Lao PDR-UN Cooperation Framework Steering Committee meeting 19th March 2024

The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Davy Vongxay, Director General of the Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Bakhodir Burkhanov, UN Resident Coordinator. Participants included representatives from key ministries, including the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Education and Sport, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, as well as representatives from the UN Country Team.

Director General Vongxay emphasized the importance of the Joint Steering Committee  Technical Meeting among the National Focal Points and the UN Country Team in the Lao PDR serving as a mechanism to review the implementation of the annual plan of the 2022-2026 Lao PDR-UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) that supports the implementation of the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan. Moreover, the Meeting also laid out future direction of the cooperation between the Lao PDR and UNCT which would be in line with the National Priorities including the Lao PDR Smooth Transition Strategy for LDC Graduation (STS) in 2026.

The UN Resident Coordinator emphasized “The Joint Steering Committee provides the highest level of oversight of all the work of the UN Country Team in Lao PDR, so our regular meetings and the decisions we take are key to ensuring that support provided is as effective and aligned to national priorities as possible.”

The meeting presented both progress during 2023 and priorities for the coming year under each of the four strategic priorities of the Cooperation Framework: People’s Wellbeing; Inclusive Prosperity; Governance and Rule of Law; and Environment, Climate Change, and Resilience. Total programming delivered by the 25 UN agencies that are part of the Country Team in 2023 reached USD84m, with the support of a broad range of partners, and tackling a wide range of national priorities. The 2023 Annual Report will be finalized and published online by the end of March.

The Joint workplans presented how the different parts of the UN system will work in more coordinated and integrated ways to address key priorities ranging from education and learning to national planning and financing, data and statistical systems, and food systems transformation.

Following the SDG Summit in September 2023, the meeting also took the opportunity to reflect on the 6 key transitions identified globally as key to unlocking faster progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals: food systems; energy access and affordability; digital connectivity; education; jobs and social protection; and climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Further, the Summit of the Future to be convened by UN Secretary-General in September 2024 aims to bring about an agreement to reform and reinvigorate multilateral cooperation, including for financing of the SDGs. The goals of the Summit are of high relevance to Lao PDR, and the high-level event will present an opportunity for the country’s reflections and engagement in global discourse.

For more information on Resident Coordinator's Bakhodir Burkhanov remark, please see here: https://laopdr.un.org/en/264308-technical-meeting-joint-steering-committee-lao-pdr-un-sustainable-development-cooperation