By Mrs.

 Ninpaseuth Xayaphonesy
Directors, Gender Resource Information and 
Development Center,
Lao Women s Union 
Lao Women's Union 

The views expressed in this paper/presentation are the views of the author and do not
necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or its Board
of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of
the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their
use. Terminology used may not necessarily be consistent with ADB official terms.

Content 
1. Country profile
2.  National policy 
SCO in LAO
3 Gender and social inclusion
4. GMS issues and changes 
5  The role of SCO in GMS
5. The role of SCO in GMS
6. Conclusion
7. Recommendation to 2020 strategy 

1
I. Country profile
y Lao PDR has a population of 6.3 million is around 
85% live in rural areas.
y 13 least Development Countries (LCD) in the Asia 
Pacific Region. 
y In the global HDR 2008, Laos is ranked 133 out of 177 
countries. 
y The population comprises 49 key ethnic groups 
y Lao is at the heart of the Greater Mekong Sub
Lao is at the heart of the Greater Mekong Sub‐
region (GMS
y life expectancy at birth rose to 63.7 

2. National policy 
y The Paris Declaration (2005) and the recent Accra 
Agenda for Action 2009 outline the role of civil 
society in sustainable poverty reduction and aid 
effectiveness in the strongest terms. 
y Engages with civil society at all levels to promote 
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
y The Prime Minister has, through Ordinance 86, 
q
required that One Door Service centres for 
business registration. 
y The right of association in enshrined in the 
Constitution of Lao PDR in Article 44 
y With the signing of Prime Minister's Decree 71 on 
International NGO's

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 2. National policy (cont.)
y Social economic development strategy to 2020 places the 
highest priority on addressing the poverty , improving 
living standards for the people.
living standards for the people
y Promotion of investment both foreign and domestic as 
stated in 2009 law on investment promotion of Lao PDR 
investment is to serve the << continuous and sustainable 
economic growth of the country >>.
y Lao PDR has ratified various international Conventions 
including the (CEDAW 1981), and the Beijing Platform for 
Action (1995). The Law on the Development and 
( )
Protection of Women was approved in October 2004. 
However, women in Laos continue to be vulnerable, and 
are identified as needing specific assistance.

SCO in Lao PDR
y Laos has created room for civil society movements under their control and 
leadership. Mass‐organizations like farmers unions, women unions, patriotic front 
etc. could be seen as the Marxist‐Leninist form of civil society. 
y Lao Front for National Construction
y Lao Federation of Trade Union
y Lao National Federation of Veterans
y Lao Women Union
y Lao Peoples’ Revolutionary Youth 
y April 2009 the degree on Nan‐Profit Association (NPA) was approved. 
y Friendship Associations with different countries
y We regard the civil society in the Lao PDR as “nascent” 
y There is still a limited number of Non‐Profit Associations operational in the 
development related fields; the majority based in the capital Vientiane. 
y They are young and still building up experience and capacities. 
y Little exchange or joint action is happening
y The presence of a formal service oriented civil society (NPAs) is  not extend to  
Provincial level. 

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3. Gender and social inclusion in 
Laos 
1. National machinery on women in the advancement , 
Th  
There two organization namely : (LWU and Lao NCAW).
  i i   l    (LWU  d L  NCAW)
2. Gender equality, in the national constitution article
22,25,29,35, 37, family law article 2,3,4 ,10, 11,13,14,15 and
other articles, criminal law article 6, 10,57 and other
articles labour law article 30,38,39,40,45,,49,57,59, land
law , article 43 ,49, 60, and other laws.
3. The Law on the Development and Protection of 
Women
4. Equity of public resources use
5. Building human resources
6. Social protection 

5. The role of the SCO in GMS
y SCO is driving force and catalyst
y Lack of knowledge for GMS
y Lack of capacity for multilateral cooperation
y Enhance public private partnership
y Limitation of education and information 
y No consolatory body
y Weak business council networking 
y SCO isi not participated
i i d in
i designing
d i i and d implementing
i l i
processes orientation projects, some times will act as the
facilitator for the project stakeholder analysis and
community mobilization in the areas which the
government capacity may be limited.

4
5. The role of the SCO in GMS 
(cont.)
y initiatives agriculture project and social sectors and
make the flexibly to shift in the local condition during
the project implementation.
y Due to the some of the SCOs is dealing with the
idealistic aims rather on the measurable results and
limitation on the strategic respective and weak
li k
linkages with
ith other
th stakeholders.
t k h ld

Conclusion
y civil society development is the development of
opportunities for people to contribute to their own
p
development process,, and to express
p p their needs and
desires more broadly.
y The impact of GMS project on women and gender equality
assumption will have potential to increase women’s access
to infrastructure and basic services , increase women’s
economic empowerment through increased access to
production , labor and financial markets, increase
women’ss participation in public decision making.
women making
y Women have the different preferences for public services
and have probably more opportunity to express this in
GMS in the feture.

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Recommendation 
y Continue inefficient public sector operation.
y Introduce the modern customs producers with the basic ICT 
I t d  th   d   t   d   ith th  b i  ICT 
installed at pilot border crossing.
y Development and implementation of logistic national plan and 
regional plan.
y Mobilize the resources available to support some SCO  ( mass 
organization) in GMS countries to  meet demanding. 
y Increasing demands of the involve in  some projects activities
Increasing demands of the involve in  some projects activities.
y Seek for the comprehensive cooperation of the SCO to be part 
and act as helper in designing and  implementing processes 
orientation projects, some time will act as the facilitator for the 
project stakeholder analysis and community mobilization in the 
areas  which the government capacity may be limited. 

Recommendation ( Cont.)
y Strengthen the role and function of the SCO in GMS 
programmes.
y Provide the conditions to support the CSO in GMS forum
Provide the conditions to support the CSO in GMS forum.
y In the GMS programme should also to introduce the new 
development approaches and models and generating sense 
of the local ownership for the other development.
y Continue inefficient public sector operation
y In the GMS programme should also to introduce the new
development approaches and models and generating sense
of the local ownership for the other development.

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Recommendation (cont.)
y Employment–
E l social cohesion in local community.
i l  h i  i  l l  i
y Livelihood‐ affected equally men and women.
y Service – infrastructure can improve access to goods and 
services (i.e education, health care, markets, and etc..)
y Health – should conduct the study on the health issues 
experienced within local communities.  
p
y Benefit  Management‐ to ensure that both men and 
women are benefiting equitably from all projects.