The Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation has acknowledged the importance of social work and the social services workforce in its message to mark World Social Work Day.

The ministry on May 3 celebrated the 14th World Social Work Day under the theme “Together we build a world in a new social environment where no one is left behind”, with the aim of improving social work services and the wellbeing of vulnerable children and families by reducing poverty.

Social affairs minister Vong Soth said at a commemoration event that this day demonstrated the importance of promoting social work and training services, such that the services will be more effective and efficiently delivered in line with Cambodia’s development.

Soth added that the government had laid out a strategy to ensure sustainable development. This would be achieved through poverty reduction and equitable access to social protection systems, to protect the wellbeing of Cambodians across the country, he said.

The minister said the social services workforce had contributed to building a “comfortable” society that meets the needs of all facets of society and ensures its welfare.

Gloria Donate, representative of the NGO Save the Children Cambodia, said the day was an important event to acknowledge social services’ significant role in supporting vulnerable people in communities, as well as in preventing violence, abuse and trafficking of women and children.

“This celebration was to strengthen social safety,” she said of the May 3 event. “We have a lot of work to do together. Save the Children is committed to promoting social services in Cambodia and around the world… we are now supporting the government on social services by providing social services and support to vulnerable families,” she said.