Officials from the Ministry of Justice, and 10 target provinces, together with representatives from The Asia Foundation, USAID, and US Embassy in Laos, pose for a group photo following the signing ceremony of the MOU in Vientiane on Tuesday.

Laos, US expand partnership on access to justice and legal aid

To enhance Laos’ national legal aid system and strengthen the capacity of justice officers, ensuring more citizens can access high-quality legal assistance, the United States and Laos has launched Phase 2 of the “Cooperation Project on Access to Justice and Legal Aid Support in Laos”.
A new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Ministry of Justice and The Asia Foundation, which will expand the project to July 2026, was signed on January 14. The project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with co-funding from The McConnell Foundation.

The gallery walk at the ceremony showcases a timeline of impact stories from the project’s inception and highlights the strong collaboration between The Asia Foundation and the Ministry of Justice.

Beginning in 2020, Phase 1 resulted in the establishment of 94 Ministry of Justice provincial and district legal aid offices, and 17 legal aid clinics operated by the Lao Bar Association, in Vientiane and the provinces of Champassak, Luang Namtha, Luang Prabang, Oudomxay, Phongsaly, Saravan, Savannakhet, Vientiane and Xayaboury.
These legal aid providers disseminate legal information to communities and provide free legal advice and drafting services, especially for the poor, underprivileged, and other marginalised or vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities and victims of gender-based violence or human trafficking.
Phase 2 will prioritise capacity building to further institutionalise legal aid and access to justice.
Three model legal aid offices in Savannakhet, Xayaboury and Vientiane provinces will serve as training hubs to deepen the quality of legal aid services across the 10 target provinces.
The project will also continue to support the growth, diversification and professional development of the legal profession to better serve the justice needs of Lao citizens.
At the MOU signing ceremony, Deputy Minister of Justice Mr Ketsana Phommachanh acknowledged the importance of legal aid to the government’s socio-economic policy and the rule of law in Laos, and thanked the United States for the continued support.
Mr Ketsana said “Through cooperation with USAID and The Asia Foundation, our justice sector has been able to establish legal aid services across the country. Now we aim to improve the quality and reach of these services to help even more people understand laws, and to gain access to assistance and justice systems to resolve their disputes.”
The US Ambassador to Laos, Heather Variava, highlighted the expanding partnership between the United States and Laos in advancing the rule of law and commended the Ministry of Justice on its initiatives to establish a national legal aid system and reduce barriers to justice.
“Access to justice is critical to fostering inclusive and equitable economic growth and human development in Laos.  The United States is honoured to support access to justice to ensure no one is left behind,” Ambassador Variava said.
“This year marks 70 years since the United States opened an Embassy in Vientiane and 75 years since the first US diplomat was credentialed to Laos.  This signing is a testament to the strong, longstanding, and expanding partnership between our two nations.”
With USAID support, more than 6,500 individuals have received legal aid services, and fundamental legal information resources have been disseminated nationwide, including over 74,000 copies of brochures in the Lao, Hmong and Khmu languages and three videos with sign language.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update January 15, 2025)