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2021
- 5 July
- By Siphachanh THYTHAVY
- Asia Office LAO/033
- Governance
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LAOS - Officials in the Ministry of Planning and Investment increase understanding of ODA decree and its related implementation guidelines
In June 2021, the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Planning and Investment organised a dissemination workshop on Official Development Assistance (ODA) decree and its associated implementation guidelines and instructions to the six target provinces namely Khammouan, Bolikhamxay, Vientiane, Sayaboury, Oudomxay and Bokeo.

The workshop was chaired by deputy provincial governors and deputy directors general of Department of International Cooperation and attended by 120 officials (45 women) from key stakeholders in the six provinces.

Speaking at the meeting, the chairman highlighted the importance of ODA management and implementation and called on the attendees to discuss ways to reach the target for ODA implementation, improve reporting and effective management.

During the one-day workshop, the participants shared their national and regional experience in ODA management and coordination. The workshop helped increase understanding and reflected the roles and responsibilities of the attendees.

The meeting is part of an ongoing efforts of the Strengthening the Effectiveness of Official Development Assistance Management in Laos - Project LAO/033 which aims to build capacity of the Ministry of Investment and PIanning’s Department of International Cooperation and six provincial Sections for International Cooperation in the provinces.

LAO/033 project is co-financed by the Government of Laos and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and implemented by the Ministry of Planning and Investment and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.

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- 29 June
- By Undraa Bayanaa
- Asia Office LAO/027
- Health
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LAOS - Capacity development for ophthalmic nursing in Lao PDR
According to the data published by the World Health Organization in the “Global strategy on human resources for health: Workforce 2030”, there is a global shortage of health workers, mostly in low-and lower-middle-income countries, with nurses and midwives representing over 50% of the current shortage in health workers. This shortage of health workers equally affects the eye care sector, showing an important unmet demand for ophthalmic nurses and doctors. As the population worldwide is aging, chronic eye diseases such as cataract and glaucoma are becoming the leading causes of blindness and visual impairment amongst elderly men and women.

In Laos, despite the increasing number of trained eye care practitioners over the last years, it was observed that eye care services were less attended in 2020 and 2021, in parallel with the general reduction in hospital consultations, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has severely affected the provision of eye care services by mobile teams in remote districts, thereby increasing the risk of permanent vision loss due to the postponement of essential eye care.

The Director of the National Ophthalmology Center (NOC), Dr Khamkhoun Hosavanh, handed over a certificate to an ophthalmic nurse during the ophthalmology nursing graduation ceremony at the NOC in Vientiane capital (June 2021). © LuxDev

The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) has established a long-standing collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the University of Health Sciences to identify and support human resource development needs in the health sector.

In particular, the LAO/027 programme is collaborating with the National Ophthalmology Center in Vientiane capital and with The Fred Hollows Foundation (FHF) to develop the ophthalmology care capacity in the three provinces of Vientiane, Bolikhamxay and Khammouane. Since 2018, under a service agreement with the FHF, the LAO/027 programme is supporting the provision of upgrading and clinical specialization programmes for eye care and is offering various short- and long-term scholarships to provide additional training to eye nurses and specialist doctors.

Investing in people

The delivery of quality ophthalmic care directly depends on adequate training of specialized staff. To meet the training needs for eye care nursing in Laos, a short-term training programme was specifically designed for qualified nurses to strengthen the provision of healthcare and the management of people with ophthalmic diseases.

On 22 June 2021, thirteen ophthalmology nurses have successfully completed a four-months training programme as ophthalmic nurses at the National Ophthalmology Center in the Vientiane capital, with ten graduates from the provincial and district hospitals of Khammouane (2), Bolikhamxay (4) and Vientiane (4) provinces supported by the LAO/027 programme.

This brings the total number of scholarships offered by Luxembourg to upgrade the qualifications and capacities of ophthalmology nurses to thirty-one (21 female and 10 male ophthalmic nurses) between 2018 and 2021.

