Remarks at Fourth Lao National Urban Forum- Pakse Leg

• Excellency Dr. Alounxay Sounnalath, Governor of Champasak Province,

• Excellency Mr. Ngampasong Muongmany, Vice Minister of Public Works and Transport (MPWT)

• Distinguished representatives from the government, development partners, senior officials

• Ladies and gentlemen:

It is my pleasure to address you today at the 4th Lao National Urban Forum in Pakse. Embodying the balance between tradition and change, Pake is an excellent reminder that cities are living stories, written not only by planners and policymakers, but by the people who work each day to make them thrive.

Today’s Forum brings that story into focus. After our rich exchanges in Vientiane, we have come here to the South, not only to continue the conversation, but to deepen it. To listen more closely to local voices. To see firsthand how resilience is being built from the ground up, in communities that refuse to be defined by crisis.

This year’s theme of Urban Crisis Response calls on us to reflect not only on how crises affect our cities, but on how our cities can be better prepared for what lies ahead. But as I’ve seen across Lao PDR, from the northern highlands to the central plains and the southern provinces, times of crisis often reveal something deeper: a spirit of togetherness and shared strength. In those moments, people come together, with communities supporting one another, finding ways to recover, to rebuild, and to move forward.

This, too, is part of resilience – the kind that cannot be built with physical infrastructure alone, but with determination and a shared sense of purpose

Here in Pakse, we see these dynamics clearly. A city that sits at the confluence of the Mekong and Se Done rivers, Pakse faces both opportunity and challenge. Its location has made it a vital hub, linking Lao PDR to key trade corridors across Southeast Asia, and connecting the Bolaven Plateau’s rich farmlands to global markets. Yet this same geography exposes the city to dual flooding during the rainy season, testing infrastructure and livelihoods alike.

Pakse’s story reminds us that urban growth and climate resilience must advance hand in hand. Its steady population increase, growing tourism and service sectors, and the government’s launch of the Green City Action Plan here in 2023, all point to a clear vision – one where development is not only about expansion, but also about balance: between people and nature, economy and environment, growth and inclusion.

The Government’s forthcoming 10th National Socio-Economic Development Plan builds on this vision, guided by the Sam Sang principle, which emphasizes devolving responsibilities to local administrative levels. This approach reflects Lao PDR’s continued commitment to local empowerment, ensuring that decision-making and resources move closer to the people. The 10th Plan also aims to advance these efforts by strengthening local administrative reforms, designating sub-districts as the lowest administrative units to better reflect local realities, while reinforcing villages as stronger, community-based centres of development.

It is clear: sustainable urban development is not only about building cities, but about enabling every level of government and every community to shape their own future. The most effective solutions to urban challenges are often found in the experience, creativity, and wisdom of local communities themselves.

This approach mirrors the direction of this Forum – bringing together local governments, communities and international partners to translate national priorities into local results.

As the United Nations family in Lao PDR, we see our role not only as partners in policy and planning, but as allies for progress on the ground. Our commitment to urban resilience is not just written in strategies – it lives in the communities we engage with, the dialogues we facilitate, and the partnerships we help strengthen. Our goal is simple: to ensure that every step of urban growth leads to greater security, equity and opportunity for the people who call these cities home.

Allow me also to recognize the efforts of the community volunteers who are part of this year’s Forum – many of whom are here with us today. Your presence signals a shift from planning for people to planning with people. You remind us that urban transformation is not a technical exercise; it is a collective act of imagination, driven by young minds and the resolve to shape the future.

To the students of Champasak University and the youth of Pakse, your ideas and your optimism are what will carry this momentum forward long after the Forum ends.

Dear friends, ladies and gentlemen,

Resilience is not built in isolation. It is woven together, thread by thread, through cooperation and care.

Let us continue to do precisely that here in Pakse, together.
Towards a future where every urban settlement, large or small, can offer its people a better quality of life. Because, at the end of the day, if our cities thrive, so will our communities.

Thank you.