Laos reaffirms strong commitment to 2030 SDG Agenda 

The Lao government has reaffirmed its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development over the next six years, despite the impacts of the Covid pandemic and other challenges hindering fulfilment of the agenda.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune reiterated Laos’ commitment when addressing the 11th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development held last week in Bangkok, Thailand.

Mr Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune (right).

At the same time, the head of the Lao delegation underlined the need for the international community to work harder to attain the goals and objectives of the agenda.
“We need to redouble our efforts to accelerate fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) despite the impacts of Covid-19 and various challenges caused by different crises,” he told the forum.
The forum was held under the theme ‘Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: The effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions in Asia and the Pacific’.
Mr Phoxay said that this year was an opportune time for Laos to embark on its third Voluntary National Review (VNR) to assess and present the progress made by the country in meeting the SDGs.
It is also timely as the Lao government recently completed its mid-term review of the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2021-2025 together with the adoption of the Lao Smooth Transition Strategy for graduation from Least Developed Country status.
“We view this Voluntary National Review process as a vital platform to share our unique experiences and the valuable lessons learned from our endeavours to achieve the global sustainable development goals that align with our national development priorities,” he said.
Under the close guidance of the National Steering Committee, the SDG Secretariat officially began the third Voluntary National Review process in November 2023, and recently organised the multi-stakeholder VNR Inception Meeting to discuss its scope and priorities with the support and participation of the UN Country Team, ESCAP (Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific), and other relevant partners.
“Taking into account our commitment to the principle of Leaving No One Behind, the third Voluntary National Review is being compiled through a series of consultations with different stakeholders at different levels,” Mr Phoxay said.
These include close collaboration with United Nations agencies, other development partners, civil society and the private sector, among others. As Laos has passed the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda, Mr Phoxay expressed the hope that the country’s 3rd Voluntary National Review will create a platform to strengthen policy coherence and mobilise multi-stakeholder support and partnership for SDG acceleration.
He reaffirmed Laos’ commitment to continued efforts with UN-ESCAP and all member states to uphold multilateral cooperation and partnership, and to accelerate action for the sustainable future of Laos and the Asia-Pacific region as a whole.

By Souksakhone Vaenkeo
 (Latest Update February 26, 2024)