VIENTIANE, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Laos will continue to work towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in all sectors as well as intensify capacity building and awareness-raising in the area of climate change.
Speaking on Tuesday at the closing ceremony of the Round Table Implementation Meeting 2019, Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Investment, Sonexay Siphandone said one of the most important goals for Laos is to achieve the national SDG titled "Lives Safe from Unexploded Ordnance."
The meeting took place from Monday to Tuesday in Luang Prabang, some 220 km north of Lao capital Vientiane.
In moving towards graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status, a second review of the graduation criteria will be carried out in 2021, local daily Vientiane Times on Wednesday quoted the Lao deputy prime minister as saying.
Laos is on track to graduate from LDC status in 2024 and currently meets two of the three criteria regarding Gross National Income per capita and the Human Assets Index, while the Economic Vulnerability Index criteria are yet to be achieved, Sonexay said.
This shortcoming was partly caused by the distribution of the planned budget for addressing the impact of natural disasters and rebuilding infrastructure as part of disaster recovery measures, he added.
The Round Table meeting featured a panel discussion on LDC graduation as well as talks on trade, Official Development Assistance, and financing opportunities in the transition period.
Participants discussed key areas which require special attention from the Lao government and development partners, including long-term planning in line with the national budget, improvement of cooperation mechanisms to ensure effective resource mobilization, and poverty reduction, according to the report.
The panel discussion centred on the SDG Agenda 2030. Speakers underlined the importance of the engagement of all sectors and integration of the SDGs into the National Socio-Economic Development Plan in line with the Vientiane Declaration Country Action Plan to ensure the effective implementation of development goals.
Governor of Luang Prabang province Khamkhan Chanthavisouk said the province has been working to implement its Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2019 and is preparing the Provincial Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2021-2025.
