This chapter analyses Cambodia’s paradoxical development since the UN-administered 1993 elections. While the country transitioned from civil war to peace, economic growth, and improved human development, democratisation quickly stalled, culminating in entrenched one-party rule. Donors often tolerated authoritarian consolidation, prioritising stability and service delivery over political pluralism. The Cambodian case exposes the limits of conditionality in aid, the resilience of authoritarian governance, and the compromises international actors make between democracy promotion and pragmatic cooperation. It highlights how external support has yielded governance gains without genuine democratisation.