Background
On 3 June 2026 the Minister of Planning, Bin Trachay, received Vladanka Andreeva, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cambodia, to discuss two national priorities: preparation of the 2027 Voluntary National Review (VNR) and development of a Smooth Transition Strategy (STS) to support Cambodia’s planned graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category in 2029. The Ministry of Planning indicated it will prepare formal government requests to lead coordination and to convene ministries, institutions, development partners, civil society, academia and the private sector for the VNR and the STS process; the ministry also signalled a target to complete a draft STS by the end of 2026. Cambodia previously presented VNRs in 2019 and 2023, and the current workstreams are positioned to inform the country’s international reporting and LDC graduation preparations.
The Voluntary National Review (VNR) is the United Nations’ established mechanism for national governments to present progress on the Sustainable Development Goals to the High-level Political Forum. The Royal Government of Cambodia assigns the Ministry of Planning primary coordination responsibility for national development planning and for preparing national-level reports and strategies submitted to international partners.
Key Developments
The meeting produced several operational commitments: the Ministry will prepare official guidance and coordination requests to relevant ministries and stakeholders for the 2027 VNR, and the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s office confirmed readiness to provide technical guidance and support. The two priority deliverables named by participants are the VNR 2027 and a Smooth Transition Strategy designed to manage policy and program adjustments ahead of LDC graduation in 2029.
Policy Context
The VNR process functions as Cambodia’s principal national reporting channel on Sustainable Development Goals progress to international fora and helps align domestic planning with international commitments. The Smooth Transition Strategy under development is intended to identify policy adjustments and institutional measures required to mitigate risks and seize opportunities associated with exiting LDC status; the Ministry has scheduled preparatory steps through 2026 to produce a draft document for government review.
Institutional Role
The Ministry of Planning is positioned as the lead coordinator for these workstreams and will convene multi-stakeholder inputs from government agencies, development partners, civil society, academic institutions and the private sector. The United Nations Resident Coordinator’s office in Cambodia will provide technical guidance and coordination support for both the VNR compilation and the STS drafting process.
