Wednesday, 10 March 2010

DAP News ; Breaking News by Soy Sopheap

via CAAI News Media

U.N. First Trains IT for Cambodian Officials to Support the Economic Developments

Tuesday, 09 March 2010 10:36 DAP-NEWS/ Ek Madra

PHNOM PENH, March 9 - The United Nations experts began four-day training on the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on Tuesday for the Cambodian officials to improve their capacities for the contribution of the country's economic developments, said the officials.

An estimated 50 officials, who are senior government officials responsible for ICT and or e-government projects from 20 ministries, attended the workshop to learn about the important role of the ICT and poverty reduction, education, Gender Equality, health and management of natural resources.

The 9- 12 March event is co-organized by APCICT and the National Information Communications Technology Development Authority (NiDA) of Cambodia is to increase ICT human resource capacity at various levels of the Cambodian government as well as enhance e-governance capabilities.

Speaking to reporters at the meeting Dr. Hyeun-Suk Rhee, Director of the United Nations APCICT-ESCAP, said that such workshop will enhance the government's employees to better shape in making decisions for the benefits of the nation especially pertaining to the sectors of foreign direct investment and tourism, the country's key backbone economy.

"By having understanding the ICT development as tools so that they can develop and implement more effectively and they can monitor the progress of the implementations," said Rhee.

"We help the government to bring more information and to provide easier access to the people the necessary information," she said.

ICT also play a key role in trade facilitations as well as in contributing to boost tourism in an addition the already country's high potential in the sector, she said.

"ICT can provide such information gateway for investors and with that more investments would flow in the country," said Rhee.

"Through the webpage and sharing mechanism, the people will be able to know more about Cambodia and more tourists will visit here."

She noticed that Cambodia's information technology has been progress over the last ten years given Phnom Penh has used the South Korean-funded the National Information Communications Technology Development Authority (NiDA) of Cambodia as tool to facilitate the government's works.

Cambodian Dr. Phu Leewood, Secretary General for National Information and Communication Technology Development Authority (NiDA), said this workshop is useful to improve Cambodian human resources for the country's development.

"This is another effort by the government under the wise leadership of Prime Minister Hun Sen to rebuild our human resource for our country's developments," he said.

Leewood said the UN-backed training brought more know-how for the officials to deal with the growing demands of the country's developments.

"ICT can be used to enhance aid efforts to reduce poverty, increase educational opportunities at all levels," he told the platform.

"The ICT also provided empowerment to traditionally disadvantaged groups and promoting the global collaborative partnership that fuels sustainable socio-economic development," he said.

The academy of ICT has been adopted by more than a dozen countries in the region after some series of fields tested and peer reviewed.

Cambodia also signed with U.N. the country's NiDA and APCICT-ESCAP.

NiDA is the National Information Communications Technology Development Authority (NiDA) of Cambodia.

The APCICT, a regional institution of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), was set up in the Republic of Korea in 2006.

The role of APCICT is to strengthen the efforts of the 62 ESCAP member and associate member countries to use Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in their socio-economic development, through human resource and institutional capacity building.

Hun Sen Blasts Pitsuwan over Exercise Criticism

Tuesday, 09 March 2010 04:41 DAP-NEWS

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday reacted strongly to a statement made by Surin Pitsuwan, ASEAN secretary-general, who said that a recent Cambodian military exercise is a threat to stability in the region. PM said that Surin Pitsuwan should not be the ASEAN secretary-general, the PM retorted.

During a meeting with disabled veterans in their development village in Taken Kosla commune, Chouk District, Kampot province, the premier stressed that Cambodia’s military exercise was conducted far from the borders with its three neighbours. The PM said he will raise this issue at the next ASEAN meeting.

The premier noted that three rocket shells fell into Cambodian territory during a past Thai military exercise; yet, Surin Pitsuwan never raised any queries.

“I think that Surin Pitsuwan should not be ASEAN secretary-general as he interferes in the internal affairs of nations when the role of the secretary-general is neutral… I will criticize him during the next ASEAN meeting if he does not replies to Hor Namhong, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister,” the premier said at a ceremony.

Surin Pitsuwan’s claims seem to be contrary to the remarks of Thia leaders, including Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, both of whom said that such exercise are a Cambodian internal affair.

“I don’t think Cambodia wants to intimidate us, as we have sent them a clear signal that we don’t want the dispute to go out of control and affect people in both countries,” Suthep Thaugsuban, deputy Thai prime minister, was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post.

The Cambodian Foreign Ministry on Sunday sent a letter to Surin Pitsuwan over his claim as saying that Cambodia might have signalled the region is unstable.

“As a former Foreign Minister of Thailand, you know very well that that the conduct of army exercise by any country anywhere in the world is absolutely a normal practice,” the statement said. “Therefore, you should not be concerned as all with the Cambodian army’s exercise, which would, in no way, send wrong signals that the region is unstable. Moreover, the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces will never undertake any action against any country. Their job is solely to protect Cambodia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The Cambodian exercise in Kampong Chhnang Province on March 4, 2010 fired some 200 rockets from truck-mounted launchers and was declared a success.

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