Ophthalmic nursing graduation ceremony at the National Ophthalmology Center (June 2021). © LuxDev

This training programme covers every aspect of ophthalmic nursing, including the physiology of the eye, diseases that affect the eye, clinical management, and the complexities of managing people with a variety of eye disorders. After the training programme, the ophthalmology nurses are posted in provincial and district hospitals to provide basic eye care services and to raise awareness among their communities on avoidable blindness through community outreach activities.

Besides the short-term Ophthalmic nursing programme, the LAO/027 programme is supporting the following eye care focused courses, in collaboration with the FHF:
- Blindness course for ophthalmologists (one-week workshop for trained ophthalmologists);
- Basic Eye Doctor (BED) training (one-year training programme for general practitioners and newly graduated medical doctors);
- Ophthalmologist Specialist Residency (three-years specialization programme to train Basic Eye Doctors to become Ophthalmologists; 1 year in Thailand, 2 years in Laos)
Investing in equipment and technology

While investing in training capacity is one of the key components to building a stronger health workforce and strengthening the health system, the LAO/027 programme is also supporting the creation of an enabling environment for ophthalmology services in the health facilities in the three provinces of Vientiane, Bolikhamxay, and Khammouane.

Cataract surgery at the Bolikhamxay provincial hospital in July 2020. © LuxDev

To reinforce the scope and the quality of curative ophthalmological services at the provincial level, the LAO/027 programme has renovated the old ophthalmology unit of the Bolikhamxay provincial hospital and has provided additional eye care equipment for eye surgeries.

The ophthalmology surgical department established at the Bolikhamxay provincial hospital opened its doors last year in July 2020 and is staffed by a qualified ophthalmologist team trained in Thailand and at the University of Health Sciences in Vientiane capital. The Bolikhamxay provincial hospital provides care and treatment services, including services for eye-related diseases such as cataract and glaucoma.

The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) is co-financed by the Government of Lao PDR and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and is implemented by the Lao Ministry of Health and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.
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- 21 June
- By Cam Do Hoang Le
- Asia Office VIE/032
- Inclusive and innovative finance
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VIETNAM - The project VIE/032 continues supporting to Vietnam’s development of Financial Market Development Strategic Plan 2021-2025
A virtual roundtable on “Vietnam Financial Market Development Strategic Plan 2021-2025, Vision to 2030" drawed attention of almost 50 speakers and advisors, including officials and technical experts representing such strategic economic and financial organisations of Vietnam as Central Institute for Economic Management or Department of Finance and Monetary from Ministry of Planning and Investment, National Institute for Finance and Department of the Insurance Supervisory Authority of Ministry of Finance, State Bank of Vietnam, State Securities Commission, Securities Companies, Insurance Companies, Commercial Banks.

The event took place on 15 June 2021 and jointly organised by the National Financial Supervisory Commission (NFSC) and Project VIE/032 – Capacity Building on Finance Sector on both online and offline platforms. This was to ensure Vietnam government’s required distancing during the heat of Hanoi’s summer and fourth wave of COVID-19.

Mr Hung Xuan PHAM opens the virtural roundtable

The roundtable focused on:
- development model of financial markets in the coming time: bank-based or market-based (focusing on strong capital market development);
- establishment of a Regional Financial Centre in Vietnam;
- orientation and solutions to develop digital economy and digital banking (fintech);
- promotion of fair competition and transparent information on financial market and protection of financial consumers;
- supervision and ensuring of safety and soundness of the financial system.
_{Mr Kien LE from State Bank of Vietnam on his presentation on national finanancial market supervision standards}

Based on opinions, advices and policy recommendations at the roundtable, NFSC would complement and finalise their Report on Strategy and Orientation for Vietnam Financial Market Development that would be submitted to the Prime Minister.

