Gov’t Presser Invites NGOs to Join ‘Culture of Dialogue’

A government press conference Wednesday morning about Justice Ministry work included the attendance of human rights NGOs — a rare sight that a spokesman said he hoped would be the start of a “culture of dialogue.”

The presser, held at the Council of Ministers in Phnom Penh, discussed recent, high-level Justice Ministry work such as the opening of provincial appeal courts. Joining the conference at the same table as reporters were representatives of human rights NGOs Adhoc and Licadho.

During the meeting, government spokesman Phay Siphan and Justice Ministry spokesman Chin Malin sat on a raised platform in front of the rest of the attendees. Siphan said the day’s press conference was organized with invitations to civil society in order to share issues face-to-face.“By my observation, non-governmental organizations encounter problems but they do not understand the mechanism and principles to solve them,” he said.

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https://vodenglish.news/govt-presser-invites-ngos-to-join-culture-of-dialogue/