The Workshop on Strengthening Legislation-Drafting for 8 Provinces of Northern Laos at Luang Prabang
8-9 February 2024, Luang Prabang, Prime Minister's Office (PMO) held the workshop on Strengthening Legislation-Drafting for 8 Provinces of Northern Laos, chaired by H.E. Ms. Thipphakone Chanthavongsa, Vice Minister and Deputy Head of the Prime Minister's Office and H.E. Mr. Bounleuam Manivong, Vice Provincial Government of Luang Prabang. Trainers from the Prime Minister's Office, the National Assembly, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Provincial People's Assembly of Luang Prabang were present, along with over 200 participants from the 8 northern provinces of Laos. The workshop supported by Citizen Engagement in Good Governance, Accountability, and Rule of Law Programme (CEGGA II) and Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD).
The workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of senior and technical officials on legislation-drafting. It served as a platform for discussing, reviewing, and exchanging lessons learnt on legislation-drafting at the sub-national level.
The topics of training covered: 1. legislation-drafting at sub-national level; 2. steps and processes of submission of the draft laws to the Provincial People’s Assembly for consultation with citizens; 3. mandate of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) as the Government's Secretariat in drafting and amendment of legislation; 4. Extension of International Treaties into sub-law; 5. legislation dissemination; 6. Legislative oversight of Provincial People’s Assembly ; 7. consideration and adoption of legislations of sub-national levels.
The workshop proceeded in a lively atmosphere with participants actively sharing key achievements and challenges in the legislation-drafting process. Furthermore, the workshop addressed challenges and opportunity to improving the quality, feasibility, and implementation of drafted and adopted legislations.
The CEGGA Programme is a joint initiative of the Government of Lao PDR and its “Team Europe” partners, Switzerland, Germany and EU. Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has been tasked to implement the programme on behalf of Team Europe with MoHA and the concerned Lao implementing partners to achieve the overall objective to increase citizens’ engagement in the national development process of Lao PDR through the promotion of good governance, human rights, and the rule of law.
