Overview

Mission Statement: CLEC promotes the Rule of Law through supporting the development of appropriate institutions of justice, enhancing public knowledge of and encouraging participation in governance and the legal system, and advocating for good governance to achieve justice, peace and social harmony for all Cambodian people. CLEC’s mission is founded in the following beliefs: 1. We believe in the value and dignity of all people and that every individual deserves respects and fundamental rights; 2. We believe that all people have the capacity to learn and to participate in activities for improving democracy and social harmony; 3. We believe that good governance is the most important instrument to promote development and eradicating poverty.

Background

The Community Legal Education Center (CLEC) was created in 1996 as a legal resource center, promoting the rule of law, justice, and democracy in Cambodia. CLEC legal empowerment activities combine legal awareness, training, legal aid services and advocacy supports. Its training is designed for a wide range of target groups including local communities and NGOs. CLEC has been involved in advocacy on a number of significant law reform issues including the 2001 Land Law, the sub-decree on indigenous communal land titling, establishment of the Arbitration Council, the election dispute resolution process, the drafting of the Peaceful Assembly Law, and commentary and review of numerous pieces of legislation. Since 2004, CLEC has embarked on a major project of high impact public interest legal advocacy, particularly in the areas of land and natural resources and labor. Legal representation, legal defense and consultation are becoming even more crucial as tools to support legal empowerment both in the improvement and assertion of the rights of communities and in law and policy development and enforcement. From 1996 to 2001, CLEC operated as an arm of the University of San Francisco School of Law, funded by USAID. In December 2001, it became a locally registered NGO. Since its establishment, CLEC has educated over five thousand Cambodians on different subjects of law through its "certificate in law" program. CLEC has also produced a legal text-book series, which represent some of the only Cambodian legal texts on a wide range of subjects.

Value

1. In the value and dignity of all people and that every individual deserves respect and fundamental rights; 2. That all people have the capacity to learn and to participate in activities for improving democracy and social harmony; 3. That good governance is the most important instrument to promote development and eradicating poverty

Mission

CLEC builds legal capacity and provides legal aid and other appropriate supports to empower Cambodian citizens, communities and their members vulnerable to and victims of rights violation to demand respect of human rights and justice, and to promote good governance, democracy, equitable development, peace and social harmony.

Vision

The Cambodian People live in a society under the rule of law; in peace and social harmony.

Goal

N/A