CDRI was pleased to participate in the Ministry of Interior’s recent summit, which reviewed the achievements of Commune/Sangkat councils for their 5th mandate. The proceedings, held on September 7–8, 2026, gathered 700 participants in person and an additional 1,500 attendees via online platforms.

During the proceedings, CDRI contributed directly to the policy dialogue through two key sessions:

• Independent Evaluation: CDRI researchers Dr. Khath Bunthorn and Dr. Chunly Sereyvicheth presented findings from our recent studies, offering an objective, external assessment of the councils' performance.
• Inter-Ministerial Panel: Dr. Chunly Sereyvicheth also moderated a comprehensive panel discussion featuring representatives from seven different ministries, facilitating a productive exchange on cross-sector coordination and policy implementation.

Addressing the conference, HE Deputy Prime Minister SAR Sokha, Minister of Interior, described CDRI's assessment of commune/sangkat performance as precise and well-founded. He noted that CDRI had played an important role in this work and had put forward many valuable recommendations. HE Deputy Prime Minister also called for concrete plans to implement at least 50 percent of the recommendations.

This engagement reflects CDRI’s ongoing commitment to supporting Cambodian public administration through rigorous research and constructive institutional dialogue.