_{Financial and economic experts discussing protection of financial consumers in Vietnam}

Being one of the project’s active stakeholders, in late 2019, NFSC received supports from the project for organising its annual National Financial Report Launching Workshop that was warmly welcomed by national and international financial and economic institutions, donors and press media. Since the 2020 event could not happen due to the global pandemic, NFSC saved this roundtable opportunity to collect and advocate ideas with top technical experts and professionals. Mr Hung Xuan PHAM - General Director of Financial Supervisory Policy Coordination and Research Department of NFSC and his colleagues expressed great appreciation to Luxembourg and LuxDev’s meaningful cooperation and supports so far, not only in organisation of these critical high-expertise events but also in other training and capacity building activities to the NFSC.

Screen recorded 32 online participants attending the Roundtable

The Capacity Building in the Financial Sector – VIE/032 project is co-financed by the Government of Vietnam and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and is implemented by the Vietnamese State Securities Commission and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Developmen Cooperation Agency.
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- 10 June
- By LAO/027 Project
- Asia Office LAO/027
- Health
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LAOS - Luxembourg provides an additional 1 million EUR to support COVID-19 response in Lao PDR
The Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg continues to work alongside its partner country, Laos, to strengthen the national capacities to detect, assess and respond to acute public health events. In response to the recent upsurge in COVID-19 cases, Luxembourg, through the Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027), has committed an additional 1,000,000 EUR (equivalent to 11.5 billion LAK) to detect, mitigate and prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

An official handover ceremony was held on 10th June 2021, at the Ministry of Health in Vientiane in the presence of Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, Minister of Health, senior members from the Ministry of Health, the National Centre of Laboratory and Epidemiology, the Institut Pasteur du Laos, representatives from the Embassy of Luxembourg in Laos, and representatives from the LAO/027 health programme.

Mr. Sam Schreiner, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Luxembourg in Laos and Dr. Bounfeng Phoummalaysith, Minister of Health, during an official handover ceremony at the Ministry of Health in Vientiane capital. (June, 2021)

Mr. Sam Schreiner, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Luxembourg, congratulated the Government and the people of Laos for the, so far, successful handling of the ongoing crisis and stated that a strong COVID-19 response should include, besides a rapid vaccination drive, a comprehensive surveillance and testing strategy. In this regard, support to strengthen laboratory capacity is essential for the rapid detection of positive cases and the roll out of a timely response to contain the spread. Mr. Schreiner furthermore stressed the “absolute need for close donor coordination with the Government of Laos in the ongoing fight against COVID-19 in order to avoid any unfortunate duplication of efforts or gaps and to husband the all too rare resources”.

In coordination with the Ministry of Health, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation will provide this additional funding to the National Centre of Laboratory and Epidemiology (NCLE) and the Institut Pasteur du Laos (IPL), the two official laboratories for sample screening. The additional funds will, amongst others, be used to support the procurement of laboratory equipment, reagents, and swabs to meet the high demand for testing.

Furthermore, the LAO/027 health programme is continuing to support the Ministry of Health and the three Luxembourg supported provinces of Bolikhamxay, Khammouane and Vientiane, through the acquisition of medical devices, personal protective equipment (PPE) and consumables which are currently in high demand.

Through this latest funding assistance, Luxembourg’s support is expected to:
- strengthen case management, detection, monitoring and surveillance capacities;
- maintain and support temporary provincial isolation and treatment facilities;
- support infection prevention and control (IPC) mechanisms and surge capacities;
- enhance operational support and logistics; and
- provide technical support, IPC consumables and personal protective equipment (PPE) support.
This support is part of the Team Europe joint response and is in addition to the 3,000,000 EUR (34.5 billion LAK), which were transferred in 2020 by the Government of Luxembourg to support the Government of Lao PDR’s COVID-19 preparedness and response.

The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) is co-financed by the Government of Lao PDR and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and is implemented by the Lao Ministry of Health and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.

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- 8 June
- By Undraa Bayanaa
- Asia Office LAO/027
- Health
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LAOS - Neurology remote training for health professionals in Lao PDRTraining offered under the Thailand – Luxembourg – Laos Trilateral Cooperation
The Lao – Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) launched its first remote training under the LuxNet platform in Laos. The Neurology for non-neurologists training was held between 17 and 21 May 2021 and was presented by clinicians and neurology specialists from the Neurological Institute of Thailand (NIT). 26 health professionals from the three Luxembourg supported provinces of Bolikhamxay, Vientiane and Khammouane attended the five-days intensive remote training via Zoom.

