Cambodia, IEC Partner to Accelerate Industrial Transformation

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, Mar. 31, 2026 (KPT) — Cambodia is stepping up efforts to shape global technology standards, launching a new partnership with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to drive industrial transformation and strengthen its role in the global economy, officials said Monday.

The move follows Cambodia’s admission as an Associate Member of the IEC in January, a milestone in its integration into international standardization systems covering electrical, electronic and emerging digital technologies.

During talks with an IEC delegation led by Vimal Mahendru, Hem Vanndy, Minister of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, said Cambodia aims to shift from being a passive adopter of global standards to an active contributor.

“Cambodia cannot remain a country that only adopts international standards. We aim to actively and proactively participate in developing them,” Vanndy said.

He stressed that stronger standards are vital to boosting manufacturing capacity, improving product quality and deepening integration into global value chains — key pillars of Cambodia’s Vision 2050 to become a high-income economy.

Mahendru said international standards underpin modern infrastructure across electricity, electronics and digital systems, urging Cambodia to play a more active role in IEC technical committees, particularly in fast-evolving sectors such as artificial intelligence, smart systems and digital traceability.

The partnership is expected to support Cambodia in building technical capacity through training programs, institutional development and the creation of national standardization committees aligned with IEC frameworks.