United Nations in Lao PDR

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. In addition to 17 global goals, in 2016 the Government of Lao PDR has formally launched the national SDG18, ‘Lives Safe from UXO’ (unexploded ordnance), in the presence of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. As UXO remains an issue affecting national development in multiple dimensions, Lao PDR's output under the SDG18 contributes to the national outcomes under all the other SDGs. On the present map, some of the activities attributed to Vientiane are those which are carried out across the whole country.

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13 May 2021

Ensuring vulnerable populations have access to essential healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic

Supported by the UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Multi-Partner Trust Fund, the technical assistance led by UNFPA and UNAIDS, and UNICEF in maintaining essential health services during COVID-19 crisis has been a crucial element to the Lao PDR response. One key element has been the pilot aimed at introducing tele-health capabilities at the sub-national level, enabling all people flexible and responsive healthcare even in times of isolation or where remote access limits direct face to face services. The pilot was designed to enable pregnant and lactating mothers to safely access health services and information, whilst also ensuring that people living with HIV could gain access to lifesaving medication and healthcare information. Ms. Khekko Saysanadeth, Head of Phakeng Health Center, Phoukhoun district, Luang Prabang province shared that “We gained new knowledge through trainings and received the necessary equipment and supplies, such as hand sanitizer, sterilizing supplies and communication equipment including loudspeakers and mobile phones to follow up on maternal and child health. After the training, we practice social distancing and set up the screening point and hand wash sinks in our center. We continue to maintain infection prevention and control and encourage visitors to wash their hands.” The technology now exists in Lao PDR for all sectors to consider how they can best deliver services to communities. This innovative approach is part of the programme to maintain essential reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health services. The pilot provided some positive results and the health providers consider the tele-health capabilities as an effective and efficient way to provide care, especially in Phonthong district where access is often difficult, also without the COVID-19 pandemic. It is very useful for patients to get immediate assistance or a referral as needed and for health care providers to develop knowledge and skills with regard to early detection of at-risk pregnancies and children with danger signs. To date, 1,762 pregnant women have received telehealth consultations for ante- and postnatal care and 35,988 women have received adapted essential reproductive services. Ms. Khekko Saysanadeth added: “We make video calls and regular calls to mothers after birth and to pregnant women so they can ask questions and check in with the clinic staff, even when it is impossible to travel. If we cannot contact them, we make a call to village authorities to make an appointment to follow up on their pregnancy progress or breastfeeding after birth. The telehealth is an effective way to maintain contact with mothers and children to ensure their safety.” The tele-health consultation for antenatal and postnatal care Whilst the telehealth service is highly appreciated by both health care providers and their patients, some barriers remain including the limited telecommunication networks in remote areas and language barriers when working closely with ethnic groups like Hmong or Khmu. Hence, where internet is not available, care can still be provided over landlines and through village health volunteers or husbands to translate where there is a language problem. To further test telehealth services, the pilot has been integrated into the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Plan of Action 2021 to enable another five provincial areas, including Savannakhet, Bolikhamxai, Bokeo, Champasack and Oudomxai, to receive appropriate trainings and resources and commence implementation. The telehealth function has also been recommended to continue as part of the routine health services beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during seasonal flooding when women might become isolated. For people living with HIV, access to care was improved through the support of two Civil Society Organizations. Approximately 1,000 people living with HIV in Lao PDR were supported to receive their regular antiretroviral medication (ARVs) via three dispensing modalities to reduce the crowding at clinics and ensure those in remote locations could still access medication during provincial border closures, including fast track, individual and group modalities. People living with HIV could receive their medication in group distributions, utilizing local networks or by working with providers to ensure fast-tracked and early orders could be delivered ahead of any COVID-19 outbreak. A community guideline to provide telehealth services for people living with HIV in 11 ARV therapy sites was also developed. Approximately 50 participants including people living with HIV peers, nurses and doctors working in the treatment sites received the training on the guideline to provide remote support on ARV medication uptake and adherence, care and psychosocial support during the pandemic. The participants were trained on the techniques for provision of telehealth services, including providing updated messages on the COVID-19 situation and latest healthcare information for targeted groups. Ms. Daovone Outhaivong, a volunteer from Luang Prabang province, shared that “Before the pandemic, all patients came to get the antiretroviral medication themselves. But during the lockdown, this was not possible with the border closures. We have around 30 patients who were mainly from disadvantaged and low-income groups and live far away from Luang Prabang town. So to make sure they all received their medication, we delivered the medication to them using motorbikes and local couriers. After the lockdown, we continue to provide information and knowledge to prevent COVID-19 transmission. We also received a training on how to provide tele-health services to targeted groups and I found it very useful”. “The project took a sustainable approach, building ownership and fostering innovation. Local actors were supported to plan actions based on global good practice. National capacities built under this project maintained and increased in some cases essential health services such as ante- and postnatal care, despite the COVID-19 crisis. Based on the findings, the practices will progressively be scaled up to expand healthcare services to the most vulnerable populations throughout the country.” said Ms Mariam A. Khan, UNFPA Representative.

