15 September 2015, Vientiane - Ms Kate Gilmore, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA) together with Ms Yoriko Yasukawa, Regional Director of UNFPA Asia and Pacific Regional Office are on their tour to UNFPA's country office in Laos to learn about country programme.

The 2-days visit includes courtesy meetings with the line Ministries as well as Developing partners.

During the meeting, Ms Gilmore expressed her honor and appreciates for the long relationship as well as partnership with the Lao government for its trust and cooperation in the work of UNFPA in Laos. She also indicated that UNFPA is very committed to its ambition in supporting government in making a better change of people's lives: "We are very impressed of the government's trust of UNFPA's support and appreciate the government's understanding of the importance of Sexual Reproductive Health, Maternal Health, Midwifery as well as Family Planning and young people." "We hope to be a positive support to the government in achieving the development goals." she added.

Lao PDR has made a significant progress in the implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action. Despite the great achievement, many challenges remain to be addressed including early marriage, early pregnancy and universal access to reproductive health. As the Millennium Development Goals will come to an end in 2015, it is important to ensure that the new sustainable development goals, in which the global community including Lao PDR will endorse at the end of September at the UN General Assembly, are integrated into the national development plan to address unfinished agenda as well as emerging issues.

UNFPA's assistance to the Lao PDR started in 1976.  Today UNFPA is still very committed to support the government to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every child birth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.

For more information please contact:

Vanly Lorkuangming - Communications Associate, UNFPA Lao PDR

E-mail: [email protected]

Tel: +856 21 315547, 353048, Fax: 353051

Website: htt://lao.unfpa.org/