(KPL) The Annual Review and Country Programme Document (CPD) (2022 –2026) Consultation Meeting was held in Vientiane on Feb 22 by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and UNDP.
The event was co chaired by Vice Minister of Planning and Investment Kikeo Chanthaboury, and Resident Representative of UNDP to the Lao PDR Ricarda Rieger.
The objective of this meeting was to discuss the partnership framework and development areas between the Lao government and UNDP between 2022 –2026 and review the past implementation of the CPD (2017-2021), while identifying the direction for 2021.
The four areas of implementation include natural resource management, climate change, and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO).
Apart from the four focused areas, the results and lessons learned from projects supported by UNDP on COVID-19 response were discussed. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lao government had expressed a growing commitment to the digital transformation agenda.
UNDP, as an integrator of programmatic solutions, aims to be a strategic partner to the GOL in accelerating digitalization in the Lao PDR by bridging the significant digital gap and supporting the Lao PDR’s national vision on digital transformation for better, deeper and unified public service delivery, post-COVID-19.
“As the current UNDP country programme comes to an end in 2021, many UNDP projects will conclude their interventions, activities and support. During the course of the year, the current structures need to be drawn down, and deliberate decisions need to be taken as to the sustainability of the results. UNDP would like to discuss how projects could maximize the last-year resources and sustain results after the project end during the review session,” said Ms. Rieger.
An active and straight-forward dialogue took place regarding the lessons learned from the previous implementation practices to improve programmes for cooperation over the past year, which was also the final period of the 2017-2021 CPD, developed under the United Nations Development Assistance Framework Guidance (UNDAF).
To further enhance the cooperation during the upcoming period for a more effective and efficient collaboration, while increasing the investment in development activities in priority areas, the focus on the planning, budgeting, coordination and monitoring at the local level was also discussed. Especially for people in remote areas who do not have access to such support, the use of targeted databases as a reference point for improved planning is crucial.
A recommendation was made for the need to take into account the limited time, as well as quality outcomes, capacity building and project management financing for implementing partners (IPs) funded by UNDP will continue to pay more attention to the implementation of work to be more effective than before. Additionally, as well as the ownership to jointly plan in accordance and aligned with the capacity of the sector; continue to encourage and quarterly and annually review the implementation of programmes / projects supported by UNDP was recommended, quarterly and annually, while simultaneously monitor, encourage and visit the activities along the process.
Dr. Kikeo Chanthaboury emphasized, “I would like to reiterate that there has been a long- standing cooperation with UNDP and through the Round-Table Process- we have been able to work side by side with the organization and we will further cooperate in order to succeed the 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) and ultimately leave no one behind.”
The past cooperation of the programme has contributed to the Lao government in the implementation of the 8th Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (8th NSEDP), which is the goal for sustainable development and the emergence of the Lao PDR from underdevelopment, while at the same time, implementing priority development plans.
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