Cambodia: a roadmap for a nation at a crossroads

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What Cambodia did

Cambodia faces a transition on several fronts at once: an expected reduction in foreign aid, graduation from Least Developed Country status, climate risks and shifting global markets, all while aiming to sustain 7% annual GDP growth on the way to its Pentagonal Strategy and Vision 2050. In January 2025, the Ministry of Economy and Finance led a pivotal workshop, hosted by UNDP, on "Cambodia's Foresight Roadmap".

Photo by allPhoto Bangkok on Unsplash 

How it Delivered

The workshop launched a National Foresight Roadmap and implementation plan, designed as a flexible framework that evolves through continuous learning. It convened government bodies, UN agencies, development partners, think tanks, the private sector and civil society to identify critical disruptions, drivers of change and pathways for inclusive development, and it established shared leadership and accountability for the road ahead.

What Made it Work?

The workshop positioned foresight as a mindset rather than a procedural add-on: a structured way of exploring multiple futures and aligning today's actions with long-term aspirations. Making ownership of the roadmap collective, spanning government, civil society and development partners, turned the future into a shared responsibility rather than one ministry's file.

Future Generations Takeaway

Moments of transition are when long-term thinking matters most and is hardest to do. Cambodia chose to meet uncertainty with a plan for anticipation itself. Keeping the future open means preparing for several futures.

This case study is based on one kindly shared with us by the us by School of International Futures (SOIF) and can be found in their digital implementation handbook: 'One Year in Practice: Stories of Global Action for Future Generations'.  We have updated and expanded some case studies with more recent developments and additional sources where relevant.