Remote neurology training provided by the Neurological Institute of Thailand (May 2021).

The objective of the training was to increase the knowledge, understanding and skills of health personnel who are involved in providing care to patients in this area of specialisation. Providing neurology training in Laos is crucial taking into consideration that disease profiles, health-seeking behavior and clinical requirements are changing in the country. Indeed, hospitals are expected to see a substantial increase in lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and stroke.

The online training offered by the NIT consisted of 35 different lectures targeted to physicians and practicticing registered nurses. The five-days intensive online education (6-7 hrs/day) consisted of live webinars and group discussions. During the lectures, the participants had the opportunity to learn about neurological assessment, anatomy and physiology, and the clinical aspects and treatment of such disorders including trauma brain injury, stroke, and seizures. The topics covered included for instance: seizure management in pregnancy and other special situations, common pediatric neurological diseases, nursing management for epilepsy and stroke patients.

The LuxNet training platform

Conventional face-to-face training is challenged due to travel restrictions and current social distancing measures; in response, the LAO/027 programme has accelerated the introduction of remote teaching and training mechanisms in the health sector in Laos.

The remote neurology training is part of the broader LuxNet training platform established by the LAO/027 health programme to strengthen human resource capital development. Improving the skills of health workforce, forecasting the workforce needs in the short and medium term, and ensuring that the most appropriate skill-mix is available in the hospitals, are some of the key focus areas of the LAO/027 programme. The remote trainings are designed:
- to provide continuous, routine, short-term training to health service providers;
- to encourage peer learning under national and international experts' mentorship;
- to establish an on-site remote training environment at provincial and district hospital levels.
The LAO/027 programme is supporting key stakeholders for effective use of the LuxNet platform. The provincial hospitals in the three Luxembourg supported provinces of Bolikhamxay, Khammouane, and Vientiane, have already received a LuxNet installation. The installation of LuxNet is currently being rolled out to the Ministry of Health, the National Health Insurance Bureau, the provincial and district health offices, and to 28 preselected district hospitals.

Trilateral Cooperation between Thailand, Luxembourg, and Laos

The LuxNet initiative aims to improve communication between a network of stakeholders from academia, teaching and technical partners providing remote teaching and training. The University of Health Sciences (UHS) has been linked to the LuxNet platform as the active participation of national training institutions is critical. The UHS is currently responsible for identifying the training needs and for connecting the national academic training institutions to the different provincial hospitals.

In addition, LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency, is collaborating with the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) in the field of public health. TICA plays an important role in facilitating cooperation with Thai hospitals and training institutions. The long-term goal is to establish collaborative partnerships between Laos and Thailand in the health sector (e.g., through the twinning of Lao provincial hospitals with Thai border hospitals, through the development of a telemedicine hub in Laos and Thailand, and through the provision of technical assistance and short-term trainings by Thai health experts).

The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) is co-financed by the Government of Lao PDR and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and is implemented by the Lao Ministry of Health and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.
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- 1 June
- By LAO/031 Project
- Asia Office LAO/031
- Governance
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LAOS - Adjusted approaches to virtual during the COVID-19 lockdown
On 22 April 2021, the Lao Government had announced the countrywide lockdown, affecting all sectors of society not least in Vientiane. Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Order No. 15/PM, dated 21 April 2021, on COVID-19 Prevention and Controlling Measures, suggested all the government offices to initiate rotation staff except the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Health, firefighters, electricity and public water supply officials, communication officials and task force committee officials. Furthermore, the Ministry of Education and Sport issued a notice for the educational institutions to be closed until further notice and that remote learning would be implemented as appropriate.

As a result, all activities of both the LAO/031 project and its counterparts went temporary virtual, as illustrated below through a few examples.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has dealt with the lockdown by scheduling a rotation for respective staff, necessary because domestic bureaucratic procedures are conducted through paperwork. However, the internal communication is generally done via WhatsApp and phone call. The physical meetings are occasionally organized within the conditions set forth by the government, with no more than 10 individuals in attendance.

