Thirty-nine senior and mid-level civil servants from Cambodia are participating
In yet another step toward fostering international collaboration in public administration, the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) has launched its 6th training programme on Public Policy and Governance for Cambodian civil servants. The two-week course, which began on September 23rd and runs until October 4th, is taking place at NCGG’s Mussoorie campus. This initiative is in collaboration with India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and is aimed at strengthening governance and administrative practices in Cambodia.

Thirty-nine senior and mid-level civil servants from Cambodia, representing the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology, and Innovations, are participating in this training. The programme provides a platform for exchanging best practices and discussing institutional reforms that can lead to more effective governance.

The inauguration of the programme was presided over by V Srinivas, Director General of NCGG and Secretary of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India. In his keynote address, he highlighted the long-standing partnership between India and Cambodia, emphasizing the importance of capacity-building initiatives that underpin the countries' shared goals of governance reform.

Srinivas discussed the pivotal role of finance and technology in driving transformative governance reforms. He cited examples from India, including the successful implementation of Aadhaar, India’s unique identity system, which revolutionized subsidy transfers, ensuring transparency and accountability. 

Representing Cambodia, Ith Hunly, Deputy Director at the Ministry of Science and Technology Innovations and the head of Cambodia’s delegation, expressed his gratitude to the Indian government for organizing such a comprehensive and impactful program. He noted that the lessons learned during the training would be invaluable for implementing good governance practices back in Cambodia.

Hunly acknowledged how the program's focus on institutional reforms, citizen engagement, and digital governance would play a critical role in Cambodia’s ongoing efforts to modernize its administrative structures. 

His comments underscored the importance of such initiatives in enhancing the capacities of civil servants and bringing tangible improvements in public administration.

The National Centre for Good Governance has been at the forefront of India's international capacity-building efforts, engaging with several nations to share India’s governance best practices. "This year alone, we have welcomed delegations from numerous countries and initiated several first-time programs," Srinivas noted. 

Among these, the NCGG has focused on capacity-building initiatives with countries from the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), and Latin American regions.

The NCGG is also planning to expand its international outreach through upcoming capacity-building programs for the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries. This expanding global footprint reflects India's growing commitment to sharing its governance expertise with the world.

In recent years, NCGG has steadily evolved into a Centre of Excellence, offering a wide range of training programs and initiatives to civil servants from over 33 countries.

Countries such as Bangladesh, Maldives, Kenya, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Laos, Vietnam, and Ethiopia, among others, have sent their civil servants to NCGG for capacity-building programs. These initiatives aim to share India's governance expertise and help nations improve their institutional frameworks and governance models.

This latest training programme builds on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Cambodia in April 2024, which aims to bolster cooperation in civil service development. The MoU facilitates exchange visits focused on administrative reforms, good governance, and capacity-building efforts. At the MoU signing ceremony in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Civil Service, Hun Many, along with Indian Ambassador Devyani Khobragade, reaffirmed their countries' dedication to advancing human resource development within the civil service sectors.

As India continues to share its governance expertise with nations like Cambodia, initiatives like the NCGG’s training programmes remain instrumental in driving international cooperation. These programs not only enhance the capacities of civil servants but also strengthen diplomatic relations and contribute to global governance reform efforts.