Opening Remarks at 2024 Round Table Implementation Meeting

Excellency Dr. Phet Phomphiphak, Minister of Planning and Investment,

Excellencies Ministers, Vice-Ministers, Vice-Governors,

Excellencies Ambassadors, 

Members of the National Assembly, 

Government and Development Partner representatives, 

Representatives of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, NGOs, and CSOs, 

Ladies and gentlemen –

A very good morning and warm welcome to you all to our 2024 Round Table Implementation Meeting (RTIM).

I have now served as UN Resident Coordinator in Lao PDR for slightly over one year, with this being my second RTIM. 

And what a year it has been! Not only have we pressed on with work to address development challenges across sectors, localities and institutions, but many in the room have dealt with the added demands of ASEAN engagements. I use this opportunity to congratulate the Government of Lao PDR on the success of the year-long ASEAN Chairmanship. I believe I speak on behalf of international partners gathered here today that we have all rallied behind your role as Chair, in solidarity with the goals of the ASEAN Community and our collective commitment to Lao PDR’s success.

Over the time that I have been here, the value of the Round Table Process has become clearer as the only platform where all actors in development space engage in a strategic dialogue on the most pressing development issues facing the country. And I have come to deeply appreciate the unique value of this process, bringing us together in a way that no other format does.

And this RTIM, even more than usual, offers us a key opportunity to align our efforts and chart a course towards sustainable development.

During the 2023 RTIM, we revisited the agenda and approach to maximise the space for interaction and discussion on the top priority issues of addressing economic and environmental challenges, and building human capital. And we updated our working arrangements, with new, clarified, and simplified guidance on the functioning of the Round Table Process and the 10 Sector Working Groups.

This included making specific recommendations to update our Sector Working Group structure to create spaces to discuss issues relating to energy and social protection – both of which are important national priorities without a natural home in the current RTP structure.

So, it is with high expectations that we again gather around the table to discuss where we go from here.

Ladies and gentlemen –

This is a key moment in the national planning cycle, with the formulation of the 10th National Socio-Economic Development Plan now moving towards its conclusion.

As was discussed at the pre-RTIM consultation last week focussed on the draft of the Plan, NSEDPs represent the main roadmap for the country’s efforts towards the well-being and prosperity of citizens. 

But this 10th Plan comes at an especially important moment. The decisions made during its five-year span will be of extraordinary consequence for us all.

In Lao PDR and around the world, our progress on Sustainable Development Goals is off-track. It is during the period of the 10th Plan that we will either succeed in closing the gap to the goals, or not. 

In the coming years we will either succeed in finding ways to ensure the investments in human capital to realise the unrepeatable opportunity of a demographic dividend, or risk losing it permanently.

We will either manage to stabilize the macroeconomic situation and lay the foundations for sustainable progress, or face the continued challenges in mobilizing the resources necessary for all of our priorities, ultimately affecting each and every household.

And we will either bring about a shift towards a more sustainable and resilient development trajectory, or see increasing damage from the consequences of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution – as we saw so clearly in the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi this year. 

Ladies and gentlemen –

It is in this context, and with all of it at stake, that we convene today. Without exaggeration, the decisions we make in the coming years will shape the future of Lao PDR and its people.

Today we will reflect on where we are in terms of SDG achievement, the development of the 10th NSEDP, and preparations for graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status.

We have carved out time for interactive panel discussions on how we can work together to tackle the current macroeconomic challenges that are constraining progress on so many fronts, and to ensure that we do so in ways that are sustainable, clean and green.

And, in parallel, a second discussion will tackle questions around how we can best support the development of human capital, and in particular how we can work towards ensuring that Lao PDR’s young population is able to reach its potential and drive forward progress.

And finally, we will discuss how we can work to continually refine and improve our ways of working to strengthen development cooperation.

The central principle of the Round Table Process is to create the space for discussion and exchange between all stakeholders and to agree how we can align our efforts and work together toward our shared goals.

It is through working together more effectively that we stand the best chance of addressing the challenges that we face, and accelerating our progress towards the national vision of sustainable development. 

This is spirit of the Pact for the Future adopted by UN Member States in September of this year, stressing the need for multilateral solutions for a better tomorrow. The Pact speaks to the vital interests of developing countries, especially LDCs and landlocked states, in pursuing sustainable financing for development, access to climate adaptation funds and to new technologies and innovation. It once again reinforces the urgency of global solidarity and the need for joined-up efforts. This aligns perfectly with our work here today. 

To that end, I would like to thank the Ministry of Planning and Investment for its leadership of the Round Table Process, and for the preparations for today’s meeting.

I would also like to recognize the work of the Sector Working Groups on Macroeconomics, led by MPI, ADB and World Bank, and Education, led by the Ministry of Education and Sports, Australia and the EU, for their work in preparing the two panel discussions.

I also acknowledge the technical support provided to the Round Table Process by UNDP on behalf of the UN Development System and the development partner community more broadly, with the financial support of USAID and New Zealand. 

Finally, my sincere thanks to all development partners – bilateral, multilateral and NGO actors – for your strong commitment to Lao PDR’s inclusive development and growth, and for your enduring partnership with national institutions.

As we move forward, let us think critically, discuss openly, and plan strategically. Above all, let us continue to act together – leveraging our collective resources and expertise – for the progress in Lao PDR.

Thank you.