Background
The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT) is responsible for preparing national occupational safety and health regulations and coordinating consultations among government agencies, employer groups and worker organizations. Cambodia routinely uses tripartite consultation mechanisms to develop labour laws with input from state institutions, employer federations and trade unions.
On 8 July 2026 the MLVT hosted the second tripartite consultation on the draft Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) law at Sokha Phnom Penh, chaired by Minister Heng Sour and attended by roughly 200 representatives from ministries, employers, workers and national and international partners. The draft law was presented as part of the government’s broader policy instruments, including the Labour Sector Development Strategy 2024–2028 and the third national OSH plan for 2023–2027, and is framed to align Cambodia’s rules with international ILO standards such as Conventions No. 155 and No. 187 and emerging expectations on human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD).
Scope of Application
The draft OSH law is designed to establish foundational principles, broad duties and a general legal framework for occupational safety and health across workplaces in Cambodia. The ministry signalled an intent to place primary principles and core mandates in the law while reserving detailed technical duties, procedures and implementing rules for subordinate regulations and administrative instruments.
Key Provisions or Decisions
Officials noted that the draft law consolidates more than twenty existing declarations and codes into a single statutory framework and seeks to ensure coherence with international OSH instruments. Participants discussed provisions related to national OSH governance, employer and worker responsibilities, and mechanisms for consultation and oversight; the minister recommended that the law focus on core principles and general frameworks while technical detail be allocated to implementing instruments under the statute.
Implications for Investors, Businesses, or Compliance
The consultation emphasised calibrating legal obligations to protect worker safety while considering administrative and compliance impacts for employers. Stakeholder engagement at the tripartite session is intended to clarify roles and responsibilities so that businesses, government agencies and worker organizations share a common understanding of statutory principles and subsequent regulatory requirements.
Official Source
Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, Facebook post, 8 July 2026: source.
