Round Table Process Retreat

Dr. Vongkhamheng Vongthachack, Director-General of the International Finance and Cooperation Department and Head of the RTP Secretariat,

Representatives of Government Ministries and Institutions,

Development Partners,

Colleagues from the United Nations:

Before we begin, let me express my condolences to the Government of Lao PDR on the passing of H.E. Dr. Xaysomphone Phomvihane, President of the National Assembly. I will be leaving today’s meeting at 10AM to pay respects to the late leader together with members of the UN Country Team. I will therefore hand over the co-chairing of today’s meeting to Dao Xuan Lai, Officer-in-Charge of UNDP. 

I thank DG Vongkhamheng and the team at the Ministry of Finance and the RTP Secretariat for convening us today at this important meeting. This year’s Round Table Meeting will be the first one under the 10th National Socio-Economic Development Plan, and will also mark the beginning of Lao PDR’s transition from Least Developed Country (LDC) status. 

I am pleased that we are starting to plan for the Round Table Meeting which is tentatively scheduled for 19 November 2026. The Round Table is the apex-level coordination body on development cooperation and partnerships in the country, and I truly believe in the value of this process and mechanism. For it to be truly meaningful and useful, there is much that we need to do together. 

There are two main goals of our retreat today – first, to hear updates on the progress under the 10th NSEDP from the SWGs, and second, to discuss the agenda of the 2026 RTIM meeting. 

As SWGs report on progress so far, I would like us to focus on what we need to do collectively to accelerate the achievement of goals and targets of the 10th NSEDP. I believe that we will also take stock of progress made in implementing the follow-up actions from the 14th High-Level Round Table Meeting, including responsibilities assigned through Prime Minister's Ordinance No. 33/PM. 

Together, these steps will help us prepare the ground for this year’s Round Table Implementation Meeting. And this is a key expectation of today’s discussion. We should leave this retreat with a common vision for the 2026 RTIM. Specifically, we need agreement on its principles, priorities, themes and modalities, in keeping with the practice of making RTIM deliberations substantive and sufficiently focused. 

This time around, the focus should be on concretics – on key areas of focus, on solutions and on partnerships. This will send a strong signal of shared commitment and mutual accountability as Lao PDR approaches transition from Least Developed Country status. 

I would encourage us to move from problem identification to problem-solving, and tailor panel discussions to be forward-looking and solutions-oriented, including on the implications of the LDC transition, diversification of financing, and accelerating human capital development, green and digital transitions. 

Over the past several months, we have had several rounds of discussions at different levels on a renewed direction for the Round Table Process – what we call the RTP reset or RTP reconfiguration. The findings and recommendations from the review of the Round Table Process, commissioned by UNDP and the Ministry of Finance with support from New Zealand, provided us with some options. 

The RTP reset refers to three interrelated items – the reconfiguration of Sector Working Groups, the sustainability of the Round Table process itself, and a more empowered RTP Secretariat. It is important that the entire RTP process – and the Round Table Meetings as part of it – remains fit for purpose and responsive to the evolving development and financing landscape, while adapting working methods to the changing environment. I welcome your reflections on these issues at today’s retreat as well. 

We will have another moment when we come together before the 2026 RTIM – this will be in September for the Chairs and Co-Chairs Sector Working Group meeting. It will be a good opportunity for us to check on our preparations for the RTIM and do necessary course corrections, but the work must start now. There’s a lot for us to work through in the coming weeks.

Ladies and gentlemen: 

Let us use today’s opportunity to engage openly and work together to shape an RTP that is stronger, more agile, and better equipped to support Lao PDR's development ambitions in the post-LDC graduation era.

The RTP process is a broad and inclusive forum that brings us all together. Within this important coordination and partnership mechanism, the UN Country Team in Lao PDR is committed to continue working with the RTP under our new five-year Cooperation Framework, which will come into effect in January 2027.

I wish us all productive deliberations and a successful retreat.

Thank you.