Meeting of the Chairs and Co-chairs of Sector Working Groups and Other Related Stakeholders
Greater partnership for realizing LDC graduation and achieving SDGs
On Thursday afternoon, 29th June 2017: The Ministry of Planning and Investment organized a Meeting of the Chairs and Co-chairs of Sector Working Groups and other related stakeholders. This meeting was chaired by H.E. Dr. Kikeo Chanthaboury, Vice-Minister of Planning and Investment; and co-chaired by Dr. Juliet Fleischl, WHO Resident Representative, UN Resident Coordinator a.i; and Mr. Balasubramaniam Murali, UNDP Resident Representative a.i. The meeting was attended by more than 60 participants from concerned line ministries including the ministerial and departmental level officials, and development partners including ambassadors, diplomatic corps and head of international agencies, and representatives from private sector, civil society and ASEAN countries.
The key objective of the meeting is to update key progress since the 2016 Round Table Implementation Meeting, to discuss a preparation for the 2017 Round Table Implementation Meeting including its timeframe and roadmap.
To officially open the meeting, Dr. Kikeo Chanthaboury, Vice-Minister of Planning and Investment informed participants of the meeting that National Steering Committee on Round Table Process in Lao PDR met at the beginning of this month and approved the 2017 RTIM guidance note and stressed the importance of greater partnership for development results including ensuring that national development agenda is effectively translated into concrete actions at local level. The Vice Minister encouraged all participants attending the meeting to provide recommendations for key themes and focus of this year RTIM including key activities, consultations at SWG level and pre-consultations leading to the meeting itself. The meeting consulted on various areas needed most for the LDC graduation such as those relating to human development along side with quality growth and economic related matters.
Dr. Kikeo Chanthaboury stated that “we will need to find innovative ways to ensure that what we are doing are actually making a difference to life of people on the ground. At the end of day, this is all development cooperation is about.”
Linking to this, Dr. Juliet Fleischl, WHO Resident Representative, UN Resident Coordinator a.i also added “We need to enhance synergies to make better use of the limited resources available. This is a call to action for us, the development partners, as well as for the Government, to improve our coordination, to strengthen the Sector Working Groups and the various other inter-sectoral bodies, and to better link up at the local level. As in previous years, the sectoral progress reports will provide the opportunity to highlight joint successes, challenges and lessons learned. In addition, UNDP is working closely with Department of International Cooperation, MPI to improve online platform, which aiming for better information-sharing.”
The meeting was carried out very successfully in a productive environment with constructive comments and discussion. As a result, the meeting agreed and set out the overall aim for the Round Table Implementation Meeting (RTIM) 2017 to promote coherence and multi-stakeholder partnerships for implementation of the 8th NSEDP for realizing LDG graduation and achieving SDGs with over-arching theme of “Greater partnership for implementation of the 8th NSEDP: Realizing LDC graduation and achieving SDGs.”
While the meeting endorsed that the RTIM this year is going to be held in the Southern of Laos, it also proposed that the focus of the RTIM 2017 is to be on the progress and achievements of 2017 NSEDP and priorities for 2018; 2) update on LDC Graduation and SDG Integration includes preparation for the 2018 Triennial LDC Review and the first Lao national SDG report; 3) enabling environment for realizing quality private sector investment for development and 4) further enhancing south-south cooperation and triangular cooperation including greater engagement of ASEAN countries in the Round Table Process.
Read this press release in Lao language: ກອງປະຊຸມປະທານ ແລະ ປະທານຮ່ວມຂອງໜ່ວຍງານຂະແໜງການ ແລະ ພາກສ່ວນອື່ນໆທີ່ກ່ຽວຂ້ອງ
Documents:
Summary of key discussion points from the meeting of SWG chairs and co-chairs
Opening remarks by Dr. Juliet Fleischl
Opening remarks by Dr. Kikeo Chanthaboury
Contact:
Mr. Morakot Vongxay
Director of UN System Division,
DIC/MPI
Tel: 020 2244 8892
Email: k_vongxay@hotmail.com
Ms. Vena Ngonvorarath
Senior Communication Officer and Technical Support to the 8th NSEDP Implementation
PSU, DIC/MPI
Tel: 020 7786 3939
Email: venang@gmail.com