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LAOS - Training Programme on International Law and Human RightsThe four-day training strengthened university lecturers’ knowledge of International Law
The first of two training workshops on International Law and Human Rights took place in Savannakhet from 8 – 11 January 2019. The activity, jointly supported by the European Union’s Citizens’ Engagement for Good Governance and Accountability (EU-CEGGA) Programme and LuxDev LAO/031 project in coordination with the Department of Treaty and Law (DTL) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the Faculty of Law and Political Science (FLP) of the National University of Laos, aims to consolidate and complement the legal knowledge of lecturers from the FLP, the Faculty of Law and Administration (FLA) of Champasak University, and Savannakhet University.
Opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Bounkhong Phetdaohoung, Head of the International Relations Department of the FLP, Mrs. Viengvone Kittavong, Deputy Director General of DTL, Mr. Bryan Fornari, Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the EU to Lao PDR, and Mr. Reginald Pastrana, Chief Technical Advisor of LAO/031. During four days, the participants benefited from an interactive training on international law - how it evolved and developed, its sources and especially its relationship with domestic law. Other insightful topics taken up involved jurisdiction and sovereignty, the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, and the role of the United Nations and regional organisations in shaping international law. A core subject of discussion throughout the workshop was the application and adoption of international law and obligations into Lao law.
Two resource people from the DTL presented the final two topics. One presenter was Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne, a human rights expert, a practicing lawyer and a Member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka who has previously worked in Lao PDR. He presented a number of legal jurisprudence cases from his native country. Dr. Jayampathy encouraged the active involvement of the participants and recommended that they use their existing expertise in specialised subjects.
The training also fulfilled the lecturers’ different needs:
- it provided them an opportunity to consolidate their knowledge of law;
- answered their specific areas of interest and removed doubts; and
- learned them legal concepts in English.
By engaging local experts in the DTL, and by targeting lecturers as beneficiaries, it is hoped that this activity will promote sustainable results and provide knowledge that the teachers could apply and share in their own lectures.
This activity marks the developing coordination between LAO/031 and the EU-CEGGA programme. Further cooperation is taking place with regard to the sourcing of books for the FLP Library. It was announced that the second training workshop will be scheduled later this year.
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