German and Cambodian officials have agreed to strengthen cooperation in the areas of labour, social security, and vocational training to help enhance productivity and skills development in Cambodia.
Minister of Labour and Vocational Training Heng Sour, who was in France attending an OECD forum, met with Garbel Kofler, state secretary of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
According to the labour ministry, both sides expressed satisfaction with past cooperation, which has contributed to improvements in the labour, social security and vocational training sectors.
“Both sides agreed to continue making efforts to further broaden cooperation, aiming to promote productivity, skills development and strengthen the capacity of employers’ and workers’ professional organizations,” it stated.
Sour was in France for an OECD forum on due diligence in the garment and footwear sector, held in Paris, on February 11 and 12.
The forum is an annual event attended by government representatives from member and non-member countries, major brand representatives, trade unions, international employer associations, civil society organisations and research institutions.
It serves as a platform to discuss emerging challenges facing the garment and footwear sector, particularly the promotion of responsible purchasing practices.
The minister served as a speaker in a panel discussion. He shared some of the measures implemented by the Cambodian government to support the national economy and maintain the resilience of the textile, garment, footwear and travel goods manufacturing industry, as well as workers’ incomes during times of crisis.
Sour highlighted the government’s commitment to improving working conditions, which Cambodia has linked to international trade, and which have positioned the country as a socially responsible supplier (CSR) of garments, footwear and travel goods.
