Opening Remarks at the Ad-Hoc Joint Steering Committee (JSC)

Excellency Anouparb Vongnorkeo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 
Distinguished representatives from Line Ministries,
Colleagues from the United Nations Country Team

Ladies and gentlemen:

It is a pleasure and an honor to join my co-chair, Deputy Minister Anouparb, in welcoming all of you to today's Joint Steering Committee meeting.

This is not simply another meeting in our regular dialogue process. It marks an important point in our shared journey – the finalization of the Lao PDR–United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2027–2031. Our discussions today will shape how the United Nations development system will collectively support the Government and the people of Lao PDR over the next five years.

Your presence today speaks to our shared commitment to working together for a brighter future, and I thank each and every one of you for your continued partnership and engagement.

We have made significant progress since our Technical Steering Committee meeting in April, where we endorsed the Results Framework for the new Cooperation Framework. Building on that milestone, we developed the full draft Cooperation Framework document and circulated it to Line Ministries, our interagency Peer Support Group at regional level, and the UN Development Coordination Office Headquarters for review and feedback.

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for coordinating the Government's review process and facilitating valuable inputs from a cross-section of partner ministries. The constructive comments we received have strengthened the document substantially. Working closely with the Ministry, we have incorporated these recommendations, ensuring that the Framework reflects national priorities and our collective ambition for sustainable and resilient development.

Today, we are in a strong position to validate this important joint framework.

Distinguished participants:

The Cooperation Framework before us is the result of more than a year of collaboration, consultation and collective reflection.

Throughout this process, we have engaged with government institutions, development partners, civil society, the private sector, and other stakeholders. Together, we asked critical questions: Where are the country's greatest opportunities? Where are the most urgent challenges? And how can the United Nations best contribute to national development aspirations?

The document we have today is the product of those discussions. More importantly, it reflects a shared vision - one that is grounded in the priorities of the Government and the aspirations of the people of Lao PDR.

The timing of this Framework is particularly significant.

We begin implementation after the launch of the 10th National Socio-Economic Development Plan, ensuring close alignment with the country's development agenda. The Cooperation Framework will not only carry us through the deadline for the SDGs in 2030, but also accompany Lao PDR through one of the most important milestones in its development history – graduation from Least Developed Country status.

LDC graduation is more than a change in the country’s international classification. It is recognition of Lao PDR’s determination, vision and progress that required decades of hard work. It will open a new chapter for the country, and bring exciting new challenges and possibilities.

Our Cooperation Framework reflects our shared commitment to supporting a smooth, sustainable and high-quality transition in a post-LDC context – one that strengthens resilience, expands opportunities, and advances a greener and more self-reliant economy – all of the foundations for Lao PDR becoming an upper middle-income country in the next decade.

The Cooperation Framework serves as the strategic backbone for all UN agency programmes in Lao PDR. It will guide our collective investments, partnerships, policy support and advocacy. It is the apex-level instrument agreed by the Government and the United Nations in any given programme country. This is why today's validation is so important. In the coming months, agencies including UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF will engage with their Executive Boards on their new Country Programme Documents that draw directly from the priorities agreed through this Framework.

Ladies and gentlemen:

Our discussions today have three key objectives:

• First, we validate the substance of the new Cooperation Framework, with particular attention to sections requiring strategic guidance from this Committee.
• Second, the Department of International Organizations will present the updated Terms of Reference for the Joint Steering Committee for the period of the new Cooperation Framework. The Terms of Reference will help address membership aspects, strengthen governance arrangements, and ensure effective oversight and accountability throughout implementation.
• And third, we will examine the innovations of the new Cooperation Framework, focusing on what sets it apart from the current one, and on new approaches the UN system is adopting to work differently – and more effectively – as we enter the final stretch towards achieving the Sustainable Development agenda by 2030.

This is a moment that calls not only for continuity, but also for new thinking, stronger partnerships, and a renewed commitment to delivering results together.

Colleagues and friends:

We are now just weeks away from the formal signing of the Cooperation Framework in August.

Today's meeting brings us one step closer to that milestone. The progress we have achieved so far has only been possible because of the trust, collaboration and dedication of all partners gathered here today. For that, I extend my sincere gratitude.

As we move toward implementation in January 2027, let us continue working with the same spirit of partnership, ambition and shared responsibility. 

Together, we have an opportunity to support Lao PDR through a transformative period in its development journey, and to help ensure that progress benefits all people, leaving no one behind.

Thank you. Khob chai.