Oxfam in Cambodia partnership with the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MISTI), participated in the 7th ASEAN Inclusive Business (IB) Forum, held in Lao PDR from September 23-24, 2024.

The event was co-organized by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Lao PDR through its Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Agency, alongside ESCAP, OECD, and the ASEAN Secretariat, with support from Oxfam in Laos. This collaborative effort underscores a shared commitment to advancing inclusive and sustainable development in the region.

The two-day forum emphasized the progress of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Inclusive Business (2023-2027) and mapped out future strategies to strengthen IB practices across the region. The forum featured policy dialogues and workshops on impact investment, accreditation of IB models, and ways to enhance the social impact of businesses. Discussions also examined gender equality, access to finance, and tools to help businesses become investment ready. Approximately 150 stakeholders gathered to share national initiatives, regional collaboration, and global best practices in promoting IB.

At the high-level panel discussion, H.E. Nara Soem, Secretary of State and Head of Cambodia’s IB Accreditation Committee at MISTI, presented Cambodia’s key strategies to promote IB. These includes the Inclusive Business Enabling Environment Cambodia (IBeeC) Strategy, the IB Accreditation System, capacity building initiatives, and the ‘Superstar IB Competition 2023’ – a flagship collaboration with Oxfam.

This competition recognizes the outstanding IB initiative in Cambodia that empowers farmers in the supply chain and provides financial support to help scale these efforts.

In the session on “Promoting Gender Equity in Business,” Oxfam emphasized the importance of addressing unpaid care work as a crucial strategy for achieving gender equality. We shared key challenges, practical solutions, and business case examples of how IB models can tackle UCW, drawn from a recent collaborative study between MISTI and Oxfam. The full report will be launched in the coming weeks.

Oxfam’s involvement in this forum and ongoing collaboration with MISTI reaffirms its commitment to advancing IB and tackling poverty and inequality, not just in Cambodia but throughout the ASEAN region.