UN HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE FIELD death in prison due to physical beatings. Following its removal from the SPT article 17 list, in June, the Cambodian National Committee against Torture (NCAT) was formally launched, in early December, in an event co-organized by OHCHR and NCAT. At this sensitization workshop on the role and duties of NCAT, which brought together almost 200 senior representatives from the police, gendarmerie, prisons, social affairs and the offices of provincial governors, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior emphasized NCAT’s independence and its power to conduct unfettered, unannounced visits to all places of deprivation of liberty. Participation (P) P5 – International, regional and national protection mechanisms respond to the protection needs of civil society organizations and individuals, particularly (but not only) in the context of political participation. The Office contributed to enhancing compliance of legislation and policies with international human rights standards of protection for human rights defenders (HRDs), oversight of civil society participation in public life, rights of ethnic minorities and access to information. While HRDs and political activists remained under pressure during and following the national election, OHCHR’s monitoring and advocacy efforts, including with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia and the diplomatic community, played a role in preventing further arrests and harassment of HRDs. OHCHR worked closely with local and regional human rights organizations to ensure that HRDs were protected. When HRDs and political activists who expressed their opinion were threatened or charged, OHCHR intervened with 256 UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2018 Spotlights: UN HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE FIELD relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Interior and the National Election Committee. Documentation related to 40 cases of human rights violations was shared with the Special Rapporteur, who focused on the elections in her public interventions, in July, and in her subsequent addendum report that was presented at the Human Rights Council’s September session. Following the election, some prominent HRDs were released from prison and incidents of harassment and intimidation against others have reportedly decreased. In its ongoing review of Cambodia’s access to the European Union (EU) market under the “Everything But Arms” preferential trade initiative, which links trade preferences to the human rights performance of beneficiary countries, the European Commission referred extensively to the conclusions of the UN human rights mechanisms, including the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, the treaty bodies and the Office’s analysis of legislation impacting on civic space, such as the Law on Political Parties and the Law on Association and NGOs in Cambodia. At the end of 2018, the Government announced the revocation of some administrative hurdles against CSOs, the establishment of a forum for regular civil society consultations and a possible review of problematic legislation. OHCHR continued its support to local human rights groups, including the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) and the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), in order to better monitor, report and advocate on human rights issues in Cambodia. A grant that was awarded to LICADHO, until the end of 2019, and a similar grant for ADHOC, that is pending approval, are intended to enhance the capacity of these Youth organizations to use international mechanisms for the protection of human rights. Both NGOs shared reports of violations with OHCHR and the Special Rapporteur. They were also part of an informal ‘intervention group,’ together with OHCHR and another local NGO, that was set up to respond to protection concerns of HRDs in the context of the elections. OHCHR monitored the situation of ethnic Vietnamese communities (EVC) to increase the awareness of authorities. Progress has been made towards the naturalization of some stateless EVC members and OHCHR monitored the registration process. In collaboration with the Special Rapporteur, the Office successfully advocated with authorities to delay a planned forced relocation of EVC floating villages until May 2019. After several years of concerted efforts by OHCHR and UNESCO, the Ministry of Information Working Group (composed of representatives from relevant ministries, civil society organizations, OHCHR and UNESCO) adopted the draft Access to Information Law, in January, that is generally compliant with international standards. In spite of lobbying efforts undertaken by OHCHR, UNESCO and the Special Rapporteur, the draft was not adopted in 2018. The Ministry of Information indicated that it would be adopted by June 2019. P7 – Youth networks increasingly recognize the value and importance of human rights and accountability and their contribution to development and peace. The Office enhanced the level of engagement of young persons in supporting human rights messages by conducting a targeted online and offline advocacy campaign on human rights. It also launched consultations with youth groups on integrating human rights principles into their work. The Office led a communications campaign to raise awareness and engage youth on human rights, the UDHR and HRDs. The campaign entitled “I am a human rights champion,” ran from the end of September until the end of December. In addition, a celebratory event was held on 8 December to mark the occasion of Human Rights Day (10 December). The target audience for the campaign was Cambodian youth living in urban and rural settings and the objective was to increase public recognition of how respect for and enjoyment of human rights can contribute to inclusive and sustainable peace and development. The campaign significantly increased the Office’s public profile, in particular among youth. The number of “Likes” on the Country Office’s Facebook page increased from nearly 9,000 to over 13,800 during the course of the campaign. The campaign’s musical video, featuring a number of local celebrities who are popular with youth, was viewed over one million times on the Office’s Facebook page. Furthermore, over 1,000 persons, most of whom were young people, participated in the public event marking Human Rights Day. The campaign signalled the first step in the Office’s drive to broaden the Cambodian human rights constituency. Using its global expertise in human rights education and monitoring on the right to participation, OHCHR began developing its work with youth groups and associations to empower them, in traditional and innovative ways, to be agents of change for human rights. The first consultation workshop took place in December. There are plans to work with at least 15 youth groups in 2019 to incorporate human rights principles into their work. TI YANG CAN DREAM ABOUT A BETTER FUTURE FOR HER CHILDREN One morning, in early October, local authorities and police embarked on the relocation of more than 10,000 inhabitants of floating villages at the mouth of the Tonle Sap Lake, the vast majority of whom were part of the Vietnamese ethnic minority, to remote lands. They were unclear about what the future might bring. Ti Yang was very worried about moving to the identified location, which had no direct access to a road, water or other basic facilities. Ti Yang is 68 years old and ethnic Vietnamese. She lives in Chnong Kaoh, a floating village in Kampong Chhnang province, on the Tonle Sap River. As far as she can recall, her ancestors have lived there, practicing fishing and living on houseboats that follow the seasonal tides. Yet, they never obtained Cambodian citizenship and remained stateless. UN Human Rights in Cambodia carried out several local missions to assess the human rights situation and speak with communities and local authorities. After advocacy was undertaken by UN Human Rights and a visit was undertaken by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, the Governor decided to delay the relocation of the ethnic Vietnamese communities. A provincial working group is now monitoring the progress of the infrastructure at the relocation site. Ti Yang and other ethnic Vietnamese in the community have noted that they are grateful that their voices have been heard. Ti Yang has a long memory of the struggles of the ethnic Vietnamese around the Tonle Sap. She recalls discrimination in the 1970s and the extrajudicial killings that took place in 1975 under the Khmer Rouge before being forced to leave Cambodia. In 1979, Ti Yang returned. “It is my country,” she says, “I wanted to come back to my native place.” By 2018, Ti Yang was officially registered, albeit as a “permanent immigrant.” This status does not confer full rights to education, legal employment or land. Ti Yang’s dream is to have her six children and grandchildren live an adequate life and become fully integrated into Cambodian society in the near future. UN Human Rights is working to promote equality and combat discrimination against ethnic minorities, including ethnic Vietnamese and indigenous peoples. Shifts: Global Constituency UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2018 257