Remarks by UN Resident Coordinator in Lao PDR on the occasion of presentation of credentials

Friday, 13th October 2023, 11.30 AM – 12.00 PM

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

UN Resident Coordinator to Lao PDR,

Mr. Bakhodir Burkhanov

Your Excellency, Saleumxay Kommasith, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs,

Distinguished colleagues,

Friends of the United Nations System in Lao PDR:

I would like to express my appreciation to you all for this ceremony and the honour of serving as the UN Resident Coordinator for Lao PDR. I have been looking forward to this day ever since my appointment was confirmed.

I had the pleasure of meeting you, Excellency, in New York last month on the sidelines of the SDG Summit, where the world leaders recognized that the achievement of the goals is at risk. Globally, inequalities are growing wider and extreme poverty continues to be an everyday reality for many. Climate disasters are becoming more frequent and costly. One in three countries is at high risk of fiscal crisis. Approaching the halfway point of the SDG deadline, the world is off track.

Here in Lao PDR and across the globe, the role of the United Nations, working in concert with national and other partners, has never been more vital. We have a strong foundation – our partnership is strong, our collaborative platforms are solid, and we achieve results together. I would like to acknowledge my predecessor, Ms. Sara Sekkenes, who, as the first UN Resident Coordinator after the UN development system reform, led the development of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.

But good plans are not a guarantee of success. The implementation of the Cooperation Framework is truly a collective effort, and we must mobilize the whole of society to achieve our shared objectives, with steer from the Government and support from the development partners.

Two years into the implementation of the Cooperation Framework, we have some significant results to show, together:

• Important commitments have been made to improve education outcomes at the Transforming Education Summit and the Human Capital Summit.
• Critical recommendations have been agreed to under the 9th NSEDP Financing Strategy and the Smooth Transition Strategy for LDC Graduation on inclusive and resilient economic growth and development.
• National Action Plans and Roadmaps are being developed to strengthen food systems and early warning for all.
• The first Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Plan of Action has been submitted and work on the recommendations from the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is underway.

Much more work is ahead. Implementation requires painstaking effort, coordination, and partnerships. It would be my honour to work with you as we translate commitments into action.

In the first two weeks since I arrived, I have met members of the UN Country Team. I’m impressed with the depth of their knowledge and commitment to Laos. There are some impressions that I have gathered from these interactions that I would like to share with you:

• First, there is a need to continuously align our joint efforts with national priorities, and we look forward to both supporting the Mid-Term Review of the 9th NSEDP and to its upcoming recommendations in order to course-correct and better sequence our support.
• Second, 2024 is a critical year for Lao PDR as the country takes on the ASEAN chairmanship. We stand ready to support you in this important role and to amplify your voice at global fora, including the upcoming Summit of the Future in 2024.
• Third and most important, the UN System is privileged to have a constructive relationship with the Government at all levels. It is of utmost importance that we have your trust as we work together to make people’s lives better. In everything that we do, our goals are truly shared.

Let me conclude with those few words, and take this opportunity to invite you to our 78th UN Day celebrations at the UN House on 24 October. Let us be together to commemorate the organization that belongs to all nations and to every nation.

Thank you.