First Annual Meeting between Government and Lao Civil Society Organizations at Provincial level 2023
On February 9th, 2024, the first Annual Meeting between the Government and Lao Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) at the provincial level took place in Luang Prabang, serving as a significant platform to enhance the collaboration, and providing a significant opportunity for the government and CSOs to exchange insights and discuss the achievements of the CSOs during the past years.
The meeting aimed to present the overall implementation of Lao CSOs in Luang Prabang and the achievements regarding the rollout of Decree on Associations and Decree on Foundations at the district level in 2023. During the meeting, the Lao CSO Coordination Committee shared the updates on the implementation of LCCC's work and the activities of local CSOs, particularly the Association for Mutual Assistance (AMA).
Furthermore, the Department of Home Affairs presented Decree 238 on Associations and Decree 149 on Foundations, along with guidelines for accessing international funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs of Luang Prabang. During the meeting, the participants actively engaged in discussions and exchanges regarding the coordination between the government and CSOs, the contributions of CSO work to socio-economic development, and the challenges faced by CSOs in Luang Prabang.
The meeting was organized by the Luang Prabang Provincial Department of Home Affairs and chaired by H.E. Dr. Khamkhong Phommapanya, Party Standing Committee, Head Committee of Provincial Organization of Luang Prabang, with more than 120 participants from local CSOs, Lao CSO Coordination Committee, Ministry of Home Affairs, Khammouane Provincial Department of Home Affairs, supported by from the Programme for Citizen Engagement in Good Governance, Accountability, and Rule of Law (CEGGA II). Dr. Khamkhong said “Civil Society Organizations have effectively fulfilled their roles and mandates and received international funding support to implement projects aimed at enhancing the quality of life for the people of Luang Prabang.”
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.
