The National Authority for Alternative Dispute Resolution (NADR) and Oxfam officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch the project “Enabled Access to Alternative Justice to Redress Indebtedness (A2JURI).” This initiative aims to strengthen cooperation and advance Cambodia’s justice system at the grassroots level, with a special focus on the four northeastern provinces including Kratie, Stung Treng, Mondulkiri, and Ratanakiri.

This partnership is unique, bringing together three key actors, the government, the private sector, and civil society organizations represented by Oxfam. Together, they are working to address debt-related disputes such as an issue that has grown due to the global economic downturn, the COVID-19 crisis, and other challenges, including border conflicts with Thailand that have disrupted livelihoods and impacted Cambodia’s financial sector.

Although NADR’s mission has been active for just over a year, it has already earned widespread recognition and delivered meaningful results. Representative offices have been established across several provinces, including remote areas with large indigenous populations. This achievement reflects the strong leadership of H.E. Keut Rith, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, and President of NADR, whose vision has brought access to justice closer to Cambodia’s grassroots communities.

Ms. Sophoan Phean, Oxfam’s National Director, said, “With support from Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO), Oxfam is deepening its cooperation with NADR to expand justice services further. The project seeks to resolve civil debt disputes more effectively and quickly, reduce referrals to the courts, ease case backlogs, and alleviate the burden on Cambodia’s justice system.”

Ms. Franca Vossen, Chief Risk Officer at FMO, said during her remarks, “At the heart of every financial transaction, whether a microloan or a major investment, there is a human story. A family trying to build a business. A CEO looking to open a second processing plant. A farmer investing in better tools. When those stories are disrupted by conflict, misunderstanding, or over indebtedness, the consequences can be profound. And it is our shared responsibility to ensure that people have access to fair, accessible, and trusted mechanisms to resolve disputes before they become crises.”

H.E. Malin Chin, Permanent Secretary of State of the Ministry of Justice and Permanent Vice Chairman of NADR, said, “Oxfam in Cambodia is a close partner organization of the Ministry of Justice as well as the National Authority for Alternative Dispute Resolution. Oxfam has supported the Ministry of Justice from the early stages of studying and developing the conceptual of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Cambodia, through to the development of the Royal Decree on the establishment, organized consultation workshops with stakeholders, and operation of the National Authority for Alternative Dispute Resolution.”

H.E. Malin added that over the past two years, the NADR has achieved commendable results in resolving disputes for citizens, earning widespread appreciation for delivering win-win solutions. As of December 31, 2025, the NADR had processed 1,000 cases out of a total of 2,189 received. Of these, 573 cases were successfully mediated and resolved, resulting in the issuance of Dispute Settlement Agreements. Meanwhile, 114 cases were dismissed due to misconduct or non-compliance with complaint requirements, and 313 cases were closed because the parties did not accept mediation.

It is noteworthy that loan agreement disputes represented the largest category, with 986 cases, approximately 45% of the total. Out of these, 321 cases were resolved through agreements that brought the disputes to a close.

The NADR representative offices serve as the network of the National Authority for Alternative Dispute Resolution and carry out three main responsibilities: receiving complaints from citizens seeking dispute resolution, mediating and resolving disputes, and cooperating with sub-national administrations to disseminate information on NADR’s mechanisms while also providing training on dispute resolution skills to sub-national officials.

As of December 31, 2025, the four NADR representative offices had received a total of 251 cases, including 83 in Ratanakiri province, 55 in Kratie province, 48 in Stung Treng province, and 65 in Mondulkiri province. Of these, 45 cases were successfully resolved, one case was closed due to disagreement, and 206 cases remain under processing.

In addition, this MoU marks another step in strengthening Cambodia’s financial sector under the leadership of the National Bank of Cambodia. It fosters collaboration with private and specialized banks, as well as financial institutions, to provide fair dispute resolution options, promote a just society, and contribute to the government’s Pentagon Strategy.

Oxfam hopes this project will gain strong support from the National Bank of Cambodia and financial institutions to adopt practical, win-win solutions that strengthen the sector and make it more competitive. The project will also produce a study on how out-of-court dispute resolution can serve as an effective option for civil disputes, and potentially evolve into a Court Annex Mediation system, similar to models already in use across the region and globally.