ABD Country Operations Business Plan: Cambodia 2021–2023

Abstract

The country operations business plan presents the indicative program of support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for Cambodia during 2021–2023. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The pandemic is a serious threat to Cambodia’s development and has created priorities that were not anticipated in ADB’s country partnership strategy (CPS) for Cambodia, 2019–2023. These include urgent actions to prevent a public health emergency, rollout of social assistance programs to prevent a sudden rise in poverty, and design and implementation of policies for economic recovery. ADB has been working closely with the Government of Cambodia to minimize negative impacts from the pandemic, while continuing to invest in the medium- to long-term drivers of sustainable development. The 2020 country programming mission was extended to allow additional time to assess potential impacts from COVID-19. While the pandemic has created new priorities for ADB support, it has also reinforced the continued relevance of the core CPS pillars and the operational priorities under ADB’s Strategy 2030. The government remains committed to supporting the CPS within the broader framework of its Rectangular Strategy Phase IV and Cambodia’s National Strategic Development Plan, 2019–2023.2 The country operations business plan presents an indicative program of assistance for 2021–2023 that aligns with the CPS and will support Cambodia’s post-COVID-19 recovery.