The Institute for Legal Support and Assistance (ILSTA) has adapted to move to online delivery of training events, and their e-learning platform has been in greater demand during lockdown. ILSTA produces e-Lectures on a range of legal topics based on their Technical Guides which are taught during ILSTA workshops throughout the country and are preparing new online content for capacity building. Examples of this revised modality has included Open Lectures scheduled at the Faculty of Law with online Q&A sessions, as well as e-Lectures with quizzes on the subject matter for more than 270 judiciary and law enforcement officers in all provinces. Furthermore, the English for Law training programmes, including placement testing of new students for the course had to be completed online. This has necessitated developing instructions on how to use apps such as Zoom, the translation of the learning platform (Vedamo) into Lao and circulation in Whatsapp messenger groups, trial classes and training of students in how to access and take part in online lessons. To further facilitate effective participation, students are provided with monthly mobile broadband top-up to enable them to access classes. Based on this experience, ILSTA will continue to develop, deliver and facilitate training and engage with beneficiaries through online forums, viewing it as an opportunity for Lao government staff to enhance their ICT skills and to open up to the world of online learning.

The Faculty of Law and Political Science (FLP) of the National University of Laos has launched E-Learning of the five-study programmes to keep the teaching and learning practice on track including: Civil Law, Criminal Law, Business Law, Political Science and International Relations Department. The faculty members have conducted remote learning and disseminate the materials through multiple channels including WhatsApp, Messenger, Google Classroom, Zoom and e-mail. Aside from the instructors’ E-Lectures, students are assigned to collaborate in small groups on research, presentations and interaction sessions. Following that, these students are required to submit their assignments on the due time. Nevertheless, given the lack of online teaching and learning experience, not all faculty members have found themselves able to deliver lectures remotely.

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has also transferred all the learning and teaching activities online instead of the temporary closure, with students attending the virtual classes via computers and mobile phones. However, challenges still to be addressed include a lack of proper equipment, facilities and steady internet connection for both faculty members and students, the need for intensive instruction for teachers on how to use e-learning resources, and the need to enhance students’ knowledge of how to optimize the benefits of remote learning.

In contrast to the FLP and NIJ, the Faculty of Law and Administration (FLA) of Champasak University has not implemented remote learning, finding that most of students in provinces unlike students in the capital are unable to make this transition due to lack of capacities, the availability of learning tools and stable internet connections.

Lastly, the LAO/031 project team has also adjusted all aspect of work to online, from partner support, team collaboration over financial administration. In early May 2021, the annual project audit by the external auditors from Ernst & Young Global Limited was conducted remotely. Switching from mainstream to remote auditing enable auditors to inspect the records anywhere on their convenience; however, this required a massive effort in terms of scanning all supporting documents, a far more time-consuming process than merely consulting binders of physical documents and being able to ask for clarifications from the related staff, which is instead done by e-mail. Furthermore, on 26 May LAO/031 hosted a Zoom-based Technical Coordination Meeting with more than 30 stakeholders from the partner institutions including the universities and justice sector institutions, Luxembourg Development and the Embassy. Successfully conducting the meeting virtually, with each participant connecting individually, sharing of documentation, discussion and exchange, with simultaneous translation Lao/English, is a positive indicator of the capacity and willingness of also the Lao stakeholders to adopt to this new reality – although IT-infrastructure especially outside the capital continues to challenge bridging the gap between the capital and provinces.

LAO/031 project is financed by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and implemented by LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.
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- 17 May
- By Cam Do Hoang Le
- Asia Office VIE/032
- Inclusive and innovative finance
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VIETNAM - Luxembourg continues supporting Vietnam’s Securities Market Development Strategy for 2021-2030
With continual and fast growing stock market in Vietnam, Vietnamese securities regulators are paying their great attention to the next development of the Securities Market Development Strategy for 2021-2030 which is responsible by the State Securities Commission (SSC). The expected strategy heads to a more comprehensively structured, more open and integrated as well as more competitive plus resilient market.

