A/HRC/24/36 I. Introduction 1. This is the fifth report of the present Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 18/25. 2. During the year under review, the Special Rapporteur continued to monitor the situation of human rights in Cambodia. He continued to receive information on the situation of human rights from different stakeholders in Cambodia, including the Government, the opposition political parties, civil society organizations and private citizens, some of whom had sought the help of the Special Rapporteur in addressing the violation of human rights in the country. The Special Rapporteur conducted two country visits during the review period – one in December 2012 and the other in May 2013. While the Government resumed its regular mode of cooperation with the Special Rapporteur and he was able to meet with a broad range of stakeholders within the Government in May 2013, the Special Rapporteur regrets the gap in information that was created by the Government’s refusal to meet with him in December 2012. The key pillars to the work of a special rapporteur are independence, impartiality and objectivity. To this end, it is imperative in the exercise of his mandate that the Special Rapporteur have the opportunity to interact with all segments of Cambodian society, without any exception. The missed opportunity for dialogue with the Government is a significant one, particularly as the objective of the two missions was to take stock of the progress achieved on the implementation of the recommendations the Special Rapporteur had made in his previous reports and to jointly identify how best to address the remaining challenges. It is in this context that the Special Rapporteur presents this report to the Human Rights Council. 3. During his mission to the country in May 2013 the Special Rapporteur was able to meet with a broad range of stakeholders from the Government, other political parties, civil society and development partners of Cambodia. He met with senior members of the Government, notably, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Mr. Sar Kheng, the Senior Minister and the President of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee, Mr. Om Yentieng, the President of the National Election Committee, Mr. Im Sousdey, the Chairman of the Commission on Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, Information, and Media of the National Assembly, Mr. Chheang Vun, the Secretary-General of the Senate, Mr. Oum Sarith, and Secretary of State in the Ministry of Justice Mr. Prum Sidhra. The Special Rapporteur was very pleased with the constructive engagement and dialogue he had with these dignitaries. During his meeting with the Special Rapporteur, Mr. Om Yentieng handed over an undated document to the Special Rapporteur outlining the response and comments of the Government to some of the issues contained in the previous reports of the Special Rapporteur. The document had never been submitted by the Government to the Special Rapporteur and thus he was pleased to receive the document which was helpful in understanding the position of the Government on some of the human rights issues facing the country. While helpful for understanding the position of the Government, its response did not significantly alter the analysis presented by the Special Rapporteur in his reports or the recommendations contained therein. 4. Generally speaking, Cambodia continues to do well on a number of economic indicators, supported by political stability. The country appears to be on course to achieve some of the Millennium Development Goals. With the death, in October 2012, of the former king, Norodom Sihanouk, who played such a crucial role in preserving the independence and integrity of the country through some of the most challenging times in modern history, the country has entered a new era. The Special Rapporteur visited the Royal Palace to pay his last respects to the late king during his mission to the country in December 2012 and expressed the view that the mourning period of the death of the king 4