UNICEF and OCIC Partner to Invest in the Future of Cambodia’s Children and Youth

PHNOM PENH, 24 August 2026 – UNICEF and the Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation (OCIC) Group today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in advancing the rights and well-being of children and young people across Cambodia. The multi-year partnership, the first-ever UNICEF in Cambodia has signed with a conglomerate, aims to leverage the strengths of both organizations to create lasting, positive impact for children, families, and communities. 

The MoU was signed by Okhna Dr. Carolyne Pung, Vice Chairperson of OCIC, and Ms. Maha Damaj, UNICEF Representative-Designate to Cambodia, marking a new chapter in the two organizations’ collaboration. Thierry Tea, Vice-President of OCIC, and Ms. Moiltmaa Sarantuya, Partnerships Specialist at UNICEF Cambodia, witnessed the signing. 

“Whenever I meet young people in Cambodia, I am struck by their ambition, creativity, and determination to shape a better future for themselves and their communities,” said Ms. Maha Damaj, UNICEF Representative-Designate to Cambodia. “What they need are opportunities to turn that potential into reality. That’s why I am particularly excited about this partnership with OCIC. By bringing together business leadership and UNICEF's expertise, we can help equip young people with the skills, support, and opportunities they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world, while advancing business practices that respect and support children's rights.” 

Cambodia has made important gains in advancing children's rights in recent decades, yet many children and young people still face challenges in accessing quality education, healthcare, protection, and equitable opportunities to build skills and contribute to their communities. 

“This partnership gives us a framework to turn our commitment into action, from vocational training, mentoring and internship pathways for young people, to strengthening family-friendly policies across our operations. It also opens the door to supporting child-centred and climate-related initiatives.” said Dr. Carolyne Pung, Vice Chairperson of OCIC. “Working alongside UNICEF, we can reach further, share our resources and expertise, and create lasting impact for children and young people across Cambodia.” 

Through the agreement, UNICEF and OCIC will work together to promote child rights within the business sector and wider community, support access to quality social services, and explore innovative initiatives that help children and young people reach their full potential, especially the most vulnerable, ensuring that development benefits all children and families. The agreement also outlines a commitment to the core values of the Children’s Rights and Business Principles, a framework developed by UNICEF for the private sector to understand and address the impact of business on the rights and well-being of children.  

The collaboration will focus on several key areas, including raising awareness of children's rights and responsible business practices, supporting education and youth empowerment initiatives, promoting family-friendly workplace policies and child‑friendly products and services, and encouraging greater corporate engagement in advancing climate-resilient services for children. The partnership will also explore opportunities to strengthen vocational training and pathways for young people, helping equip them with 21st-century skills for the future world of work. 

“We are excited to build on our official collaboration with UNICEF’s Generation Future programme and help create more opportunities for young people in Cambodia,” said Thierry Tea, Vice-President of OCIC. “Last year, I had the opportunity to mentor a group of young students from the programme over several months. Our teams also had the opportunity to support UNICEF by hosting their hackathon at Connexion Hub in Koh Pich. Seeing the creativity, ambition, and potential of these young talents firsthand reinforced my belief that they can achieve extraordinary things when they are given the right framework, the right support, and the right platform. I look forward to continuing to build on that experience and further strengthening our collaboration through this new partnership.”  

As part of the partnership, UNICEF will provide technical expertise, evidence, and tools to support the integration of child rights principles into corporate policies and practices. OCIC will promote children's rights through its business networks while advancing responsible business practices across its operations.