Phnom Penh: Mr. Chhay Rithsen, Minister of Rural Development, on the morning of May 13, 2026, presided over the opening ceremony of the national consultation workshop on the study of compiling a national document on the achievement of the status of ending open defecation (ODF) in the capital, provinces, and the country by 2025 and updating the Cambodian ODF+ Roadmap 2026–2030.
Through the report of Mr. Lon Say Teng, Director of the Department of Rural Health Care, it was shown that the sanitation coverage rate in recent years has improved significantly. As of 2025, it has increased to 95%, of which 51% is safely managed sanitation. This progress shows that Cambodia has reached a significant milestone in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG/CSDG 6.2), which focuses on ensuring sanitation for all and ending open defecation.
At the same time, Mr. Yi Kimthan The Acting Country Director of Plan International expressed positive impressions and confirmed its participation in supporting rural development, especially in improving rural sanitation in the past, and committed to continue collaborating with the Royal Government and the Ministry of Rural Development to strengthen the Post-ODF system for sustainability and to move towards ODF+ by 2030.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Chhay Riththi Sen said that rural water supply and sanitation are priority sectors that the Royal Government has always paid attention to. In fact, the Pentagon Strategy, Phase 1, and the Political Program of the Royal Government of the 7th Term of the National Assembly for the Construction and Defense of the Motherland 2023-2028 set a goal of expanding the scope of rural water supply and sanitation to 100% by 2030, which is also in line with Cambodia’s Sustainable Development Goals (CSDGs).
To help achieve the above goals, the Ministry of Rural Development has been actively contributing to the implementation of the Royal Government’s national policy and strategic plan on promoting rural water supply and sanitation through the preparation and successful implementation of the National Action Plan on Clean Water Supply and Rural Sanitation in the past two stages.
As a result, by 2025, the coverage rate of basic water supply services has reached 89%, while the coverage rate of safely managed water supply services has reached 25%, and the coverage rate of basic rural sanitation has reached 95%, while the coverage rate of safely managed sanitation has reached 51%. In addition, all 25 capital cities and provinces across the country have achieved the end of open defecation, while Phnom Penh and Kandal provinces have achieved the end of advanced open defecation (ODF+), which is another new and historic achievement for Cambodia. Finally, His Excellency the Minister requested the entire workshop to actively discuss and provide feedback as input for the preparation of the ODF achievement document and the roadmap for achieving ODF+ in a comprehensive and realistic manner.
Please be informed that the Ministry of Rural Development This national consultation workshop was organized for two main purposes: 1. To consult and collect input for the study and compilation of the national document on ODF achievements in the capital, provinces, and the country in 2025, and 2. Reflects the implementation of the Cambodian ODF Roadmap 2023–2025 and updates the National ODF+ Roadmap 2026–2030.
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