Cambodia has both sectoral and cross-sectoral legislation and policies addressing biosafety measures, specifically 1) the Law on Biosafety (2008), which serves the main legislation, established to implement a precautionary approach to biotechnology, regulating the handling, transboundary movement, and release of LMOs; 2) Sub-decrees on Mechanisms and Procedures for Implementing the Law on Biosafety, addressing the Control and Management of Transboundary Movement of LMOs, alongside guidelines for risk assessment and management; 3) Seed Law (2008) that governs the import and export of seeds, including Genetically Modified (GM) seeds; 4) Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Management (1996), Protected Area Law (2008) and Code on Environment and Nature Resources (2003) that provides a broader legal framework for addressing risks associated with biotechnology.

In the past two decades, Cambodia has developed a strong legal framework for biosafety. After the 2008 adaptation of the Law on Biosafety, the government formulated essential guidelines and measures to strengthen administration, governance and technical supervision. The guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) are the mainly governed by the Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resource Management (1996) and the Sub-Decree on EIA Process (1999). Furthermore, the Code on Environment and Natural Resources (2003) enforces rigorous biosafety regulations for relevant biotechnology research and development.

In Cambodia neither CPB focal point nor NCA oversee the regulation of LMOs-based pharmaceuticals to humans. The Department of Drug and Foods under the Ministry of Health oversees and regulates the handling and transboundary movement of such products under established national health and drug policies, strategy and action, which is requiring registration and approvals in line with the national biosafety framework and Cartagena Protocol to ensure safety.

Cambodia’s Law on Biosafety and Sub decree on the Mechanism and Procedures for Implementing the Law on Biosafety as well as Sub decree on Facilitation of Trade through Risk Management contain provisions to implement procedures to control transboundary movement, transport, handling, transfer, storage and use of LMOs which is resulting from modern biotechnology.

During the period 2020–2025, Cambodia issued only biosafety recommendation for import seeds to field test.

During the reporting period, the simplified procedure was not applied because no applications eligible for this procedure were submitted to the national competent authority.

Cambodia has not engaged in any bilateral, regional, or multilateral agreements or arrangements specifically concerning the enforcement of the Cartagena Protocol provisions. Biosafety measures are primarily implemented via national regulatory frameworks and administrative processes, aligning with the overall obligations and mechanisms established by the Cartagena Protocol. Collaboration with other Parties and non-Parties occurs via capacity-building instead of through formal agreements specifically related to biosafety.

Cambodia implements some preventive measures, such as risk assessments and inspection protocols; however, a complete system to prevent unintentional transboundary movements, fully consistent with the Protocol, is still in progress. Cambodia National Competent Authorities along with technical assistance from responsible institutions and agencies focus on environmental, food, and feed safety. Risk assessment is performed case-by-case following the principle of “one event, one approval”, utilizing scientific and technical data within the application documentation. Risk management is incorporated into permits and decisions via compliance obligations, monitoring and reporting duties, and mitigation strategies, which include stipulations for reviewing approvals and withdrawing or recalling them if negative impacts are demonstrated

Cambodia implements Article 17 by mandating that all authorized firms and institutions develop comprehensive contingency plans and establish dedicated emergency response frameworks. Complement to the Law of Biosafety (2008), Sub-decree No. 58 (2006) on Mechanisms and Procedures for Implementing the Law on Biosafety (2008), Sub-decree No. 69 (1998) on Standards and Agricultural Materials Management, Sub-decree No. 209 (2007) on Promulgation of Banned Goods List and Restricted Goods, and Law on Seed Management and Plant Breeders’ Rights, applicants or developers must prepare emergency plans for potential accidents or unintentional releases. Cambodia has limited technical capacity for detection, risk assessment and risk management and response. Moreover, specific regulatory provisions for systematic monitoring and early detection of unintentional transboundary movements are not yet fully established, particularly for bulk imported commodities where commingling may occur. Emergency actions are therefore addressed mainly through existing sectoral arrangements at border or quarantine controls conducted by the responsible institution stand there. Further strengthening is needed to enhance operational mechanisms for monitoring, rapid notification, and coordinated response in line with Article 17 requirements.

Cambodia enforces regulations concerning the handling, transportation, packaging, and identification of commodities by applying appropriate national standards and international trade-related agreements, including those outlined in the Law of Biosafety and the Sub-decree No. 58 on Mechanism and Procedures for enforcing the Law on Biosafety. All applicants looking to introduce LMOs for the first time are required to secure a permit from the NCA and the relevant sectoral ministries in charge of the commodity. Applications should include documentation that shows adherence to relevant environmental, food, or feed safety standards. Applicants might also need to provide a free trade or free sale certificate from their country of origin, along with documentation related to risk assessment and risk management.

Cambodia has designated the National Focal Point and Competent National Authority to implement the Article 6 of the Law on Biosafety. Moreover, article 7 of the Law stipulates the responsible and function of the CNA, while article 8 and 9 explicit the administration and supervision structure for the Implementation of provisions in the Law.

Cambodia requires support for the operational function of the national Biosafety Clearing House (nBCH) and capacity-building measures, including training for the nBCH operation.

Cambodia implements Article 21 (Confidential Information) through Law on Biosafety and Article 45 – 52 of the Sub-decree No. 58 on Mechanisms and Procedures for Implementing the Law on Biosafety applied during the biosafety assessment and decision-making process for the permitted request for import of LMOs.

During the reporting period 2020–2026, Cambodia implemented Article 22 (Capacity-building) through efforts to strengthen human resources and institutional capacities in biosafety, including workshops, technical meetings, and cross-sectoral meetings to build capacity and awareness on the implementation of Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. These activities target the competent authorities, members of the relevant Technical/Sub-Technical Working Group on Biodiversity and Biosafety, relevant sectoral ministries/agencies and research academia. Overall, technical support during the reporting period contributed and enhanced institutional collaboration and technical capacity, while further efforts are needed to sustain and scale up capacity-building across sectors.

The project developed some materials for promoting public awareness and participation in implementation of biosafety.

During the reporting period, Cambodia has not entered into any bilateral, regional, or multilateral agreements with non-Parties regarding transboundary movements of LMOs.

Cambodia has preventive and enforced measures and mechanisms through general environmental and customs laws, but dedicated LMO-specific penalties are not yet operational. No illegal LMO movements have been detected or reported in the recent period.

Cambodia encounters considerable shortcomings in human resources, technical skills, and institutional capacity, which hinder the effective implementation of this Article within the country.

Answer to Question 155 e): Yes, to some extent, project based focused Regulatory frameworks, training, public awareness, and institutional capacity. But it still there are gaps remaining: Fully accredited labs, formalized administrative procedures, and routine LMO monitoring and assessment

During the reporting period 2020–2026, Cambodia does not have explicit legislation framework to implement the Nagoya–Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol. However, Cambodia applies national legal and administrative frameworks that require prevention, mitigation and remediation of environmental damage, including obligations for applicants and permit holders to undertake control measures and corrective actions where adverse effects are identified.