Remarks at Fourth Lao National Urban Forum

• Excellency Mr. Sonexay Siphandone, Prime Minister of Lao PDR

• Excellency Mr. Leklai Sivilay, Minister of Public Works and Transport

• Honorable Ministers, distinguished Governors and senior officials

• Excellencies Ambassadors, development partner and UN colleagues

• Ladies and gentlemen:

It is my pleasure to address you today at the 4th Lao National Urban Forum. This year’s Forum coincides with two significant milestones: the 70th anniversary of Lao PDR’s membership in the United Nations and the 80th anniversary of the United Nations itself. These anniversaries remind us of the enduring importance of working together in unity and solidarity to address the most pressing challenges of our time.

Here in Lao PDR, we have felt the impacts of urban hardship. We see it when floods submerge streets and homes, when droughts disrupt water supply, when landslides cut off communities, and when heatwaves strain health systems. This year, Tropical Storm Wipha, affected over 172,000 people across Lao PDR, bringing extensive damage to infrastructure and farmlands. But an urban crisis is never only about the hazard itself. It is also about what follows: the disruption to livelihoods, the risk to health, the displacement of families, and the loss of opportunities for our youth. It is about how shocks cascade across multiple sectors, magnifying vulnerabilities that already exist. 

Disasters are only part of the story. We cannot look at urban crises only through the lens of disasters. They are part of a much wider picture. They reflect structural gaps in planning, infrastructure and financing. And in a country where urbanization is advancing rapidly, these crises tell us something fundamental: unless managed well, urbanization can deepen fragility.

We now stand at a crossroads. As our cities expand, they bring new opportunities for people to connect, to innovate and to build better lives. Yet it is also producing new stresses on housing, services and ecosystems. At this key moment, we have the responsibility to ask difficult questions: How can we ensure that growth does not compromise safety? How can we balance the pace of urbanization with the wellbeing of our people?

The Government’s 10th National Socio-Economic Development Plan also seeks to provide answers to these critical questions. It underscores the critical importance of reducing the rural-urban divide, and recognizes the need to address the climate hazards that we face every year, which continue to impact our cities. Central to this vision is ensuring that access to quality services – whether in health, education or economic opportunities – is a universal right, not a privilege.

Indeed, development and growth only count as true progress if they serves the people. Our objective is not to stop cities from expanding, but to ensure that expansion is sustainable, safe and inclusive. It requires a settlement-based approach, one that looks at towns, secondary cities, and rural-urban linkages together, instead of treating urbanization as an isolated phenomenon.

To succeed, we must shift our perspective. Cities are not simply physical spaces filled with buildings and roads. They are living networks. They are interconnected systems of water, energy, housing, health care, food, mobility, and also culture. When one part of the system fails, the ripple effects are felt everywhere. When one part becomes stronger, the benefits multiply across the whole.

This Forum provides exactly the platform we need to advance such thinking. This year marks the fourth iteration of the Lao National Urban Forum, and with it comes a significant evolution. The scale of this year's event is larger, and this expansion ensures that the voices from all provinces across the country are heard, bringing forward the unique challenges and expertise from the local level. It also marks a shift in focus to the more urgent theme of ‘Urban Crisis Response’. This allows us to zero in on what we can do, right at the settlement level, to address the challenges affecting our communities. And this crisis cannot be solved by policymakers alone; solutions must be shaped by those who experience its impacts directly. 

Inclusion is key – and it means involving every sector of the society, every settlement, and every citizen. The voice of youth is particularly critical. Young people are not only the largest demographic in Lao PDR, but they are also the ones who will live through the consequences of today’s choices. Their creativity and their capacity to innovate must be at the center of urban response.

Dear partners and friends:

It’s reassuring to see so many partners present today. For our part, the United Nations in Lao PDR recognizes the growing importance of sustainable urbanization. For the first time in our current programme cycle, UN agencies collectively adopted a distinct output on urbanization. In doing so, we are clear that urban development is no longer a background issue, but a central pathway for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

His Excellency Prime Minister has touched on Laos’ development journey from the high podium of the 80th UN General Assembly just days ago, highlighting Government’s commitment to sustainable development through regional connectivity, climate adaptation and human capital development. These aspirations are central to the work of the United Nations, with urban agenda featuring prominently across all these goals.

As we prepare our new five-year UN Cooperation Framework for Lao PDR, our country analysis reflects a dedicated chapter on urbanization and infrastructure development. This will shape how we prioritize and configure the UN’s collective support in the years ahead.

As a member of the United Nations Country Team, UN-Habitat has consistently provided technical support for all previous Lao National Urban Forums. This year, UN-Habitat has collaborated with UNV to mobilize 100 community volunteers from across the country. This is a strong example of UN collaboration, demonstrating how we can come together to address the complex challenges of urbanization. The 100 volunteers bring with them invaluable lived experiences and the perspectives of emerging leaders, and their participation will ensure that these experiences are at the heart of the solutions we seek.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen:

The choice is ours. The challenges before us are real, but so is our capacity to address them. This Forum is a chance to chart that course together. Let us seize it with determination, with inclusivity, and with the conviction that Lao PDR’s urban future can be both safe and prosperous.

Thank you.