^{Virtual forums are quite efficient in gathering comments and opinions from experts all over the world during COVID-19 times.}

To this effort under the VIE/032 project scope, Luxembourg has played key role and so far only a mobiliser of technical assistance in supporting this action.

From 06 to 19 April 2021 the SSC in Hanoi organized 07 continuous virtual meetings focused on various key topics including
- securities trading markets and development of products;
- securities registration, depository, clearing and settlement;
- development of securities companies;
- fund industry;
- supervision, inspection and sanctions; and
- international integration.
The participants from Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HOSE), the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX) and the Securities Depository Centre (VSD), Securities Research and Training Center (SRTC) and technical departments of SSC attended the meetings.

^{Sustainable and green finance attracted great attention from regulators and market stakeholders in Vietnam during elaboration process of Securities Development Strategy}

The workshop was facilitated by international and regional advisors who are from the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry (ALFI), Luxembourg Institute of Directors, and Luxembourg Blockchain Association, the United States, and Thailand. The meetings provided the opportunities to the participants to exchange ideas, share best experiences and lessons learnt from world market as well as recommendations for the Vietnam’s market direction.

The workshops discussed sustainable finance opportunities for Vietnam, in line with Ministry of Finance’s direction. This is also an obvious advantage from Luxembourg as a hub of global financial market, where Vietnam could much benefit from exploring and learning from its broad experiences and advanced practices.

According to Pierre Oberlé, Senior Business Development Manager at ALFI: “sustainable finance will become the norm and investors will be keen to pay or to integrate the additional costs that this type of product has to deal with.”

^{Luxembourg Fund Industry practice}

Oberlé also pointed out in one of the virtual discussions with SSC that when it comes to attract foreign investors into the sustainable market in Vietnam, the country would first need to access what type of assets its currently has, which meet the sustainable finance criteria and norms in different jurisdictions. Additionally, Vietnam ought to develop the expertise necessary for the sustainable financial market development, in terms of market capacity and human resource training.

As a number of complex issues were raised, discussed and cleared during these online forums thanks to the straightforward exchanges by the participants and the advisors, the SSC gladly welcomed all comments and recommendations contributed. Mr. Pham Hong Son, Vice Chairman of SSC who chaired the overview session expressed: “we highly appreciated the support from Luxembourg Government to the SSC of Vietnam, that has been well managed and implemented by LuxDev, particularly shown via these interactive and fruitful workshops. We have learnt a lot.”

^{A brief overview of Vietnam Asset Management Market Share}

The Strategy is now being consolidated as it is expected to receive comments from relevant market stakeholders in May and thereafter to be submitted for approval from Ministry of Finance on 2nd June 2021.

The Capacity Building in the Financial Sector – VIE/032 project is co-financed by the Government of Vietnam and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and is implemented by the Vietnamese State Securities Commission and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.
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- 17 May
- By LAO/031 Project
- Asia Office LAO/031
- Governance
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LAOS - Justice for all Access to Justice Programme
The programme to enable the Lao people have easier access to justice has reached a remarkable progress since started, Reginald Pastrana, former Chief Technical Advisor of the Support Programme for Legal Teaching and Training and to the Promotion of the Rule of Law Concept in Laos - LAO/031 project said in a report. “As the Lao justice system goes into a significant phase, it will continuously offer citizens numerous options for legal recourse when their rights are violated,” he explained, adding that the Government of Laos (GoL) has instituted a strong legal enabling environment in the promotion of law and the enhancement of access to justice to its people.

Chief among these was the GoL’s adoption of Prime Minister (PM) Decree No. 77 in establishing legal aid offices and its effort to upgrade the Village Mediation Committees (VMCs), the alternative non-formal justice system, into a PM decree.

To bridge the gap between Lao citizens and the justice system, LAO/031 has already established five provincial legal aid offices and 15 legal aid offices in various districts. “These legal aid offices rely on trained Ministry of Justice (MoJ) district and provincial officers, together with members of the Lao Bar Association (LBA), to educate their fellow citizens about their legal rights and how to defend their rights in Lao’s formal and informal justice systems,” he explained.