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14 May 2021

Ministries and UN Lao PDR Unite to Respond to COVID-19

To implement effective preparedness activities to prevent potential widespread of COVID-19 transmission across Lao PDR, a project under the United Nations COVID-19 Response and Recovery Multi-Partner Trust Fund was launched in May 2020. Jointly implemented by UN agencies in Lao PDR including WHO, UNODC, UN-HABITAT, UNCDF, IOM, and UNDP in cooperation with the Lao Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Public Security (MoPS), Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MoPWT), and Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), the project successfully concluded in March 2021 following efforts to support Points of Entry (PoEs) to screen, monitor and isolate potential cases, treat patients at adequate medical or isolation centers, and provide water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure and services at quarantine centers. Beginning in May 2020, following the development of agreed upon Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), more than 600 frontline officers stationed at 27 PoEs across the country—including land border crossings and airports—were trained to establish mechanisms to screen and monitor cross-border movements at areas having high flow of migration, trucks, and challenges for trafficking in persons. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was provided to front line officers at 7 quarantine centers and all 27 PoEs across the country to protect the officer against health risks at work. Pol. Major Gen., Oulay Saypanya, a member of Boten-Mohan Checkpoint Management Committee in Luang Namtha province shared how the project had supported frontline officials, “The SOP informs the different PoE sectors of a clear division of their roles and responsibilities as they respond to incoming migrants; this leads to a more organized border management system. The SOP also instructs frontline officials on ways to effectively protect themselves against the virus while on duty” he said. The mapping assessments also helped the team to discover gaps in areas such as transportation of migrants to quarantine centers, physical distancing practices and PPE supplies. After participating in the trainings, Pol. Major Gen. Saypanya had enhanced knowledge on COVID-19 risks and felt better equipped as the first line of defense against COVID-19 being imported into Lao PDR. “We [frontline officials] are now better protected with the personal protective equipment provided by the project. I have also shared the knowledge with over 40 people, including immigration officials, colleagues from other sectors as well as my family members.” Following each training to border officials, which were held in central locations, participants passed on their lessons learned to colleagues at remote land border crossings, ensuring this essential information reached the most vulnerable communities. More than one hundred local officials were trained through these subsequent downstream workshops. A ‘pocket guide’ and other reference material on the pandemic and public health practice was also developed in Lao to assist frontline officers covering the essential information shared during trainings. Using these materials, officers can continue to apply critical disease control measures at PoEs. After entering the country, all new arrivals are expected to isolate in Government designated quarantine centers for 2 weeks. Six quarantine centers in four provinces of Champasak, Luang Prabang, Savannahkhet, and Xayaboury were supported with improved WASH infrastructure and services, reaching 11,348 people (6,025 females and 5,323 males) between October 2020 and February 2021. New gender-separated toilets, public hand-washing stations, shower facilities, water network expansion, including pipes, taps and drainage rehabilitation were provided together with information, education and communication materials to raise awareness of the local population on proper WASH practices. Mr. Khampoun Nuansabap, the Manager of Songkhone District Quarantine Center, Savannakhet province, recalled: “Prior to the project, there was a constant shortage of water, food, and other essential non-food items. The support on WASH equipment helped ensure safer, healthier and more comfortable stay for many Lao migrant workers/returnees from Thailand while they undergo quarantine for fourteen days” he said and added that “The construction of proper gender-separated bathrooms, has particularly been beneficial as there were only two basic latrines at the facility prior to the project support.” In addition to WASH support, seven quarantine centers in Bokeo, Luang Namtha, Champasak, and Xayaboury were provided with kitchen supplies, sanitation equipment, light renovations, and computers to support facility management. The project also developed a Quarantine Center Profile and Occupancy Registration Database to enable the Government to better monitor border crossings and quarantine capacities in real time from the central level, allowing for resources to be more effectively targeted to where it is needed most.
From September to October 2020, 321 local Government officials in the four bordering provinces were also trained to prevent and contain COVID-19 through enhanced public services and community engagement. The training was based on three scenarios, protecting community from entry of COVID-19, containing and mitigating transmission of COVID-19 in communities, and protecting and improving health of citizens beyond COVID-19. The local officials from each workshop contributed to their “Provincial Preparedness Action Plan” which was drafted and introduced at a project lessons learnt workshop to leaders of the participating provinces and ministries in February 2021. The plans identify the roles and responsibilities, required resources, and good practices that ensure a strengthened localized preventative approach to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the lesson learnt workshop, Mr. Khammoune Viphongxay, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs shared that “Local authorities at all levels are a major force in assisting the population, implementing measures to monitor and control the spread of COVID-19.” Adding to Mr. Viphongxay’s comments, Dr. Phouthone Meuangpak, Deputy Minister of Health, said "Improving health of the people is the responsibility of everyone, not only the health sector. Next steps should include continuing to strengthen multi-sectoral collaboration in local governance; identifying clear responsibilities of each sector, for example the management of illegal border crossings and quarantine centers.” Whilst the multi-partner project closed in March 2021, the implementing ministries and institutions continue to effectively implement the respective measures in response to the COVID-19 transmission across Lao PDR. Roles, responsibilities and needs of authorities at the provincial, district and village levels, now better understand their roles and how best to collaborate between all Government agencies and sectors of society. Ms. Ricarda Rieger, UNDP Resident Representative, concluded “It has been encouraging to see how different ministries and departments worked together to address the pandemic. We hope that the spirit of collaboration prevails to ensure that Lao PDR can continue to implement the strong border procedures to keep COVID-19 at bay. It is not only an issue for the Ministry of Health, but the responsibility of each Ministry and every citizen to collectively respond to health risks for a safer and healthier community.”

