On 23 April 2026, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in collaboration with Cambodia’s Accounting and Auditing Regulator (ACAR), held the kick-off meeting for the Development Account 16th Tranche Project titled “Strengthening sustainability reporting to foster sustainable finance and investment in selected developing countries in Asia and Latin America.” The event took place in Phnom Penh and marked the official launch of the project’s national activities in Cambodia.
The meeting brought together more than 40 participants, including representatives from government institutions, regulatory bodies, professional organizations, academia, the private sector, and international organizations.
The project aims to enhance Cambodia’s sustainability reporting infrastructure to support sustainable finance, enterprise sustainability, and investment aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through the implementation of the Accounting Development Tool (ADT), the initiative will assess the country’s existing reporting framework, identify gaps, and develop policy recommendations alongside a national action plan to strengthen the reporting ecosystem.
In his opening remarks, His Excellency Bou Tharin, Director General of ACAR, emphasized the critical role of sustainability reporting in promoting transparency, sustainable finance, and investment. Nan Li Collins, Director of the Division on Investment and Enterprise at UNCTAD, highlighted the importance of collaboration among regulators, standard-setters, supervisors, and market participants in building an effective sustainability reporting ecosystem. She also underscored the growing need for countries to strengthen technical capacity and regulatory frameworks in response to evolving international sustainability reporting standards.
During the session, UNCTAD presented the project’s objectives, structure, and timeline, while outlining recent developments in international sustainability reporting standards. The presentation emphasized the importance of transparency and sustainability-related disclosures in supporting SDG-aligned investment. UNCTAD also introduced the methodology and implementation process of the Accounting Development Tool, explaining how it will enable Cambodia to benchmark its reporting infrastructure against international good practices and identify priority areas for reform and capacity-building.
The meeting concluded with discussions on the project’s next steps, including stakeholder consultations, national assessments, capacity-building activities, and regional knowledge-sharing initiatives aimed at strengthening Cambodia’s sustainability reporting ecosystem.
