Cambodia has suffered decades of political volatility and civil war, including the devastating violence of the Khmer Rouge period that still scars the country. Over the past 10 years, a measure of stability and economic progress has been achieved, but significant challenges to development still remain: weak government institutions, displaced populations, an increased demand for natural resources, especially land, and a weak civil society.

EWMI’s five-year Program on Rights and Justice II in Cambodia (PRAJ II), funded by USAID, focuses on human rights advocacy, rule of law promotion and biodiversity protection to address some of these challenges. Building upon the success of its six-year predecessor, the Program on Rights and Justice in Cambodia (PRAJ), this project continues EWMI’s innovative work to promote access to justice, improve the professional standards of the future Cambodian legal community, and strengthen grassroots advocacy and community networks, including community–based advocacy to protect Cambodia’s biodiversity. New initiatives under PRAJ II include activities to improve the collection and use of justice system data, develop the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Justice, and improve court administration and case management in selected courts.