(KPL) The Steering Committee meeting on the Implementation of the Climate and Sustainability Finance Focal Point was held on September 2, 2026, with a focus on strengthening financing and coordination to help protect communities from climate-related risks and support sustainable national development.

The meeting was chaired by Mr. Sitthiroth Rasaphone, Deputy Minister of Finance, and attended by representatives from relevant ministries and government agencies, as well as delegates from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Established in 2025 under the Department of Economic and Financial Policy of the Ministry of Finance, the Climate and Sustainability Finance Focal Point serves as a coordination mechanism for mobilizing resources, providing policy guidance and improving the allocation and use of funds for climate change and sustainability programmes.

The mechanism is expected to help ensure that available financial resources are directed toward national priorities, including measures to reduce the impacts of floods, storms and other natural disasters, strengthen community resilience, protect livelihoods and improve essential infrastructure and public services.

Mr. Sitthiroth said climate change and natural disasters remain urgent development challenges. In the Lao PDR, increasingly severe weather events, particularly during the rainy season, have affected communities and caused significant economic losses in several provinces.

He stressed the need for stronger coordination and financing to support timely responses to climate risks while advancing the country’s development priorities under the National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and National Adaptation Plan (NAP).

The Climate and Sustainability Finance Focal Point was established under the Integrated National Financing Framework to support implementation of the NSEDP, with financial and technical assistance provided through joint UNDP programmes.

The meeting reviewed the mandate, progress and future work of the mechanism, as well as the draft Financing Strategy for the 10th Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (2026–2030). Participants also discussed the action plan for the remainder of 2026 and the work plan for 2027, with the aim of strengthening financing arrangements and ensuring that climate and sustainability investments deliver greater benefits for people and communities.

KPL