The Lao PDR has made significant progress in child right promotion with international convention incorporated into national laws and policies on child rights.
A workshop held in Vientiane on Tuesday was told that the government has made legal child protection frameworks including law on Juvenile Criminal procedures, Prime Minister’s Decree of Adoption, Law on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Children.
National strategies and plans of action that take into account the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Right of the Child have been developed in the areas of Inclusive Education, Nutrition and violence will also be reported as the government is striving towards achieving the 8th National Socio-economic Development Plan as well as Sustainable Development Goals.
UNICEF Representative Hongwei Gao appreciated the government of Lao PDR, in particular the National Commission for Mothers and Children upon the progress made towards the development of the state report on the implementation of the convention of the rights of the child.
Ms Gao said that the Lao PDR has achieved MDG targets on poverty reduction, universal access to primary education, gender parity in primary education, maternal mortality reduction, and access to water and sanitation though there are some targets remain unmet such as child nutrition and primary school completion.
“UNICEF is pleased to partner with you and support this process. We remain committed to supporting the government in order to promote and realize the rights of all children through further implementation, monitoring and reporting on the CRC (UN convention),” added Ms Hongwei.
Tuesday’s workshop, which saw the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, provided an opportunity to the government, ministries, development partners, CSOs and NGOs to review and provide inputs into a draft report that has been developed under the leadership of the National Commission for Mothers and Children, with the technical and financial support provided by UNICEF.
Source: KPL
