The Cambodia Programme
Our work in Cambodia focuses on the young generation that are supposed to become future decision-makers in companies, politics and administration. We do this through close cooperation with universities, research centres and judicial training academies. We provide scholarships with a special focus on young female students from disadvantaged background.
We have a strong added value in Cambodia. No other organisation implements such a comprehensive programme focusing on human rights education and research at academic institutions.
Keeping in mind the entire educational system was ruined during the Khmer Rouge 1975-1979, and the fact that over 70% of the Cambodian population is below 30 years of age, the focus on the next generation of decision-makers is highly relevant.
Since 2013, RWI Cambodia has been implementing a human rights capacity development programme aimed at strengthening the environment for human rights promotion and protection in Cambodia.
The Programme aims to strengthen:
- institutional capacities of selected academic institutions to develop and deliver high-quality human rights education and research as well as providing an academic platform for human rights debates and dialogue.
- young female law students through scholarships and additional capacity building
- research capacities on human rights
Since the beginning, we have supported numerous different institutions. For example, we have provided targeted human rights courses for students and lecturers, supported the development of human rights curricula and syllabi, provided scholarships for human rights studies and fellowships in Cambodia and abroad, supported academic human rights research, supported human rights libraries at universities and translated human rights material from English into Khmer.
What We Have Achieved
- Establishment of a Master Programme in International Human Rights Law in cooperation with Pannasastra University of Cambodia.
- Establishment of the Centre for the Studies of Humanitarian Law, which is an academic research centre with full-time researchers and a specialised library at the Royal University of Law and Economics.
- Compulsory and credited human rights courses as part of the standard curriculum for all prosecutor, judge and court clerk students at the Royal Academy of Judicial Profession.
- Increased the pool of Cambodian human rights experts for teaching and research.
The Programme was externally reviewed at the end of 2016. The report from the review concluded that:
“…the programme is highly relevant in the Cambodian context, […] it is well managed and effective in delivering output- and outcome results, and […] the office in Phnom Penh has been a central component for the programme’s success to date”.
“The added value of RWI in Cambodia clearly lies in its experience and expertise in supporting academic institutions on human rights and humanitarian law, as well as in its non-monitoring mandate and ability to navigate highly complex political environments. This requires a high degree of analytical capacity, diplomatic skill and principled integrity. With a clear understanding of this organisational identity and added value, RWI has managed to find a unique space in an otherwise overcrowded NGO environment”
The programme and the office is financially supported by Swedish Development Cooperation.
Exploring the Nexus between Poverty, Human Rights and Statelessness: A Case Study of Cambodia
The latest news and articles from The Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
Cambodia Programme Staff
Mostafa Sen

Mostafa Sen
Country Director (ai.) - Cambodia
Phone: (+855) 16 907 049
E-mail: mostafa.sen@rwi.lu.se
Mostafa Sen holds a Master degree in Human Rights Law from Pannasastra University of Cambodia in Phnom Penh. For the past 15 years Mostafa has coordinated programmes in the areas of human rights, democracy and sustainable development in Cambodia. He has focused particularly on civil society and human rights of women and has vast experience of coordinating and monitoring Sida-funded programmes. Previously, he worked for Forum SYd, GIZ, CAMP, EIYAC and OIYP.
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Marinet Sim

Marinet Sim is Programme Officer at RWI’s office in Cambodia.
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Sokhemmary By

Sokhemmary By holds one master’s degree in Business Administration in Management from National University of Management and two bachelor’s degrees in International Relations and English Literature from Pannasastra University of Cambodia & Khemarak University. Prior to starting in July 2023 in her current role as a programme officer at RWI’s office in Cambodia, she spent nearly ten years working in a variety of positions in both local and International NGOs in various fields, including youth employment and leadership, good governance, gender, human rights, entrepreneurship, and health. She has previously worked for Pact Cambodia, World Vision International, CARAM Cambodia, and the Youth Resource Development Program.
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Sokrachana Ouk

Rachana holds a Bachelor degree of Finance and Banking from National University of Management with almost 20 years of experience working in Administration, Finance and Human Resource with a different donors.
She joined RWI in 2014 and works as a Finance Officer at the RWI Office in Phnom Penh. Before joining RWI, Rachana worked for Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) as Administrative and Finance Officer.
In 2008 – 2013 Rachana was a Senior Assistant Project Coordinator at Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE). From 2006 to 2008 she was a Human Resource Support Assistant with CARE International Organization and another five years she worked with Japan International Company as General Affairs / Secretary.
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Khuochsopheaktra Tim

Khuochsopheaktra (Pheaktra) Tim has years of experience in the areas of dealing with the past and transitional justice due to her previous work as a local peace expert for the Civil Peace Service program of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Her work focuses on developing research skills and increasing the knowledge of young Cambodians about the Democratic of Kampuchea (the Khmer Rouge regime) from 1975 to 1979.
Since graduation with her bachelor’s degree, Pheaktra has also been involved with several research projects on the same topic. She has co-published two papers on transitional justice: ‘Duty Not to Forget’ the Past? Perceptions of Young Cambodians on the Memorialization of the Khmer Rouge Regime (2019) and the Life Stories of S-21 Prisoners (2021) available on the Khmer Rouge History Learning App.
She hold her bachelor’s degree in English Language Based Bachelor of Law from the Royal University of Law and Economics and currently finishing her last semester of her Master of Arts in Human Rights and Democratization with the thesis focusing on integration of human rights education in the Cambodian educational curriculum. Additionally, she was also a recipient of the RWI female scholarship, and following graduation, she actively participated in the outreach programs for the alumni network.
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Sreyvi Loek

Sreyvi Loek is currently pursuing a law degrees in Khmer language and English Languages based Bachelor of Law Program (ELBBL). She is also actively participating in youth engagement and empowerment for Indigenous people with the Cambodia Indigenous Youth Association (CIYA) by joining various exchange programs.
As an Indigenous woman, she wants to build her capacity more at Raoul Wallenberg Institution. She is currently an intern at RWI to learn more about human rights and gender equality. She has the vision to help her community and encourage youth to pursue their higher education to understand more about their rights.
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Lyhor Meng

Lyhor Meng is an intern at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI) office in Cambodia. Currently, she is pursuing a degree in International Economic at the Institute for International Studies and Public Policy at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. Beyond her academic pursuits, Lyhor has actively participated in numerous extracurricular activities and programs both local and international program. She is also a project leader of youth-led initiatives that aim to foster civic engagement among young people. A passionate advocate for human rights and social issues, Lyhor brings a strong commitment to her work. Prior to her internship at RWI Cambodia, she served as a Project Intern at Transparency International Cambodia. Lyhor is enthusiastic about joining the RWI Cambodia team and is eager to contribute to the development of their projects.
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