On the Legal Education Campaigns

Pastrana further reported that using a variety of public education materials including comic books, pamphlets, and multimedia CDs, Project LAO/031, together with the Institute of Legal Support and Technical Assistance (ILSTA), supported the various government functionaries, especially the MoJ, to spread information on access to justice, particularly for women and children, to schools, provinces, districts and villages. Important laws were also disseminated including, among others, laws against violation of women and children, the law on human trafficking, land rights, and several others. The Clinical Legal Education at the Faculty of Law and Political Science (FLP) of the National University of Laos, together with some members of the LBA, provided free legal consultations. They also gave legal referrals and information on human rights and other forms of legal assistance.

Still, many people, especially women, are not aware of their legal rights or how to use the formal justice system. Additionally, many do not know where to turn when they face legal problems that could be resolved through the courts or community mediation. To reach the greatest number of vulnerable Lao citizens, the CTA explained that Mobile Legal Clinic outreach missions were held by the FLP teams at the far-flung province such as Attapeu. “As a result, a large number of people were able to attend and receive information on their legal rights, obtain one-on-one counselling on specific issues and in some cases, filed request,” he said.

Capacity Strengthening Programmes

It must be noted that the Lao People’s Supreme Court, the State Inspection Authority, the Office of the Supreme People’s Prosecutor, the MoJ and security sector institutions are critical actors that enforce rule of law, increase security and protect citizens’ rights. However, their capacity and authority are still not fully developed and needs further improvement, he further reported.

To address some of these issues, Pastrana said that the project, together with ILSTA, and in partnership with the GoL’s justice institutions, is undertaking a broad set of activities in the area of justice sector capacity building and modernisation. The primary goal of the project is to support Lao’s judicial institutions to strengthen their capacity with the ultimate purpose of improving the rule of law in Laos. The activities include the capacity development of the officers of these institutions, training on some key developments on law, like anti-money laundering, mutual legal assistance, anti-human trafficking, among others. A strong and reliable justice system in Laos is key to a secure society and a growing economy, he said.

LAO/031 project is financed by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and implemented by LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.
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- 5 May
- By Undraa BAYANAA
- Asia Office LAO/027
- Health
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LAOS – Ongoing health support during the COVID-19 pandemic
The Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, through the Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027), is deeply involved in supporting the Government of Lao PDR in its COVID-19 preparedness and response.

As the country weathers a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases, the LAO/027 programme continues to coordinate with the Ministry of Health and other international partners to minimise the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the national healthcare system.

As part of Luxembourg’s COVID-19 grant support, three ‘Decontamination Unit’ vehicles and decontamination equipment were handed over to the Ministry of Health in January 2021 to strengthen provincial authorities’ ability to respond to potential coronavirus infections.

These Decontamination Unit vehicles are today fully operational in the three provinces of Vientiane, Bolikhamxay and Khammouane. A team of well trained and equipped professionals is currently providing a rapid and mobile response in each of the three provinces. The Decontamination Unit is responsible for the disinfection and decontamination of healthcare and non-healthcare settings potentially contaminated by coronavirus such as isolation facilities, hospitals, official buildings as well as other locations where suspected, probable, and confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been.

^{Decontamination at a quarantine centre in Phonhong, Vientiane Province (March 2021) © LuxDev}

^{Disinfection at a COVID-19 treatment facility in Khammouane Province (April 2021) © LuxDev}

^{Disinfection at the Provincial Health Department (PHD) Office in Vientiane Province (April 2021) © LuxDev}

^{Disinfection at the Bolikhamxay Provincial Hospital (April 2021) © LuxDev}

Each decontamination vehicle contains essential equipment, including rechargeable battery nebulisers, disinfectants, cleaning materials, and other supplies such as protective equipment, goggles, boots, and gloves.

