UNDP’s new study to spur more attention on youth civic participation in Cambodia

Phnom Penh–Despite feeling optimistic about the overall direction their country is taking, many young people of Cambodia still face challenges in seeking opportunities to meaningfully participate in the political and socio-economic life of Cambodia, said a new study of the United Nations Development Programme.

Obstacles to greater engagement by young people as citizens include a lack of knowledge and understanding of democratic processes and difficulties in articulating issues of concern, said the report, which contains many useful findings and recommendations for consideration by policy-makers and development partners working in Cambodia.

UNDP released the study “Youth Civic Participation in Cambodia: Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices and Media” on Thursday, 21 July. UNDP commissioned the BBC World Service Trust to conduct the study with the objective to support greater civic engagement, participation and interaction between the government, civil society and citizens through better understanding of youth awareness and participation in democratic processes.

“While young people are able to identify issues faced by their communities, they recognized that they are not yet adequately included in the decision-making processes at the commune level, and that they rarely express their views to those in positions of power and influence,” Elena Tischenko, country director of UNDP Cambodia, said in her remarks at a media briefing to launch the study.

“The study is part of the broader and collaborative effort of UNDP that is focusing on helping the youth to strengthen their role in development. This emphasis will continue over the next five years, under UNDP’s new country programme,” she added.

The baseline study involved face to face interviews with 2000 youth aged 15-24 discussing civic participation, knowledge of democratic institutions and electoral participation. It showed that respondents’ knowledge of democratic institutions and their roles was very limited, particularly of elected bodies such as the Parliament and commune councils.

“Commune councils were a widely familiar institution but what they do was less clear to the respondents. Ninety-two percent of youth had heard of commune councils. However, nearly a third of those who were aware of commune councils did not know what they do,” the study said. “Parliament was the least familiar to youth, with just three-quarters having heard of ‘Parliament’, and two-thirds of these people not knowing what parliament does.”

Cambodia has the youngest population in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with around 32 percent of the population being between 15 and 30 years of age, following the Cambodian definition of youth. Yet, many young people are not actively engaged in the democratic processes of their country, according to the study.

The study found that 54 percent of the respondents who were eligible in the 2007 Commune Council election did not actually vote and that 21 percent of the young eligible voters were not registered at all. Youth participation in community-based activities is very important, and yet only 4 percent of the respondents said that they had participated in making decisions on community plans, according to the study. Among the issues to be addressed, the participants of the study mentioned community issues, corruption, gangs, health and domestic violence.

UNDP teamed up with the BBC World Service Trust to undertake this research due to recognition of the need for better targeted civic education and public awareness programmes in the years to come. The BBC World Service Trust has extensive experience in Cambodia and is one of the global leaders in using media to promote political, economic social and cultural development.

“Youth voices, collected and analyzed through this study, will hopefully help to inform and guide more effective actions through which the youth can better contribute to an equitable and prosperous future for Cambodia,” Ms. Tischenko said in the briefing which was attended by some 30 members of the media.

The study’s findings also provide an insight into how a variety of media including television, radio, internet and mobile technology can be used to communicate with Cambodia's large youth population. They can serve as a resource for national institutions, civil society, media and universities working with youth in Cambodia.

As part of UNDP’s partnership with the BBC World Service Trust, a national youth civic education campaign has also been developed with the aim to reach 5 million young people, including 3 million young voters ahead of the upcoming elections. Programmes will go on air in January 2012 and address the knowledge and skills gaps identified in the study by presenting positive examples of youth participation in governance.