14th High-Level Round Table Meeting
On November 19, 2025, Government of the Lao PDR in collaboration with the United Nations (UN) in the Lao PDR hosted the 14th High-Level Round Table Meeting (14th HL-RTM) under the theme “Enhancing Partnerships for Effectiveness Development Cooperation in Implementing the 10th five-year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2026-2030) to Support the Country’s Smooth and Resilient Graduation from the Least Development Country Status and Achieve Sustainable Development Goals” 
with the honorary presence and opening remarks delivered by H.E. Sonexay Siphandone, Prime Minister of the Lao PDR, chaired and attended by H.E. Saleumxay Kommasith, Deputy Prime Minister of the Lao PDR and Vice President of the National Steering Committee for the Round Table Process, together with approximately 500 representatives comprising ministers, deputy heads of the Party Central Committee’s Personnel and Organization Commission, heads of NA’s committees, presidents of ministry-equivalent organizations, provincial governors, Vientiane Mayor, high-level representatives from friendly countries, development partners, and members from international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from both within and outside the country as well as civil society organizations (CSOs).
H.E. Sonexay Siphandone, Prime Minister of the Lao PDR, pointed out the importance of the Round Table Process, which has been evolved through various phases, as a channel for the public sector, UN agencies, development partners and all social parties to discuss openly and deeply by concentrating on addressing challenges and formulating cooperation plans effectively. Support and assistance previously provided by friendly nations and international organizations have contributed significantly to the Lao socio-economic development in a continuous manner, paving a way towards the smooth and resilient graduation from the Least Development Country (LDC) status in the future. To ensure and maximize 
the Lao development efforts in the new era, especially on the implementation of the 10th five-year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP 2026-2030), aiming at achieving tangible outcomes, while bringing real benefits to the Lao people, H.E. Prime Minister also suggested that every party involved must pay close attention on studying and formulating policies and measures to support the establishment of the self-reliant economy; ensure effective human resources development; uplift people’s living conditions and social order; protect the environment and reduce risks from various impacts; build basic infrastructure to boost connectivity at all levels; promote effective and transparent governance; promote continuous and stable macro-economic growth; maintain the growth rate of not below 4.24%. Simultaneously, national, sectoral and local development plans must be in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implemented and approved internationally, while ensuring that the Lao PDR will be able to graduate from the LDC status smoothly and sustainably. As a result, all participants in this RTM were requested to work together, while exchanging ideas creatively and directly in good faith, aiming at setting mutually-agreed directions and measures for handling challenges and addressing pending issues, and gradually enhancing effectiveness development cooperation. In addition, ministries and relevant agencies at both central and local level were requested to translate outcomes from the RTM and SDGs into their detailed sectoral development plans that go in alignment with national priorities.
At the same time, the meeting also heard remarks made by Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, straight from the Headquarter in New York, United States, as well as remarks made by Mr. David McLachlan-Karr, Regional Director for Asia-Pacific United Nations Development Coordination Office.After hearing all remarks delivered by both Lao high-ranking delegations and development partners, the meeting continued under the chairmanship of H.E. Saleumxay Kommasith, Deputy Prime Minister of the Lao PDR, 
alongside with Mr. David McLachlan-Karr, Regional Director for Asia Pacific United Nations Development Coordination Office,to witness presentations on achievements made under the 9th five-year NSEDP and the drafting of the 10th five-year NSEDP (2026-2030) by H.E. Santiphab Phomvihane, Minister of Finance, who informed the meeting with regards to ways in preparing for the LDC graduation and in implementing the Doha Programme of Action for the Lao PDR, presentations made by H.E. Anouphab Vongnorkeo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, on results of discussion under the theme “Post LDC Graduation, Unlocking New Development Ambitions – Growth, Jobs and Technology,” as well as presentations related to the Vientiane Declaration (VDIII 2026-2035) made by Mr. Soulivath Souvannachoumkham, Deputy Minister of Finance. Later, comments were shared by ministers, deputy heads of the Party Central Committee’s Personnel and Organization Commission, heads of NA’s committees, presidents of ministry-equivalent organizations, international organizations, NGOs, private sector from both within and outside the country as well as CSOs, who discussed and exchanged ideas directly with each other in a constructive, cooperative and amicably manner, aiming at setting mutually-agreed directions and measures for handling challenges and addressing pending issues, and gradually enhancing the effectiveness of our development cooperation.
In the end, H.E. Saleumxay Kommasith, Deputy Prime Minister of the Lao PDR, highlighted all the achievements made under this meeting, while requesting all parties to pursue the following ambitions: continue to implement the 10th five-year NSEDP for 2026, aiming at addressing economic-financial difficulties with a specific focus on 6 targets emphasized during the meeting by H.E. Sonexay Siphandone, Prime Minister of the Lao PDR, namely (1) establish the self-reliant economy; (2) ensure effective human resources development; (3) uplift people’s living conditions and social livelihood; (4) protect the environment and reduce risks from various impacts; (5) build basic infrastructure to boost connectivity at all levels; and (6) promote effective governance as well as continuous and stable macro-economic growth. Countless things remain to be prepared for the smooth LCD graduation namely: to ensure self-reliant, quality and sustainable development, to engage with the private sector, to enhance the effectiveness development cooperation and socio-economic development, alongside with the environmental protection in compliance with the Lao National Green Growth Strategy 2030, including SDGs, aiming at ensuring higher quality of human resources and socio-economic development under the strict rule of law. Moreover, all efforts shall be put into closing development gaps existed between urban and rural areas, eliminating violence against women and children, reviewing strategies pertaining to poverty eradication and capacity-building in order to boost competitiveness among domestic business units by creating the enabling environment to support business operations, promoting the implementation of good-governance policies through the establishment of the self-reliant economy, deepen the implementation of national agendas to address narcotic problems, and to support the modernization, establishment of sub-districts and strengthening of the 3-build directives, ensuring tangible outcomes,
achieving national revenue collection as planned, particularly on the amendment of regulations and laws on taxes-levies in accordance with the current economic situation, including the application of modern technology in helping the government to collect taxes-levies in an accurate and transparent manner, enhancing the country’s readiness in responding to natural disasters via capacity-building in disaster prevention and recovery, improving the early-warning system, facilitating the information exchange by coordinating and collaborating with neighboring countries that share borders with the Lao PDR, so that we all can collectively respond to disasters; evaluate risks; create disaster risk reduction plans; pay close attention on helping highly vulnerable communities; continue to cooperate with development partners in mobilizing both technical and financial support from friendly nations, development partners, international organizations and social parties in order to ensure stable and sustainable socio-economic development in alignment with the green growth and sustainable development strategies. Ministry of Finance, as a member of the National Steering Committee for the Round Table Process, shall collaborate with relevant parties in summarizing outcomes made under this RTM into a report summitting to the government and serving as a reference for all parties involved when implementing their roles and duties. On this occasion, ministries, relevant agencies at the central level, local authorities, development partners, private sector and CSOs were further requested to remain highly responsible, while taking the lead in ensuring coherent coordination and collaboration for effective translation of the above-mentioned outcomes into their detailed actions plans in order to contribute to the implementation of the NSEDP in 2026, and the achievement of national agendas to address economic-financial difficulties and narcotic problems, 2030 Development Agenda and international commitments promised to be followed by the Lao PDR.