20 December 2023, Vientiane, Lao PDR - Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) convened an annual review meeting and planning meeting to review progress towards achieving results of the UNFPA’s 7th Country Programme for 2022-2026 and prioritize high impact interventions for 2024.
The annual review and planning meeting brought together programme partners from line ministries, mass organizations, development partners, and civil society to deliberate around capitalizing on the gains to build on and scale up, and ensuring full inclusion of women and girls, youth, persons with disabilities, ethnic groups and other vulnerable populations applying the principle of leaving no one behind.
The meeting highlighted the key achievements jointly fulfilled by UNFPA and the different implementing partners in 2023. Amongst these noticeable milestones were the accreditation of three 03 midwifery schools by the International Confederation of Midwives, the establishment of 04 new protection shelters for survivors of violence and the first-ever one-stop service center at Mahosot hospital, the inclusion of comprehensive sexuality education in the revised Education Law, the first-ever National Conference on Population and Development, the 10th periodic report on the implementation of the CEDAW and ensuring the overall progress and inclusivity of the 2025 Census, among others.
H.E. Mme. Phonevanh Outhavong, Vice Minister of Planning and Investment, said, ”In 2024, Lao PDR is honored with the ASEAN Chairmanship role and in parallel, Tourism Forum will be hosted in our country. Therefore, planning for 2024 is crucial and we must work together to set priorities to achieve the National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) and Sustainable Development Goals.”
2023 was also marked by strong advocacy reiterating the remarkable ownership and leadership of the Government of Lao PDR to advance the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action (ICPD PoA). The first National Conference on Population and Development in the country came out with 14 commitments focusing on establishing a national coordination committee on population and development, prioritizing and ensuring the use of the 2025 Census and the Lao Social Indicator Survey III to inform the 10th NSEDP (2026-2030), investing in sexual and reproductive health, ending GBV, strengthening national administrative data governance systems, comprehensive sexuality education, humanitarian preparedness and response and strengthening partnerships.
The joint planning exercise highlighted the need to establish a strong and high-profile coordination structure i.e., National Population Coordination Committee, which is one of the recommendations of the NCPD and included in the national statement at the 7th APPC.
Dr. Bakhtiyor Kadyrov, UNFPA Representative, said, “Today, as we celebrate our shared achievements, it is important for us to reflect on lessons learnt moving forward with our next year planning. As we are accountable for the beneficiaries we serve, especially women and girls, realizing their rights and leaving no one behind require solid data and evidence base, impact-orientation, synergy creation, solid partnership base, impact orientation and people-centered approach.”
Building on the lessons learnt, partners discussed strategic approaches to reach the furthest behind first, including innovation and ownership at the subnational level, digitization in evidence generation, telehealth, outreach, and community-based programs, as well as engaging provinces in programme design and implementation.
The people’s centered approach of leaving no one behind was at the heart of the proposed activities, highlighting the needed efforts for strong data governance and result-based management systems, including well-functioning monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. The success of this year’s annual meeting has greatly accomplished moving the programme's implementation and coordination to a higher level.
UNFPA and the Government of Lao PDR reiterate their sincerest thanks to ICPD key donors including: Japan, Australia, Luxembourg, KOICA and USAID for their indefectible support which aligns with the Lao National Socio-Economic Development Plan and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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Since 1976, UNFPA has been supporting the Government of Lao PDR towards achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights for all. UNFPA will continue its fruitful collaboration and coordination with the government to accelerate the implementation of the ICPD PoA towards reaching the three zeros: zero preventable maternal deaths, zero gender-based violence and zero unmet needs for family planning. Guided by the UNFPA Strategic Plan, the five-year cycle Country Program (CP) was used to support the government in fulfilling its commitment to ICPD25, the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan 2021-2025 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).
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