Vientiane province: –Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), effective development partnerships, food and nutrition security, green growth, climate change and disaster response preparedness are cross-sectoral topics of discussion between the government and development partners this year.
Experts from the government and development partners’ representative agencies began discussion on these issues yesterday at the 2016 Round Table Implementation Meeting, which continues today in Vientiane province’s capital.
Serving as a forum to discuss how partners can collaborate on national development priorities, the Round Table Implementation Meeting is taking stock of progress made in 2016 and guiding joint efforts for 2017.
As a main output of this meeting, the government will endorse with its partners, the Vientiane Declaration Country Action Plan for 2016-2025, which outlines key actions to enhance effective development cooperation, and will help put into practice the SDGs and the Eighth Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP).
In his opening remarks at the meeting, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Dr Kikeo Chanthaboury noted the importance of learning about implementation and achievement of various goals, and the integration of local and national level indicators.
We have to learn about how the indicators are implemented at provincial level so that they continue to comply and are integrated with those at national level, he said.
Dr Kikeo mentioned food and nutrition security, saying it was very important in terms of poverty reduction.
The deputy minister reminded the meeting about the government’s clear policy on environmental protection through issuing the decree to stop logging and timber exportation.
Dr Kikeo noted the cooperation between the government and its development partners over the past 15 years with appreciation, saying the country had became a model in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.
According to a report from the ministry, 447 projects have been implemented in the 2015/16 fiscal year around the country with Official Development Assistance funding of US$367 million. Of this amount US$228 million has been actually been disbursed.
Speaking at the meeting, Vientiane province Vice Governor Ms Singkham Khongsavanh highlighted the geographic and demographic specifications of the province, which she said had an abundance of nature and diversity of multiethnic cultures.
She also noted the economic growth, which had not been strong enough, referring to several targets not achieved. She pointed to the shortage of funds and capable personnel and specialists, and a large portion of the population still relying on nature for a living as challenges in achieving the goals.
Vientiane province has around 1,000 families or 1.2 percent of total families in the province living under the poverty line, and 10 villages are noted as extremely poor.
Source: Vientiane Times