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30 April 2021

Leave No One Behind - Establishing the Basis for Social Protection Floors in Lao PDR

Over the past decade, Lao PDR has seen high economic growth and poverty reduction. And yet, a fifth of the population continues to live around or below the national poverty line. Maternal and child mortality are high compared to other countries in Southeast Asia. Malnutrition and stunting affect many children. A fifth of all students do not complete school, due to financial barriers. The country is in the beginning stages of developing its social protection system, and as such current coverage is low, at just 15% of the working-age population. To tackle these problems, in April 2020, the Government adopted its first National Social Protection Strategy for 2021-2025. The Strategy is built around three main pillars: improving social health insurance, extending social security and establishing the groundwork for social assistance programmes. To support the Government in the implementation of the Strategy, the UN Joint Programme on Social Protection was established under joint operation of ILO, UNICEF and UNCDF. The Programme has two integrated components: institutional development support to the Government of Lao PDR and design and pilot of the Mother and Early Childhood Grant to demonstrate the benefits of social protection The interventions proposed have multiplying effects in several SDGs, expecting to directly impact on poverty reduction, nutritional gains, reduction of socio-economic inequalities, improvement of gender equality markers, and overall system sustainability. “We do believe that to deliver the results that are needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and truly “leave no one behind”, we have to go at scale. And the only way to go at scale is to work with national structures and to build-up a national programme,” shared Ms. Sara Sekkenes, UN Resident Coordinator for Lao PDR. Funding the pilot test of the Strategy in two of the poorest districts in Lao PDR, Mr. Jean-Bernard Carrasco, Ambassador of Australia to Lao PDR for 2018-2021, said on behalf of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT): “We are providing funding so that we can test the social protection pilot in the south of the country. And our hope is that what has been tested is something that the Lao Government will be able to, with others support, roll-out nationally particularly to help women and young children to be able to benefit the most and particularly poor children and poor women.” “This will be an early and important step to benefit people, especially women and children who have health and nutrition problems. The best practices learned from this programme will be a model for scaling up to broader areas of the country,” said Dr. Yangkou Yangluexay, Director General, Department of Planning and International Cooperation, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. The UN Joint Programme on Social Protection supports the Government of Lao PDR to plan, prepare, implement and monitor the National Social Protection Strategy 2025. It aims to generate evidence to show that social protection is feasible and impactful even in low-income countries and in this way, to secure greater domestic investment in social protection. This Programme allows UN agencies to pool their expertise and reduce overlaps in their support to the Government of Lao PDR. It will accelerate progress towards SDG1 (No Poverty), SDG2 (Zero Hunger), SDG16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The Programme is financed by the Joint SDG Fund and DFAT Australia. The story was created by UN Joint Programme on Social Protection and UN Resident Coordinator in Lao PDR.

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06 July 2021

Lao farmers reaching for global, organic coffee markets

Consumers are increasingly concerned about the products they drink and eat – whether it is safe for their health or the environment. And the same applies to coffee. As a big market, the European Union (EU) represents nearly half of the world’s coffee imports. In 2019, the total coffee import was 3 million tons, worth €7.5 billion. Between 2019 and 2020, Lao PDR’s coffee and tea exports to the EU has almost doubled, from €16 million to €29 million. According to the Lao PDR Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, coffee is one of the country’s top three agricultural crops with the highest export value. It is only natural that the country aims to increase its coffee production to one million tons by 2025. Locating in southern Lao PDR, the Bolaven Plateau is ideally placed for producing high quality coffee and potentially compete in the market for specialty and organic coffee, products that carry premium prices. Despite these opportunities, Lao coffee sector faces many challenges, such as low farm-level productivity, lack of minimum quality standards, high logistical costs, as well as low capacity for research and commercialization, among others. To address these challenges, the International Trade Centre and local partners of the country’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce along with the Lao Coffee Association jointly organized a training on how to start organic coffee farms. The training offered Lao farmers, cooperatives, and small businesses an opportunity to strengthen their knowledge regarding the organic production, processing and marketing of coffee. "This training is one of the solutions offered by the Coffee Export Roadmap, which the Lao Government has recently endorsed, to help Lao farmers and small businesses secure their spots in the global, sustainable coffee market", said Xaysomphet Norasingh, Director General of the Department of Trade Promotion at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. “It’s a win-win partnership between the Lao Government and development partners in the coffee sector. We love coffee, and Lao people produce great coffee, so the European consumers are ready to pay a higher price for a cup of coffee which is organic, respectful to the environment, provide decent jobs and make a positive impact in the community,” said Vincent Vire, Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation in Lao PDR. Amongst the 70 participants who joined virtually from across Lao PDR, Phaengsy Daoduangdee, the owner of Duangdee Coffee Farm, said: “I was able to gain a deeper understanding of organic farming and the process of applying for organic certification. In addition, I learned different organic ways to eliminate coffee pests, particularly coffee stem-borers, which have been a big issue for us, farmers, for some time.” In addition, the manager and support staff of the Vanmai cooperative in Northern Lao PDR, where the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has been supporting 383 farmers to grow coffee since 2016, participated in this training. The UNODC project aims at assisting beneficiaries in the communities who want to transition from opium crops, while building a financially sustainable and resilient cooperative. The farmers have planted around 400 hectares of coffee and established their own cooperative to independently process and commercialize coffee for premium international markets. A transition to fully organic production and obtaining an organic certification is an important part of the long-term strategy of the Vanmai cooperative, and participation in the training provided valuable inputs for this transition process. This training was the first in a series. Next trainings in the coming months will focus on organic marketing and certification and improving sensory and cupping skills for specialty coffee. In fact, Phaengsy has already applied for the second training, and she is looking forward to more practical learning opportunities. The training formed part of the EU-funded initiative, the ASEAN Regional Integration Support to Lao PDR (ARISE Plus), which supports sustainable agricultural value chain development in Lao PDR, especially those based on organic production and fair trade – and ultimately, promoting inclusive economic growth, climate change resilience, mitigating vulnerability and job creation in Lao PDR. About ITC: The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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25 June 2021

