VIENTIANE – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) thanked the Government of Japan (GoJ) on Monday for its continued and generous support of food assistance programmes in Laos PDR. 

Japan donated 316-metric tons of canned fish, worth US$1.2 million, to help people cope in the aftermath of Typhoon Ketsana in October this year. The largest part of the donation, however, will be used in the WFP School Meals Programme. The fish is an integral item in the take-home food basket given to children and their families as an incentive to attend primary school in three northern provinces of Laos. Read more

H.E. Mr. Mr. LyTou, H.E. Mr. Miyashita and Mrs. Elisabeth Faure after the ceremony

(Photo: WFP/Peter Lappe)

VIENTIANE – More than 50,000 primary school children in Oudomxay province will receive mid-morning snacks and take-home rations during the first term of 2010 thanks to a generous donation from the Republic of Korea, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said Friday. 

The US$500,000 donation is a significant contribution that will help ensure the children receive a well-balanced meal each school day. Well-nourished children are better able to concentrate in class and as a result generally do better academically.  The funds will secure the purchase and distribution of corn-soya blend, a vitamin and mineral-enriched food product, as well as 392 metric tons of rice, to children who attend 417 primary schools in Oudomxay. read more

Guests at the ceremony (center Ms. Karin Manente, to her left H.E. Mr.Jae-hyun Park, to her right H.E. Mr. Ly Tou Bouapao)

(Photo:WFP/Stefanie Kahls)

The theme of this year’s observance of the International Anti-Corruption Day -- “don’t let corruption kill development” – highlights one of the biggest impediments to the world’s efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals.

When public money is stolen for private gain, it means fewer resources to build schools, hospitals, roads and water treatment facilities. When foreign aid is diverted into private bank accounts, major infrastructure projects come to a halt. Corruption enables fake or substandard medicines to be dumped on the market, and hazardous waste to be dumped in landfill sites and in oceans. The vulnerable suffer first and worst. Read more

Human Rights Day 2009 on 10 December will focus on non-discrimination. “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”. These first few famous words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights established 60 years ago the basic premise of international human rights law. Yet today, the fight against discrimination remains a daily struggle for millions around the globe. Read more

On 19 November, UNFPA Lao PDR in cooperation with the Department of International Cooperation of Ministry of Investment and Planning launch this year's State of World Population report. The launch is chaired by the Vice Minister of Ministry of Planning and Investment and UNFPA Representative, Lao PDR. 

The 2009 report, “Facing a changing world: women, population and climate”, puts people at the centre of discussions on climate change. “Global climate is changing. And it is we ourselves- in our lifestyles, our rapidly increasing numbers and the massive scale of our consumption and production- who are changing it,” states the report. Population dynamics, including size, age structure, growth rate and urbanization affect greenhouse-gas emissions and energy use. Technology alone cannot solve climate change. The role that people play must be taken into account in addressing problems of rising seas, droughts, melting glaciers and extreme weather. “Climate change is more than an issue of energy efficiency or industrial carbon emissions; it is also an issue of population dynamics, poverty and gender equity,” says UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid.[Read more]

In the ten years since the General Assembly designated 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the circle of engagement has widened.  More groups and individuals, including men and boys, are getting involved in efforts to prevent and address this heinous violation of women’s human rights.  [read more]

The 9th Round Table Implementation Meeting was held in Vientiane on 3 November, attended by Ambassadors and senior dignitaries from 64 countries and by representatives of development partner organizations. The Process, implemented by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Department of International Cooperation supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has the objective to further improve the effectiveness of international assistance, in line with the Vientiane Declaration, for key development issues in the Lao PDR.

The Meeting was opened by His Excellency Mr. Bouasone Bouphavanh, Prime Minister of the Lao PDR, as, he outlined “the appropriate forum for the exchange of in-depth and constructive dialogue on how we can best deal with the adverse impact and the emerging challenges so that we can create enabling conditions of the Lao PDR to pursue its development path in a more consistent and sustainable manner.” [Read nore]

The UN Country Team in Lao PDR hosted a ceremony at UN House in Vientiane on 23 October celebrating the 64th anniversary of the United Nations and 54 years of UN-Lao cooperation.

The opening address to the audience of government members, the diplomatic community and development partners was given by Her Excellency Mrs. Pany Yathotou, Vice-President of the National Assembly.

Ms. Sonam Yangchen Rana, United Nations Resident Coordinator, emphasised that the theme of this year’s UN Day – Climate Change – is a challenge that is inextricably linked with achieving the MDGs and creating a better life for everyone in Lao PDR. “At this difficult time for the country,” she noted, “with communities in the south suffering from the impact of floods caused by tropical storms, it is a timely reminder that such extreme weather events are likely to happen more often as the climate changes.” Read more

Introductory Remarks: English, Lao
Sonam Yangchen Rana, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

To promote understanding of the United Nations System and its relationship with the Lao PDR among young people, as part of the commemorations for UN Day 2009, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator organised a United Nations Security Council Simulation event on Thursday 22 October at ICTC. Participating delegations representing the current member countries of the Security Council consisted of 45 students in their fourth year at the National University of Laos: Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, Department of International Relations. The topic of the Security Council debate was one of the great challenges of our time – climate change as an issue of peace and security. [Read more]

This year on 16 October, World Food Day, the UN in partnership with the Government of the Lao PDR is highlighting the challenge of Achieving food security in times of crisis .

World Food Day and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October are combined in one event at the National Cultural Hall, as food security and nutrition contribute to the eradication of poverty and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

Food insecurity and malnutrition are both outcomes and causes of poverty, as hunger perpetuates poverty and hunger makes people more vulnerable to diseases. Chronically malnourished children cannot develop their physical and intellectual potential and this affects their chances throughout the rest of their life.

It is widely recognized in Lao PDR that good nutrition and food security are central to development and poverty reduction, and the new National Nutrition Policy highlights the commitment of the government to ensure that all Lao citizens can claim their fundamental right to be free from hunger.

The following week is designated as Poverty Eradication Week, with a series of events taking place in Vientiane.