^{Decontamination Unit’ vehicle (April 2021) © LuxDev}

As the number of new cases continue to increase, the request for decontamination is outpacing the current capacities. The LAO/027 programme has provided the mobile teams with additional emergency sanitation supplies and nebulisers.

^{Decontamination at a local market in Vientiane province (May 1st, 2021) (pictures published on social media)}

Luxembourg, through its membership of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, is also supporting the distribution of free vaccines in Lao PDR. The country has received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility in March 2021. The shipment consisted of 132,000 doses of the SII-AstraZeneca vaccine and it was the first batch of a total of 480,000 doses that are being planned for delivery to Laos via the COVAX initiative by May 2021.

The Lao-Luxembourg Health Sector Support Programme Phase II (LAO/027) is co-financed by the Government of Lao PDR and the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and is implemented by the Lao Ministry of Health and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.
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- 1 April
- By Ben WANDIVINIT
- Asia Office LAO/029
- Education, vocationnal training and employment
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LAOS - The Academy Training Hotel and Restaurant opens its doors in Vang Vieng
On 1st of April 2021, The Academy Training Hotel and Restaurant officially opened its restaurant to the public. Staffed by students who are overseen by their teachers and an international management team, The Academy, which was officially inaugurated in November 2020 and is part of the Vientiane Province Technical College, offers students of tourism and hospitality programmes a unique practical training environment in the heart of Vang Vieng.

The Academy will be staffed by students eager to welcome the first guests and learn much sought-after hospitality skills. Photo credit: Phoonsab Thevongsa

Over the past months, students and teachers at the college have been preparing to welcome its restaurant guests. Chef Serge Selbe, a professional with over 30 years of industry experience has been working with teachers and students to introduce them to the modern and professionally equipped kitchen. The menu we have created with the teachers and students blend international and local produce, combining fresh ingredients, native herbs and spices to create innovative and yet simple dining options, he reveals.

The restaurant and bar area of the Academy, which will be staffed by students under the watchful eyes of their teachers and the management team. Coyright: LuxDev

All meals and drinks offered at The Academy are prepared and served by students who are enhancing their skills in a real-life environment, supported and supervised by their teachers. Some of the students are experiencing working in a professional environment for the first time in their lives, which makes them exceptionally eager to learn. Students realise that they have a rare opportunity to gain much sought-after skills, making it easier to find a job upon graduation, one of the teachers, Ms Nidsakhone Sihachak added.

The last two months went by very fast, Ms Khambai Vongsodsavanh admitted, a student currently enrolled on the Diploma in Hospitality specialising in Restaurant Operations. It has been an intense learning experience for all of us ranging from receiving instructions on how to properly use a wide variety of kitchen utensils, being taught how to practice hygienic standards at all times as well as becoming familiar with all the intricacies of working in a bar and a restaurant.

The hotel at The Academy is also open to guests, offering six guest bedrooms that blend style and comfort with simplicity.

Each bedroom has a private balcony and is equipped with A/C, LCD TV, WiFi, complimentary tea/coffee making facilities and ensuite bathroom. Photo credit: Phoonsab Thevongsa

We can facilitate meetings and events in our meeting rooms which are equipped with LCD projectors, whiteboards, flipcharts and WiFi, the General Manager, Savija Pannark, explains. A wide variety of clients have already made use of our facilities and services, and we are ready to welcome new customers who wish to organise their meetings and events at our facility, she added.

With The Academy Training Hotel and Restaurant offering new learning opportunities, students will see their horizons broadened and their aspirations raised, commented Mr Nouphan Outsa, Director General of the Technical Vocational Education Department at the Ministry of Education and Sports. It provides students with the vital work-related knowledge and skills which support them as they transition from school to work. In addition to enhancing their practical skills, training in The Academy will provide students with valuable interactions with the world of work, help them prepare to take up employment in the tourism and hospitality sector and achieve their potential.

The Academy Training Hotel and Restaurant is supported by the Skills for Tourism (LAO/029) Project which is co-financed by the Governments of Lao PDR, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Switzerland, and is implemented by the Ministry of Education and Sports of Lao PDR and LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency.
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