EU/PAT II 2021-2022: Parliamentary Centre for Asia, PCAsia, Cambodia EU/PAT II 2021-2022: Parliamentary Centre for Asia, PCAsia, Cambodia Sida tillsammans med EU (genom en delegering) finansierar den kambodjanska organisationen PCAsias (Parliamentary Centre of Asia) genomförande av Kambodja-delen av sin strategiska plan "Parliamentary Centre of Asia, Activities 2021-2024" under perioden 1 april 2021-31 december 2022. Huvudsyftet är att bidra till ett förbättrat arbete hos det kambodjanska parlamentet, genom att stärka kapaciteten inom dess förvaltnings-, och utredningsfunktioner, PCAsia är en fortsättning på den avslutade organisationen PIC (Parliamentary Institute of Cambodia) som Sida stött tidigare.

Insatsen är en del av den andra fasen av en större  finansiering från Sida/EU till programmet för ansvarighet och transparens (Partnership for Accountability and Transparency, PAT II, GD.-beslut 2019-003682) som har som delmål att stärka efterfrågan på och tillgången till ansvarsutkrävande i den offentliga sektorn genom instititutionell kapacitetsutveckling.

Den totala budgeten finansierad av Sida/EU för perioden är SEK 11 900 000. This initiative concerns joint Sida and EU support (delegated financing) to the Cambodian NGO ,Parliamentary Center of Asia, PCAsia, to implement its strategic plan "Parliamentary Centre of Asia, Activities 2021-2024" during the period 1 April 2021-31 December 2022. The support is a continuation of previous support to the newly closed organization PIC (Parliamentary Institute of Cambodia) with the goal to develop the capacity of the Cambodian Parliament and its support functions through training and research.

The Swedish support to PCAsia is a joint support between Sweden and the EU through the Partnership for Accountability and Transparency (PAT II) that is managed by Sweden. PAT II is focusing on good governance with improved accountability and transparency in the use of public funds.

The total budget jointly financed by Sida and EU is SEK 11 900 000. The overall purpose of the intervention is "to improve the performance of the target Parliaments - Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar - by helping to strengthen the capacity of parliamentary staff, and by increasing the intensity of technical exchanges and experience-sharing among their regional peers". Sida Phnom Penh jointly with the EU under the PAT II programme will restrict the funding to services to the Cambodian parliament.

In order to achieve this purpose over time, the project has five main components:

1) providing input to draft legislation;

2) implementing their representation function;

3) fulfulling their oversight role particularly at the local level;

4) for ASEAN parliaments to use the services of PCAsia and engage in peer learning and exchanges (which part only will be financed by Sida Phnom Penh when there is Cambodian participation); and

5) build the capacity of PCAsia as a capacity strengthening institute in legislative and democratic development support in the region and internationally.

Throughout all activities PCAsia promotes core values such as integrity, neutrality, objectivity and non-partisan behaviour.

The immediate, direct beneficiaries of PCAsia's activities will be the Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff in Cambodia. The research staff of the parliament will be better equipped to conduct research, analyse and prepare research products requested by parliamentarians and the various parliamentary commissions. Consequently, parliamentarians will have objective and technically based research papers at their disposal to base their decision-making on.

In a longer perspective the intervention also aspire to benefit Cambodian citizens in general as a legislature able to pass laws based on better facts and with an improved outreach capacity eventually will create more efficient and a professional Parliament in closer contact with its constituents.