Farmers in Huaphan province change their life with coffee plantation

Vanmai Coffee Cooperative is a community of families in Huaphan Province in northern Laos, growing coffee to leave behind a troublesome past. Vanmai means new day in the local Lao language. With the support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Lao Commission for Drug Control and Supervision (LCDC), 383 Vanmai farmers began their transition towards cultivating coffee in late 2016. Since then, their achievements have been many. With the assistance of UNODC experts and agronomists, they have planted around 400 hectares of coffee and established their own cooperative to independently process and commercialize coffee for premium international markets. Supported by UNODC’s Alternative Development project, wet processing centers have already been installed across 12 coffee growing communities. The construction of a warehouse, a dry mill and an office for the cooperative —boasting its own coffee shop— is scheduled to begin in 2021. April 6, 2021 marked a further remarkable step for Vanmai farmers. A five-year partnership agreement with the renowned French Coffee Roaster Malongo was signed and their coffee export expects to increase over five-year period, from 20 tons in 2021 to 200 tons in 2025. “We will improve the quality of our coffee, the organic coffee that is free from toxic chemical, because we think it is the way to add value to our products and to protect environment” said Savaythong Khounsavanh, President of the Vanmai Cooperative. “We believe that the project will help villagers in the area, particularly twelve targeted villages in the four districts of Hua Phan province, have a better livelihood in the future.” Supported by the project, Vanmai has recently established a women’s network with 12 elected members. With the aim of building a cohort of female leaders, the project supports this group with in-depth trainings on coffee as a business. Being a member of the women’s network and the Vanmai Cooperative, Ms Siathor Yialao is happy that she can participate in the project from the beginning. She believes the project can help her family and other families in the villages to be out of poverty. “I want to earn money so I can send my children to school and I can buy things in the market. Before the project, I did not have money to travel outside of my home province. Now, I can travel to other provinces. And one day, I think I will earn enough money to travel abroad.” She added: “But as women, we also have difficulties. Many women in my village cannot speak the main Lao language fluently. That is why it is not easy to communicate and get all information about the project”. Ms. Sengvida Sengmanivong, from Na Or village, the leader of the Vanmai Women’s Network, found the positive thing that the project brings to her and other women is that there is no more opium plantation in the area. She was confident: “We can earn income without opium. Thanks to the project, we are now with higher incomes than before. We can buy medicines and household items for our daily life.” Members from the Women’s Network of the 12 villages participated on the trainings on coffee tasting and gender empowerment and they hope to have the chance to participate in other trainings in the future. Women’s Network also set up interest groups for their participants to share knowledge with others. Sengvida said: “It is not only about coffee plantation, but also about other things in life that we can talk and share. We feel that we have more solidarity among villagers through these activities”. This UNODC-led project was recently extended to December 2023 based on available funding, with the aim to continue supporting local efforts until at least 2025. Over the coming project cycle, UNODC will continue to build up the management skills of the Vanmai Cooperative, based on a solid democratic foundation that also empowers women. The project aims to double the cultivation area in the coming years, with the objective of assisting more beneficiaries in the communities who want to transition from opium crops, while building a financially sustainable and resilient cooperative. The project has been funded by the Governments of Luxembourg, the United States, Germany, and Japan.

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23 June 2021

Ensuring that children get a good start to life: Mother and Early Childhood Grant in Lao PDR

The Government of Lao PDR envisions just that, through the Mother and Early Childhood Grant (MECG) – a cash benefit for pregnant women and newborns integrated with antenatal and postnatal care services and support for birth registration. In June 2021, the MECG programme was launched as a pilot as part of the UN Joint Programme on ‘Establishing the basis for Social Protection Floors in Lao PDR’. 700 prospective beneficiaries, i.e., pregnant women in their second and third trimesters and infants up to 6 months of age have been registered, while registrations are in progress to cover at least 700 more women and children. The pilot will run in three districts of the country namely, Sanamxay and Phouvong (Attapeu province) and Nong (Savannakhet province). it will offer lessons for eventually scaling up the MECG to the rest of the country. “This is the first time that we have started implementing a social protection programme remotely, including beneficiary registrations and staff training, due to the COVID-19 related restrictions. This makes the MECG programme innovative.” Beate Dastel, UNICEF Representative a.i. in Lao PDR The programme has adopted several innovations to adapt to the socioeconomic context of Lao PDR and pandemic related restrictions. Financial inclusion in Lao PDR is low and few rural dwellers have bank accounts, while banking infrastructure is itself poor in rural areas. The MECG cash benefit will be delivered to beneficiaries through a digital payment app “U-Money”, which only requires a mobile phone number to register. The payment service provider will visit people’s homes and provide cash-to-door services for those few beneficiaries whose phone numbers are not registered. Digital payment mechanisms have been gaining popularity in recent times and the lessons from this experience will contribute to facilitating not only other social welfare payments but also social insurance payments. The MECG programme uses a multi-stakeholder approach to establish the system and inform rural communities about its benefits. The social protection system in the country is nascent. Before a cash transfer is implemented, the systems and infrastructure need to be put in place. UNICEF is supporting the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to work with village chiefs, district officials and healthcare workers in the pilot areas. Most of the Lao population lives in rural areas and is unfamiliar with the idea of social protection. This is why one of the pillars of the MECG pilot is Behaviour Change Communication, to induce changes in perspective and action that will increase the uptake of social protection. Multi-dimensional poverty in Lao PDR is high, therefore the MECG programme has adopted an integrated approach to tackle this problem. It integrates a cash benefit for pregnant women and newborns with antenatal and postnatal care services and support for birth registration. In this way, it is designed to ensure that children can access adequate nutrition and healthcare in the first 1000 days of life. The joint Government-UN effort will help to accelerate progress towards SDG1 (No Poverty), SDG2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). The story was written by Loveleen De on behalf of the UN Joint Programme on Social Protection in Lao PDR.

