UN Assistant Secretary-General visits Laos, reaffirms UNDP’s commitment to national development goals

The United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ms Kanni Wignaraja, is visiting Laos from September 5 to 10, underscoring UNDP’s continued commitment to support the country’s development.
It is her second official visit to Laos since taking on the role of UNDP Regional Director for Asia-Pacific in 2019. 
“This visit reflects UNDP’s continued commitment to supporting the Lao Government’s efforts to advance sustainable development,” the UNDP said in a press release. 

Ms Kanni Wignaraja. –Photo UNDP Laos

Ms Wignaraja’s visit, which coincides with the 60th anniversary of UNDP, is expected to reinforce Laos-UNDP partnership at a time when aid priorities and the global landscape for Official Development Assistance are undergoing significant change.
Starting in Luang Prabang, Ms Wignaraja will visit Nasangwery Village, where UNDP has been implementing the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded Integrated Water Resource Management and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (IWRM-EbA) project. The initiative aims to reduce flood risks and strengthen community resilience to climate change.
She will also meet the Mayor of Luang Prabang and local business leaders to explore partnerships in disaster risk management, urban ecosystem restoration, and resilience-building. 
In addition, she will visit the Luang Prabang One Door Service Centre (ODSC) with provincial authorities to hand over IT equipment that will help modernise and digitalise public services. Her programme in the province will conclude with a visit to the UXO Lao Visitor Centre.
In Vientiane, Ms Wignaraja is scheduled to meet senior government officials to discuss UNDP’s support for national development priorities, including the 10th five-year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) for 2026-2030 and Laos’ forthcoming transition from Least Developed Country (LDC) status.
She will also attend events marking UNDP’s 60th Anniversary, the 15th Anniversary of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and the launch of Laos’ Presidency of the 3rd Review Conference. 
She will also join a Dialogue on the Future of Development Financing in Laos and participate in the Launch of the Gender Situational Analysis of the National Assembly and the Provincial People’s Assemblies, the first such study in Laos.
For nearly four decades, UNDP has partnered with the Lao government and local communities to support to support economic growth, reduce poverty and inequality, clear UXO, improve disaster management, promote good governance and youth participation, and foster inclusive, environmentally sustainable development toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a smooth transition from Least Developed Country (LDC) status.

(Latest Update September 5, 2025)