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Why I am passionate about Landesa’s mission:
Land is central to people’s dignity, identity, and livelihoods. Through my work in human rights, transitional justice, and Women, Peace and Security, I have seen how insecure land tenure disproportionately affects poor and marginalized communities, particularly women and Indigenous Peoples. I am passionate about advancing secure and equitable land rights as a foundation for social justice, inclusive development, environmental sustainability, and lasting peace.
About Bophal Keat
Cambodia Program Director Keat Bophal is a human rights lawyer with more than 20 years of experience in legal, justice, and human rights work, with a focus on economic and social rights, land governance, and policy reform. She is a member of the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Prior to joining Landesa, Bophal worked with national and international organizations, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, where she contributed to programs on economic and social rights, including land, housing, and business and human rights. She also served as Head of the Victims Support Section at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia where she led victim participation and supporting survivor engagement, access to justice, and outreach in the context of Cambodia’s transitional justice process.
At Landesa, Bophal leads the Cambodia program and works closely with government institutions, civil society, communities, and development partners to advance inclusive, gender-responsive, and climate-sensitive land governance and tenure security initiatives.
Education
- Master of Laws (LL.M.), Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia
- Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), Royal University of Law and Economics, Cambodia
- International Human Rights Law Studies, International Institute of Human Rights (France)
Selected Publications
- Mapping Statelessness in Cambodia: A Review of the Current Context and Conditions (2024), Women Peace Makers https://wpmcambodia.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2024_Mapping_Statelessness_in_Cambodia.pdf
- Exploring the Nexus Between Poverty, Human Rights and Statelessness: A Case Study of Cambodia (2023), Raoul Wallenberg Institute https://rwi.lu.se/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/RWI-Scoping-Study-Poverty-Statelessness-Report-Nov2023.pdf
Areas of Expertise
- Land tenure, land administration, and land policy reform
- Legal and policy analysis, legislative drafting, and legal reform processes
- Housing rights, social justice, and human rights-based development
- Women’s land rights, GESI, and Women, Peace and Security (WPS)
- Indigenous Peoples’ rights and Indigenous communal land titling (ICLT)
- Community land, fisheries, coastal, and climate-related tenure governance
- Natural resource governance, ESG, and responsible land-based investment
- Human rights, business and human rights, and transitional justice
- Access to justice, dispute resolution, and reparations programs
- Community empowerment, participatory approaches, and legal awareness
- Multi-stakeholder dialogue, government engagement, and strategic partnerships
- Policy advocacy, institutional coordination, and donor engagement
- Program leadership and strategic management
International Experience
- Cambodia
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
- France
- Switzerland
