the young guests.

At 17, Ly Chhay is a young, skillful cameraman and reporter for the non-governmental group Support Children and Young People (SCY). When he was 15 he had to drop out of school to work as a truck porter and construction worker in Phnom Penh to earn money to support his poor family in his home province, Kandal. He continued like this, working every day, homeless, until he was approached by SCY, who put him back in school. He received computer training and learned how to handle a video camera to make documentaries about young people like himself. This was a critical turning point in his life.

“We young people are worthy and have the right to take part in all social activities like adults too. While we have the opportunity to study, we must hold on to it tight and not waste it,” he said.

Ly Chhay’s story moved Vat Bo, an 18-year-old student who attended the forum.

“He gives me courage and hope for a better future,” Vat Bo said.

The event was part of the parliamentary school outreach activity supported by UNDP to make the legislative body more accessible to the public.

For Pho Somany, an 18-year-old student from Kandal province, taking part in the forum at the National Assembly was like a dream come true.

“I only used to see lawmakers on television but now I had the chance to meet with some of them to exchange our views. I would like to hope one day I will become a lawmaker here,” she said.