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11 June 2021

Development of Lao PDR – UN Cooperation Framework: a consultative process for stakeholders to voice views and participate

The current Lao PDR – UN Partnership Framework 2017 – 2021 is drawing to a close. As the most important instrument for the planning and implementation of UN development activities following the reform of the UN Development System, the successor to this framework is now being developed to reflect an enhanced spirit of coordination, transparency, efficiency and impact. Since late 2020, the UN Country Team has worked to advance its planning in close collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Planning and Investment and other line ministries on the development of the new Lao PDR-UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2022-2026 (UNSDCF). The UNSDCF is built on three key documents: the 9th national Socio-Economic Development Plan 2021-2025, the draft UN assessment of the development situation in Lao PDR, and the recent independent evaluation of the current Lao PDR-UN Partnership Framework 2017-2021. Together, these laid the foundations for the identification of transformational development priorities, the strategies for achieving such changes, and guidance on how to work jointly with key national counterparts. Importantly, at a meeting of the Joint Steering Committee under the joint leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in February, the decision was made to actively include stakeholders including development partners, private sector and non-governmental organizations in the development process. Through this, the UN Country Team aims to build on and further advance the broader partnerships for development cooperation in Lao PDR. Through the series of consultations that followed, more than 150 participants representing both non-resident and resident development partners, non-governmental organisations, and private sector organisations participated have been engaged in the process. Mr. Maythong Thammavongsa, Director-General of Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Head of the National SDG Secretariat highlighted: “It is important to align the Cooperation Framework with national priorities outlined in the National Social Economic Development Plan to reflect real needs of the country. I appreciate UN in Lao PDR to develop the Framework in a consultative way so all stakeholders can have a voice and actively participate in the process. I believe that inputs from the stakeholders can enrich the discussion during consultations and positively contribute to the final version of the Cooperation Framework”. Opening the consultation series, UN Resident Coordinator to Lao PDR, Ms. Sara Sekkenes noted that “These consultations turn to consideration of programme priorities for our next Cooperation Framework. This will bring together the UN’s analysis through the Common Country Analysis and the Government’s policy priorities as set out in the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan”. The Resident Coordinator further stressed that “This is the first Lao-UN strategic planning framework to be developed since the global reform of the UN Development System, and as such there are new expectations placed on all of us to do things differently and work even more closely together. “ “This consultation process is crucial for not just the United Nations but for all of the development partners, and the U.S. Government is happy to be a part of it,” shared A. Michael Stern, Deputy Country Representative/Program Office Director of the US Agency for International Development in Lao PDR. “It has been great to witness the development partners during the coordination process, and to have a chance to provide input as we can think about our own programs and how we can align the work that we do with what the United Nations is doing across all different UN Agencies in the country.” Being the representative for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the country to participate in the consultation, Thongdam Phongphichith, Co-Director of Global Association for People and the Environment (GAPE), was grateful for an opportunity to participate and contribute to the whole process of the Cooperation Framework. “We are happy that we can be involved in the analysis, planning, monitoring, implementation, evaluation and reporting of the Framework.” He added: “CSOs will also work to improve the effectiveness of our administrative, coordinating and collaborative mechanisms to contribute to successful implementation of the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan.” The leader of Namjai Community Association, a local non-governmental organization that works to promote education, gender equality and the fight again violence toward children and women, Minavanh Pholsena noted the potential synergies from the consultation, as Lao CSOs were also in the process of formulating their own 5-year plan- “After participating in this meeting, CSOs are now well aware of the 5Ps of People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnerships to be achieved by UN in Lao PDR. We will see how we can cooperate with UN from now on, considering what we learned from this consultation of the UNSDCF”. From the Lao Business Women’s Association, which assembles Lao female entrepreneurs and businesswomen throughout the country, Pathoumphone Phetsavong said: “From the consultation, I found a number of interesting points to share with members of Lao Businesswomen Association, especially on the guidance for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups.” The draft Lao PDR-UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2022 -2026 has now been finalized and submitted to the Government of Lao PDR. A High-Level Meeting of the Government of Lao PDR and UN Joint Steering Committee is planned to be organized in mid-2021 to formally endorse the new Cooperation Framework.

