IFAD inaugurates upgraded Cambodia country office to support rural development projects

Phnom Penh, 27 March 2025: IFAD has announced the opening of an upgraded country office in Cambodia today. The inauguration of the office was attended by Aun Pornmoniroth, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, Government of Cambodia, and Reehana Raza, Regional Director, Asia and the Pacific, IFAD as well as Frew Behabtu, IFAD Country Director to Cambodia.

This upgraded office, which for the first time will be led by a country director rather than a country programme coordinator and establishes a dedicated presence in Phnom Penh, is a step forward in IFAD’s ongoing commitment dating back to the mid-1990s to working with the Government of Cambodia to improve the lives and livelihoods by investing in projects benefitting rural people across the country.

“The opening of a country director-led IFAD country office here in Cambodia is part of our long-term commitment to working alongside the people we serve - as evident in the recent establishment of our regional office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok. This dedicated presence will allow us to deepen our partnership, strengthen our collaboration, and accelerate our efforts to build a more resilient and prosperous rural Cambodia,” said Raza. “We deeply appreciate the support and collaboration of the government in hosting this office, and we reaffirm our commitment to a strong and enduring partnership with the Government of Cambodia in achieving our shared goals for rural development and poverty reduction,” she added.

The deputy prime minister thanked IFAD for supporting rural small-scale farmers in the country and invited more investment in Cambodia’s agriculture sector. The inauguration ceremony was also attended by other key dignitaries, including heads of UN agencies, representatives from the Ministry of Rural Development, Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries, Commerce, and the National Committee for Sub National Democratic Development (NCDDS), as well as development partners such as the Asian Development Bank.

As IFAD expands its in-country presence to oversee its projects in Cambodia, it recognizes the potential for greater impact through enhanced partnerships with the government, bilateral and multilateral donor agencies, and the private sector.

“Today marks a new chapter in IFAD's engagement with Cambodia. We hope that this upgraded office will be more than just a building; it will be a hub for innovation and impact. By being closer to our partners and the communities we serve, we can ensure our programmes are more efficient, responsive, and ultimately, more effective in improving the lives of rural Cambodians,” said Behabtu.

IFAD’s strategy in Cambodia, defined by the country strategic opportunities programme (COSOP) for 2022–2027, supports the Kingdom of Cambodia’s post-COVID recovery strategy and Agriculture Development Policy, targeting inclusive agricultural growth based on priority export and domestic value chains. IFAD aims to increase the productive capacity of 250,000 poor Cambodian rural families, as well as their ability to benefit from participating in remunerative agricultural value chains.

IFAD has accompanied Cambodia’s development journey since the mid-1990s, moving from recovery and ensuring food security to building institutions to now focusing on the market economy. Since 1996, IFAD has helped finance 12 rural development programmes and projects in the country worth a total investment of US$1 billion, of which US$349 million came from IFAD's own resources. These investments have benefited over 1.56 million households in Cambodia.

The new office will oversee significant projects, including the  Agriculture Services Programme for an Inclusive Rural Economy and Agricultural Trade project, with a cost of US$194.05 million, the Sustainable Assets for Agriculture Markets, Business and Trade Project, with a cost of US$167.34 million and the Accelerating Inclusive Markets for Smallholders project, with a cost of  US$90.72 million, all of which reinforce IFAD’s commitment to advancing agricultural development in Cambodia.

Read more about IFAD’s work in Cambodia here.

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Press release No.: IFAD/22/2025

IFAD is an international financial institution and a United Nations specialized agency. Based in Rome – the United Nations food and agriculture hub – IFAD invests in rural people, empowering them to reduce poverty, increase food security, improve nutrition and strengthen resilience. Since 1978, we have provided more than US$25 billion in grants and low-interest loans to fund projects in developing countries. 

A wide range of photographs and broadcast-quality video content of IFAD’s work in rural communities are available for download from our Image Bank.