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LAOS - Improved access to justice for Lao citizens through continued support from Luxembourg
A ceremony was held at the Ministry of Justice to commemorate the handover of IT equipment and furniture to 32 Legal Aid Offices across 28 districts in Khammouane, Bolikhamxay, Bokeo, Vientiane, and Luang Namtha provinces. This contribution aims to enhance the capacity of legal aid offices to provide effective legal consultation and advice to local communities.
The event was attended by key officials from the Ministry of Justice, including Dr. Chomkham Boubphalivan, Director General of the Justice System Promotion Department, and Dr. Lone Lindholt, Senior Sectoral Adviser for the ROLAG programme (Enhancing the rule of law, access to justice, and good governance), financed by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg under the fifth Lao-Luxembourg Indicative Cooperation Programme (ICP V).
Already on 12 June 2024, packages of furniture and non-electronic equipment (tables and chairs) were handed over to Ministry of Justice by the ROLAG programme. The IT equipment and furniture handed over, worth approximatively KIP 1,8 billion (EUR 75,000) included IT and electronic equipment, including laptops and printers, portable loudspeakers for community outreach as well as mobile phones for each office to manage a dedicated WhatsApp function.
Luxembourg has been supporting legal aid offices established under the Ministry of Justice - according to Decree 77, Legal Aid (2018) - since 2019, providing essential infrastructure, equipment and training to enable them to function effectively. This latest contribution follows a round of inspection and needs assessment by the Ministry of Justice and the ROLAG programme team. It is part of an ongoing effort by Luxembourg to ensure that these offices have the necessary resources to continue serving their communities effectively.
In addition to the IT and furniture distribution, Luxembourg is also committed to supporting legal aid offices in the aftermath of the recent floods in Luang Namtha, caused by the tropical storm Yagi. The ROLAG programme will provide additional funding to repair damaged buildings, furniture and electronic equipment, ensuring that the affected legal aid offices can continue to provide vital services to the most vulnerable populations.
The ROLAG programm is financed by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and jointly implemented by the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Ministry of Justice, LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency, ILSTA and the University of Luxembourg.
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