About CICP
The Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP) is an independent, neutral, and non-partisan research institute based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. CICP promotes both domestic and regional dialogue between government officials, national and international organizations, scholars, and the private sector on issues of peace, democracy, civil society, security, foreign policy, conflict resolution, economics and national development.
CICP’s mission statement can be defined as pursuing goals within five target areas.
In this regard, the institute endeavors to:
- Enhance the ability of government officials and the public to make informed decisions about public policy;
- Participate in and to promote regional and international cooperation;
- Advocate human rights and advance democracy within civil society in Cambodia;
- Promote peace and cooperation among Cambodians, as well as between Cambodians and others on a regional and international basis;
- Conduct research on development issues that concern Cambodia, as well as disseminate the resulting research findings.
Mission Statement
The Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP) aspires to become a leading academic institution and think-tank in Cambodia. CICP is dedicated to the study and dissemination of information about political, economic, and social trends in Cambodia and the region of Southeast Asia as a whole.
The aim of CICP isto cultivate broader interests concerning the development of Cambodia and to promote wider attention among a vast community of scholars to engage in research within the fields of political science, diplomacy, history, and socio-economics in order to better understand the current and future prospects of Cambodia, Southeast Asia and Asia as a whole.
Another important motivation of CICP is to stimulate serious study by engaging in balanced researchand open debates about issues that matter most for the country and the region within scholarly circles and to enhance public awareness in order to facilitate the search for viable policy-based solutions to the range of challenges that are currently faced by society.
Ultimately, CICP seeks to offer insightful analyses and critical investigations—under a careful academic lens—in order to enhance public perspectives about socio-economic as well as political and security changes about Cambodia, Southeast Asia and Asia today.
History
The Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP) was founded in 1994, and registered as a non-governmental organization with the Royal Government of Cambodia. At the time of its inception, Cambodia was in a process of national reconciliation and recovering from over three decades of civil war, and isolation from international, and regional community.
Therefore, H.R.H Prince Norodom Sirivudh, when he was Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, foresaw a need of a non-Governmental think tank to play a role in providing policy analysis and inputs for improving policy making, especially in foreign and strategic policies.
In this respect, CICP was established with the initial support from a German foundation, Friedrich Ebert-Stiftung, to form a mandate for itself that included conducting forums and researches, directing skills training, disseminating information, and formulating policy recommendations that could be presented to policymakers. After operating for three years, it has become nationally and internationally recognized as a leading policy-oriented think-tank in Cambodia.