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05 March 2021

The life of an immunization officer in Lao PDR

About 50 kilometres north of Lao PDR's capital city, Vientiane, lies the KM52 health centre. The health centre encompasses nine villages comprising more than 2,000 children. One of the health centre nurses is 37-year-old Chansi Chandala, who is one of the people responsible for administering the routine immunization programme in the villages. For the past 11 years, she has been vaccinating women and children in the villages near the KM52 health centre. From birth until a child turns two, the children receive routine immunization. “My team and I are responsible for vaccinating all 2,000 children in the 400 households in the nine villages," says Chansi. Every month, the health centre administers routine immunization for all children in the district. However, the challenge is that parents and their children often do not show up for their appointment. "A lot of families do not show up to the health centre when it's time for their children's routine vaccination. Many families are busy in their farms, while some don't understand the importance of getting their children fully vaccinated." To ensure that no child is deprived of life-saving vaccines, a team of four members, including Chansi, visits each household in the village whose children did not receive the monthly dose. She puts about 90 doses of vaccines in her portable cooler box and takes the town's round. She travels on her motorbike to visit each home to deliver vaccination to the children. Sometimes, when the roads are too challenging to navigate, she leaves her motorbike at the village office and must walk instead. Chansi administers vaccines such as Hepatitis B, BCG, Measles, IPV, OPV, Penta, Tetanus, etc. She received training on maintaining the temperature of the vaccines and how to deliver vaccine injections for children. Once the child receives their first dose, they are registered in the health centre's vaccination records. In return, the health centre also provides a yellow vaccination card to the parents. In the past, Lao PDR has faced the brunt of diseases such as Smallpox, Polio, Measles and Rubella. With the objective of vaccinating children and end preventable diseases, the National Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) was launched in 1982, targeting children under two and women between 15-45 years old throughout the entire country. UNICEF is a leading agency in Lao PDR's vaccine management and communication. Thanks to generous support from donors such as the Japanese Committee for UNICEF, the EPI programme has successfully eradicated Smallpox and Polio. However, the battle is still on against measles and rubella. The EPI programme has set an ambitious target to reach 95 per cent of children with routine vaccines. For this target, planning for integrated outreach, training for health staff, training for communities and advocating for advocacy and social mobilization are being carried out across the country. "I will continue working to ensure that children receive their routine vaccination. However, I think there is room for improvement. More efforts to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination to parents, starting from when the mother is pregnant, is needed to reach every child," says Chansi. With support from development partners such WHO, GAVI – the Vaccine Alliance, KOICA, Lao Lux-Development, Save the Children Australia, Swiss Red Cross, the Government of Lao PDR provides routine vaccination to all children for free. However, the country's immunization drive is still in need of financial support for training, management, communication etc. The need for financial assistance will only go up as Lao PDR is preparing to inroduce COVID-19 vaccines in the country in early 2021. --- The story and its photos was created by Ayush Karki, Communication Officer of UNICEF in Lao PDR. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children in Lao PDR, visit https://www.unicef.org/laos/ Follow UNICEF in Lao PDR on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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Press Release

06 September 2021

Re-opening Schools balancing Health and Education: Keeping children safe, healthy and learning

Vientiane, 6 September 2021 – We welcome the recent announcement from the Prime Minister’s Office, and the Ministry of Education and Sports to start the new school year across Lao PDR on 6 September, and call for keeping schools open for in-person learning unless the epidemiological situation does not warrant it. While the COVID-19 virus continues to proliferate and emerging data indicate children are also getting infected, decisions to close down educational services should take into account health considerations with educational needs in the immediate term as well as the potential instructional, developmental, educational, and economic consequences of these shutdowns. Therefore, we would like to take this opportunity to commend the Government of Lao PDR, particularly the Ministry of Education and Sports, on this latest decision that would allow nearly to two million students from pre-primary to higher education to return to in-person schooling in areas with no new cases of community spread in recent 14 days (Red Zone), and use other learning options in areas where schools are temporarily closed. Ensuring that schools reopen safely ultimately contributes to the human resource development of the country which is a pillar of the 9th National Socioeconomic Development Plan (NSEDP) and is the right step towards securing the future of the next generation. It is also critical to continue the efforts made to reduce gender inequalities, as the pandemic has disproportionately affected women, impacted their own development and economic status. We are now well into the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused widespread disruption to the lives of families across Lao PDR, including children. The gains that we have collectively made in children’s well-being are under threat due to disruptions to face-to-face schooling caused by COVID-19. It is clear that if we are to safeguard the future of every child in Lao PDR, schools must reopen safely with COVID-19 prevention and protection strategies in place and closing schools must be a temporary measure of last resort. Moreover, even before the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, there was a need to address and improve the learning performance of Lao students. When schools are closed, the majority of children are not learning, which could worsen the already poor learning outcomes of students. In order to optimize the health, protection and wellbeing of children to create a safe school environment, we are proposing a layered approach. The first layer of protection to ensuring safe reopening of schools is the vaccination for teachers, and going forward as soon as possible, for children in the 12 to 18 years age (as WHO has approved COVID-19 vaccines for this age group). The second layer of protection to keep children and teachers safe are the use of masks and social distancing at all times in schools, with classrooms having a good airflow and ventilation. Frequent hand washing with soap or use of hand sanitizers, and frequent cleaning of shared surfaces must be observed. Keeping students and teachers in small groups; staggering start, break, bathroom, meals and school end times are also recommended prevention measures, as well as information sharing mechanisms with parents, students and teachers. Remote, hybrid learning options for students with capacity development support for teachers should be explored to ensure some type of continuity of learning, including use of digital technologies. With the support of UN agencies and development partners, supplies such as digital thermometers, hand sanitisers, water connection and group handwashing facilities, soaps, and face masks are being provided to schools. The Ministry of Education and Sports has put in place safety protocols for schools based on global WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF and WFP guidelines. Moreover, Lao PDR’s decision to prioritize the vaccination of teachers also provide additional protection and will help to prevent community transmission. Schools are more than just buildings where children learn. They are the safe havens that are crucial to children’s development, safety and well-being. The benefits of being in school far outweighs the risks and potential consequences when children miss out on in-person learning: from learning loss, mental distress, risk to exposure to violence and abuse, to missed school-based meals and vaccinations or reduced development of social skills. While school reopening is indeed a key first step, we also need to ensure that students, especially the most vulnerable will be able to reconnect with their learning trajectories after long school closures, catching-up on lost learning time. We congratulate the Ministry of Education and Sports and the provincial and district education authorities on their efforts to ensure on-time safe school reopening for the start of the new school year, and provision of other learning options where schools are temporarily closed. The UN remains committed to working with the Government of Lao PDR to ensure that schools throughout the country can stay open with relevant COVID-19 prevention measures in place and support the most vulnerable return to and remain in school.

