Press Releases
Grant Assistance to the Kingdom of Cambodia: Signing and Exchange of Notes Concerning Grant Aid “the Project for Promoting Employment of Returning Migrant Workers Affected by the Border Conflict”
February 18, 2026
On February 18 (same day local time), in Phnom Penh, the capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia, H.E. Mr. UENO Atsushi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Kingdom of Cambodia, and Ms. Xiaoyan Qian, Country Director of the ILO Cambodia, signed and exchanged notes for “the Project for Promoting Employment of Returning Migrant Workers Affected by the Border Conflict” (project up to 156 million yen).
- Many Cambodian workers have returned from Kingdom of Thailand due to military clashes between Cambodia and Thailand. Many returning workers are in urgent need of employment opportunities to sustain their livelihoods. However, it has been pointed out that they face a high risk of falling into unstable employment situations, including unemployment, low wages and short-term work, because of a lack of skills certification and a mismatch with the labor market.
- This project will support returning workers in securing early and stable livelihoods and improving their living conditions, by expanding and strengthening facilities that provide vocational skills training and reemployment support functions to returning Cambodian workers. Through these efforts, the project is expected to address the urgent humanitarian needs of vulnerable people and thereby promote the stabilization of the border region.
(Reference) Basic Data on the Kingdom of Cambodia
The Kingdom of Cambodia has an area of 181,035 square kilometers (approximately 50% of the Japan’s area), a population of about 17.64 million people (2024, World Bank), and a gross national income (GNI) per capita is 2,638 USD (2024, World Bank).