From Law on the Books to Law in Action: A note on the role of regulation in the production of good jobs in Cambodia’s garment sector

The WDR 2012 CN starts with a premise that ―good jobs are not those matching a series of ideal criteria, but rather those which can support increases in household expenditures over time, contribute to faster productivity growth at the aggregate level, or do more to foster social cohesion, in a particular country at a specific stage in its development process. The WDR 2012 framework is also expected to accept core labor standards as establishing minimum conditions and entitlements for good jobs.

This paper will contribute to the discussion of the ways in which law and the systems for its enforcement emerge in ways that support the production of good jobs.The Cambodia case study presented here is useful in elaborating this discussion as we can track the emergence of labor rights over the last 20 years—from an initial point where there were very few private sector jobs and little effective regulation; through a situation where formal sector employment has grown and industrial relations are starting to mature.

World Bank 2013

The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world.