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Press Release

01 September 2021

Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and International Organization for Migration Strengthen Cooperation

Mr. Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed his sincere gratitude during the momentous signing ceremony for IOM’s support to the Government of Lao PDR. He said, “Migration has significantly contributed to the national socio-economy. The Government of Lao PDR wishes for continued support from IOM in the area of migration including on capacity building programmes, labour migration, anti-trafficking in persons and related activities.” Ms. Shareen Tuladhar, Chief of Mission, IOM Lao PDR said “Noting that Lao PDR became the 171st member state of IOM in June 2018, this development, again, takes our dynamically developing cooperation with the Government of Lao PDR to a higher level. Since opening the office in Vientiane in 2002, we have witnessed an increasing interest and steady practical steps of Lao authorities to build an effective modern-day migration governance system”. Notably, by entering into this agreement, IOM is granted the Privileges and Immunities afforded by the Government to accredited United Nations specialized agencies in implementing its works throughout the country, in accordance with the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies. Under the agreement, IOM will continue to expand its assistance by implementing migration programmes in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. These include capacity building, advisory services and technical cooperation on migration issues, migration and health, international migration law, migration and environment, counter-trafficking, immigration and border management, assisted voluntary return and reintegration and emergency or post-crisis response. A global crisis, like COVID-19, has also revealed a need for even broader cooperation between the countries of origin, transit and destination of migrants, between international organizations, government entities, civil society organizations, and the private sector. The agreement signed today is yet another sign of dedication towards the expansion of such. To this end, IOM will while doing so, also work in collaboration with UN sister agencies on issues relevant across the UN country team as outlined in the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, which outlines the overall UN strategy for development cooperation in Lao PDR, including with ILO, UNODC, UNHCR, and WHO. The collaborative partnership approach aims at achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals. It also provides further opportunities for IOM and the Government of Lao PDR to work towards its commitment under regional and international processes such as the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. “Today, marks a significant milestone for IOM and the Government of Lao PDR, which underlines both parties’ mutual interest to strengthen cooperation and work together on migration issues to promote human capital development and prosperity. I congratulate both parties for signing this document and I assure you of IOM’s commitment.”, said Ms Tuladhar. For more information, please contact Shareen Tuladhar, Chief of Mission at shtuladhar@iom.int or Koraket Tanseri, Communication Intern at Email: ktanseri@iom.int

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Press Release

05 August 2021

Training on management and use of dietary data in Lao PDR

FAO and WHO have been developing a global database of Individual Quantitative Food Consumption Data under a joint initiative called FAO/WHO Global Individual Food consumption data Tool (FAO/WHO GIFT), accessible online, http://www.fao.org/gift-individual-food-consumption/inventory-of-surveys/en/). The tool is tailored to meet the needs of policy makers and enables informed decisions by answering the question: “What do people eat?” FAO/WHO GIFT serves to disseminate existing data about what people eat and drink in easy-to-understand age and sex-disaggregated indicators of food consumption and nutrition for non-specialized users, as well as to make full micro datasets available for advanced users who wish to analyze the data themselves. In many countries around the world, one of the main obstacles towards a healthy diet for all is the insufficiency of available and accessible data on what people eat and drink to support effective evidence-based policies and programmes. In Lao PDR, the Lao TPHI implemented the National food consumption survey between 2016 and 2017. This survey collected information about what people eat and drink using a method known as the 24-hour dietary recall. The survey population covered three regions of the country, representing three major agro-ecological zones in the country. A total of 2016 respondents between 0 and 89 years of age, both males and females, including pregnant and lactating women were included in the survey. The team at FAO delivering the training were also involved in providing technical support to the survey design and implementation as a part of its collaboration with WHO and the Codex Trust Fund project under which the survey was funded. This survey provides the most recent and most comprehensive data on food consumption for the population of Lao PDR. The complete set of food and nutrient intake data from the survey is available in the FAO/WHO GIFT platform. The goal of this training was to support the country to make the best possible use of this data. At the closing session of the training on 29 July 2021, Mr. Nasar Hayat, FAO Representative to Lao PDR emphasized that “it is critical to ensure that the data is harmonized, disseminated, and utilized”. During this three-week training, the participants learned and discussed ways forward to maximize the use of data. Dr. Latsamy Siengsounthone, the Deputy Director General of Lao-TPHI shared the ideas for further use of this data discussed during the training: “It may be used for country-specific research, country briefs for policy, exposure assessment for food safety analysis, development of Food Based Dietary Guidelines and Food Composition Tables for Lao PDR, and further trainings”. For further information, please contact: Vilaylack Khounvisith National Communication Consultant Vilaylack.khounvisith@fao.org

