National Conference on Population and Development 2023
October 24, 2023
Statement by H.E. Professor Dr. Kikeo Khaikhamphithoune,
Deputy Prime Minister, Lao PDR on National Conference on Population and Development 2023
National Statement and Call for Action
Excellency Ministers, Deputy Ministers and representatives of line ministries, presidents of mass organizations and vice governors
Honorable Ambassadors, representatives from United Nations agencies and development partners, representatives from civil society organizations and the private sector
Representatives from the media
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen
This National Conference on Population and Development was a landmark event, held for the first time in Lao PDR. This conference was very successful with the full and active participation and engagement of all sectors, including development partners and the private sector. As a result, this important conference was able to reach a consensus and achieve its desired results through deep consultations and discussions on the progress, challenges, lessons learnt, strategic solutions and actions to address the identified key issues facing.
I warmly congratulate all participants this successful first-ever National Conference on Population and Development in Lao PDR for its high achievements and impacts.
Ladies and gentlemen!
On behalf of the Government of Lao PDR, I am honored to reaffirm our continued commitment to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action (ICPD PoA) through the National Socio-Economic Development Plan, sectoral strategies and policies, including the National Population and Development Policy, in close collaboration and with substantive support from all development partners to achieve three transformative results: zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet need for family planning, and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices, including child marriage. I would like to present a national statement to accelerate socio-economic development by harnessing the demographic dividend and empowering our people’s potential to realize their full potential. As such, we have identified the following strategic actions:
I. Harness the demographic dividend by:
Establishing a National Coordination Committee on Population and Development and developing a multi-sectoral roadmap to accelerate the implementation of the National Population and Development Policy through integration into the National Socio-Economic Development Plan, sectoral plans and sub-national plan.
Reinvigorating the “Noi framework” and “Noi ecosystem” and scaling-up comprehensive sexuality education to empower adolescent girls and boys in partnership with regional and global development partners.
Prioritizing and integrating population dynamics and mega-trends, such as the demographic transition, disparities, digitalization and climate change into the Mid-Term Review of the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) for 2021-2025 and the 10th NSEDP (2026-2030).
II. We will continue to identify and develop a preparedness plan to address climate change challenges faced by the health, protection and other social sector areas by:
Increasing investments to build a resilient health system, including life-saving sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender-based violence (GBV) response services through the current and next National Strategy on Climate Change and Health Adaptation and related Action Plan.
Generating robust country-specific evidence and data focusing on the social and gender dimensions of climate change, including SRH and GBV to inform national strategies and other action plans.
Continuing to improve and establish a dedicated network of actors on climate change and women’s and girls’ rights, comprising government institutions, private sector and civil society.
III. We will advance people’s health and wellbeing, including their sexual and reproductive health and rights by:
Increasing investments in family planning and mobilizing partnerships and resources for national family planning programmes through developing a comprehensive family planning strategy and costed implementation plan to align with the rapid changing situation of the world.
Increasing investments in midwifery regulations, associations and education through developing a national midwifery strategy and costed implementation plan, ensuring all midwives are well-trained and deployed to health facilities, especially in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
Investing in youth-friendly health services inclusive of vulnerable groups.
IV. Strengthening the population data governance system and national monitoring frameworks for socio-economic development by:
Prioritizing and ensuring the use of the 2025 Population and Housing Census and Lao Social Indicator Survey III to inform the 10th NSEDP for 2026-2030.
Investing in evidence generation on mega-trends, such as climate change, demographic transition, disparities and digitalization for strategic policymaking and programming.
Reinforcing the national administrative data governance system, including civil registration and vital statistics encompassing disaggregated data, ethnic groups, education, health and disabilities, sectoral information management systems, among others, to ensure the availability of real-time data for decision-making and planning.
V. We will engage and ensure the use of all domestic resources and actors, including the private sector and civil society, in support of ICPD PoA through
13. Ushering in new technologies, innovations and the benefits of scientific progress,
14. Promoting entrepreneurship and job creation to Leave No One Behind.
The Government of Lao PDR strongly reaffirms the commitments, with other countries, to fully implement the existing national and sub national population development plans, policies and strategies that align with ICPD PoA and SDGs.
The Government of Lao PDR would like to call on all government sectors at national and sub national levels, UN agencies, development partners, civil society organizations and the private sector to put population at the center of development plans at national and subnational levels aligned with the ICPD PoA and SDGs.
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