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LAOS - Developing Sector Working Groups (SWGs) into an ODA mobilisation forum
The Round Table Meeting (RTM) process and its related Sector Working Groups (SWGs) have been established since 2000. These are the inclusive forums to support the design and implementation of the country’s national development plans. Implementation meetings are held every year to take stock of progress made in the past year and set joint priorities for the coming year. However, they are not tools for well-planned Official Development Assistance (ODA) mobilisation. Discussions at the RTM and SWGs tend to be more on the policy level than practical ODA mobilisation. Thus, the Project LAO/033 has, in close cooperation with UNDP, undertake further development of the SWGs so that in addition to policy discussions, they would become a platform for mobilising ODA funds in a well-planned manner and meet the needs of line sector.
On 12-13 August 2021, the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Planning and Investment organized a consultation workshop to present and finalize Sector Working Groups (SWGs) into the ODA mobilisation forum and its associated implementation guidelines and instructions to sector working groups.
The workshop was chaired by Ms Sisomboun Ounavong, Director General of Department of International Cooperation and attended by 38 officials (15 women) from key stakeholders in the 10 sector working groups namely health, education, governance, macro economics, trade and private sector development, infrastructure, mine action and UXO, illicit drug control, natural resource and environment and agriculture and rural development.
The workshop discussed ways of promoting resources mobilisation, both domestically and externally (including foreign direct investment, and international private sector and civil society contributions), their allocation to sector priorities, and monitoring and reporting on use of resources in a transparent and predictable manner in close collaboration with core ministries as Ministry of Planning and Investment and Ministry of Finance and concerned Development Partners (DPs).
The meeting is part of an ongoing effort 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.
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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