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Press Release

13 July 2021

FAO provides vital COVID-19 equipment and supplies to Lao PDR

FAO, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), provided Smart Testing Booths, reagents and supplies for COVID-19 testing to the National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology (NCLE) of the Department of Communicable Disease Control (DCDC). The provision of much needed equipment and supplies shows the vital work that FAO is doing as part of the United Nations Global Humanitarian Response Plan. The Plan was aimed at supporting governments of member countries to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have stepped up efforts to helping countries beyond our mandate of improving nutrition, increasing agricultural productivity, raising the standard of living in rural populations and contributing to global economic growth,” FAO Representative to Lao PDR Mr Nasar Hayat said at the handover ceremony of the equipment and supplies. Joining Mr Hayat are Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, Minister of Health and department head of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. They oversaw the turnover of 37,810 US Dollars or about 370,810,000 LAK worth of sample collection booths and laboratory supplies to the Lao PDR government. The equipment and supplies will be distributed to hospitals or provinces as needed. Beyond Food and Agriculture
FAO has also technically supported the Lao PDR government in minimizing COVID-19 impacts especially on food security and livelihoods. The animal health sector is also being supported with FAO providing technical expertise in assisting the human health sector in the investigation, laboratory diagnosis and tracing of COVID-19 cases. There have been overseas reports of COVID-19 infection in animals. This is a scenario that FAO is especially helping Lao PDR to minimize the risks of COVID-19 infection in animals and, possible, further spread of the virus. Guarding the borders
FAO, with USAID funding, have trained field border officers in northern, central, southern provinces to improve surveillance, disease inspection, sample collection, infection prevention, control and environmental cleaning practice. The training workshop allowed the officers to share lessons learned and experiences in the prevention and response to COVID-19. Among the trainees included public and animal health officers, and immigration police officers. Mr Hayat also said that calibration and certification services were provided for biosafety cabinets in Lao PDR. Related links: FAO Lao PDR: http://www.fao.org/laos FAO and COVID-19: http://www.fao.org/2019-ncov/en/ Food system policy priorities and programmatic actions for healthy diets in the context of COVID-19: http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/ca9512en Impacts of coronavirus on food security and nutrition in Asia and the Pacific: Building more resilient food systems: http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/ca9473en

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Press Release

13 July 2021

Government of Lao PDR – United Nations High-level Joint Steering Committee

Vientiane, 13 July 2021 – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the United Nations (UN), jointly organized a High-level meeting of the Government of Lao PDR – United Nations Joint Steering Committee (JSC). During the event, the High-level JSC finalized the new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), which will now be submitted for formal approval by the Government. The new Cooperation Framework will guide the work of all UN agencies in Lao PDR from 2022 until 2026 in line with the reformed UN development system. The meeting was co-chaired by H.E. Mr. Thongphane Savanphet, Deputy-Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Ms. Sara Sekkenes, UN Resident Coordinator with a number of representatives from 12 ministries and UN agencies in the country participating in the online event.The Cooperation Framework compromises four strategic priorities: People’s wellbeing; Inclusive prosperity; Governance and rule of law; and Environment, Climate Change, and Resilience. Developing the new generation of Cooperation Frameworks is part of the global UN reform, which strives to make the UN development system more coherent, efficient, and effective. During the event, H.E. Mr Thongphane Savanphet, Deputy-Minister of Foreign Affairs, underlined the good cooperation between the Government of Lao PDR and the UN country team. Over the course of the Cooperation Framework’s development process, the Government of Lao PDR and its Ministries have been consistently involved, ensuring that the strategic document corresponds to national priorities and lays the foundation for sustainable progress. This includes preparing the ground for a smooth graduation from the Least Developed Country status as well as accelerating progress to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. Ms. Sara Sekkenes, UN Resident Coordinator, pointed out that the Cooperation Framework has the potential to transform how the UN works in Lao PDR. The strategic document aims at facilitating closer joint work within the UN as well as with representatives from across Government entities. Moreover, the ‘Cooperation Framework embodies the principle of Leaving No One Behind’, meaning that UN programming, policy, and advocacy efforts first and foremost target to reach the most vulnerable groups, which is a key promise of the 2030 Agenda as outlined by world leaders in 2015. Ahead of the expiration of the current Lao PDR-UN Partnership Framework 2017-2021, the journey began last year, with the agreement on a Roadmap for the process to develop the Cooperation Framework. This was followed by discussions of Lao PDR’s development context, numerous consultations with various stakeholders about priority areas of the Cooperation Framework, as well as a comprehensive and constructive dialogue with government partners across ministries and entities. This was achieved despite the challenges brought about by the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the endorsement of the Cooperation Framework, the work of the Joint Steering Committee’ will now shift towards overseeing the final months of the current Partnership Framework, and then monitoring the implementation of the Cooperation Framework from 2022 onwards. The formal signing ceremony is expected to take place in the margins of the Round Table Meeting schedules later this year.

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