JOINT CONTEXT ANALYSIS LAO PDR
9 OCTOBER 2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Abbreviations ......................................................................................................................... 3 Legal Framework .............................................................................................................................. 5 Oxfam Solidarité was appointed as lead organization for the Laos Joint Context Analysis. 6 Disclaimer / Neutrality ...................................................................................................................... 6 Approval request ............................................................................................................................... 6 1 Description of the JCA-process, the participation of the ANGCs, the involvement of the local partners and any other relevant local stakeholders ............................................................... 6 1.1
Description of the JCA-process .......................................................................................... 6
1.2
Participation of the ANGCs ................................................................................................. 7
1.3
Involvement of local partners (and local offices).............................................................. 8
1.4
Involvement of other local actors (Belgian government, INGOs, EU) .......................... 8
2 Mapping of programs, projects, synergy-projects and partnerships that were implemented by the ANGCs during the last 5 years in Laos ......................................................... 9
3
2.1
Table with programs and projects ...................................................................................... 9
2.2
Synergy Projects ................................................................................................................. 11
2.3
Partnerships in collaboration with governments ............................................................ 11
2.4
Links with JCAs in neighbouring countries ..................................................................... 11
2.5
Assessment of synergy within existing programmes .................................................... 11
Analysis of the political, economic, social and environmental situation ............................. 12 3.1
Analysis of the political situation....................................................................................... 12
3.2
Analysis of the socio-economic situation ........................................................................ 13
3.3
Analysis of the environmental situation ........................................................................... 15
3.4
Analyses per intervention domain .................................................................................... 16
4 Description of the local civil society, the decentralized authorities and the governmental institutions, and their most important financial partners ............................................................... 26 4.1
Description of the local civil society and their most important financial partners ...... 26
4.2 Description of the decentralized authorities and the governmental institutions, and their most important financial partners ........................................................................................ 28 5 Analysis of the situation of the local civil society, the decentralized authorities and the governmental institutions, and the strategies that are being considered to strengthen their condition ............................................................................................................................................... 32 5.1 Analysis of the situation of local civil society, and the strategies that are being considered to strengthen its condition ......................................................................................... 32 5.2 Analysis of the condition of the decentralized authorities and the government institutions and strategies to strengthen their condition............................................................ 33 1
5.3
Analysis of the Agricultural sector and strategies to strengthen its condition ........... 35
5.4
Analysis of the Health sector and strategies to strengthen its condition .................... 37
5.5
Analysis of the Education sector and strategies to strengthen its condition.............. 41
5.6
Analysis of the Social Protection sector and strategies to strengthen its condition . 42
Identification of relevant development actors ......................................................................... 45
6
6.1 Relevant actors related to Agriculture / Rural Sector / Environment / Trade / Resilience ........................................................................................................................................ 45 6.2
Relevant actors related to Health ..................................................................................... 50
6.3
Relevant actors related to Education............................................................................... 52
6.4
Relevant actors related to Disability ................................................................................ 53
6.5
Relevant actors related to Social Protection and Vulnerable employment ................ 54
7
Identification of the type of potential partners per ANGC ..................................................... 55
8
Identification of future sectors per ANGC, taking into consideration the relevant actors 59 8.1
Overview: future sectors and relevant actors ................................................................. 59
8.2
Strategies of change for the ANGCs ............................................................................... 60
Analyses of the risks and opportunities per sector ................................................................ 67
9
9.1
Agriculture / Rural / Environment / Trade / Resilience .................................................. 67
9.2
Health ................................................................................................................................... 68
9.3
Education ............................................................................................................................. 68
9.4
Social Protection and Vulnerable employment .............................................................. 69
10 Analyses of the opportunities and added value for synergy and complementarity between ANGCs, and with the Belgian bilateral cooperation and other organisations ........... 70 10.1
Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 70
10.2
General and inter-sectoral opportunities ......................................................................... 71
10.3
Agriculture / Rural Sector / Trade / Environment / Resilience ..................................... 74
10.4
Health ................................................................................................................................... 75
10.5
Education ............................................................................................................................. 76
10.6
Social Protection and Vulnerable employment .............................................................. 77
11
ANNEX 1: List of existing own analyses ............................................................................. 78
12
ANNEX 2: Examples of formal consultation processes .................................................... 79
13
ANNEX 3: List of local actors involved ................................................................................ 83
14
ANNEX 4: Executive summary ............................................................................................. 85
2
List of Abbreviations ADB AEC AFTA ASEAN CBA CBO CBHI CMR CSO DHO DPO DRM DRR ECCD ESDP FDI GDA GOL HEF ILO LFTU LNCCI LWU Lao PDR LRC MAF MDG MNCH MOES MOH MoLSW MONRE NAFRI NCDE NCLC NDMC NDMO NPA NRSC NSDEP NUOL OIF PES PHD PTA PWD SME
Asian Development Bank ASEAN Economic Community ASEAN Free Trade Area Association of Southeast Asian Nations Collective Bargaining Agreement Community-Based Group Community-Based Health Insurance Centre for Medical Rehabilitation Civil Society Organisation District Health Office Disabled People Organisation Disaster Risk Management Disaster Risk Reduction Early Childhood Care and Development Education Sector Development Plan Foreign Direct Investment Gender and Development Association Government of Laos Health Equity Funds International Labour Organisation Lao Federation of Trade Unions Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Lao Women Union Lao People’s Democratic Republic Lao Red Cross Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Millennium Development Goal Maternal, New Born and Child Health Ministry of Education and Sports Ministry of Health Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute National Committee for the Disabled and the Elderly National Committee for Mothers and Children National Disaster Management Committee National Disaster Management Office Non-Profit Association National Road Safety Committee National Socio-Economic Development Plan National University of Laos Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie Provincial Education Service Provincial Health Department Parent-Teacher Association Person With Disability Small and Medium-sized Enterprises 3
TVET WHO WTO
Technical Vocational Education and Training World Health Organisation World Trade Organisation
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A.
Introduction
Legal Framework The Joint Context Analysis (JCA) of the Lao PDR presented in this document is based on the Law on the Belgian Development Cooperation (19/03/2013, as amended by the Law of 01/09/2014), art. 2-6°/7, and the Royal Decree of 24/04/2014, art.14 § 1 & 2. Art. 2-6°/7 of the Law on Development Cooperation states: "The context analysis focuses on civil society, the decentralised administrations and public institutions and the conditions which enable their strengthening, prepared by several ANGC based on their own context analyses and similar exercises conducted in the country or the region" This JCA contains an analysis of the Lao context and of the opportunities to collaborate for the non-governmental actors (ANGCs) from 2017 until 2026. This document should primarily be seen as an opportunity to identify possible ways of cooperation, complementarity and synergy. This document is not a presentation of specific programmes or projects but a projection exercise for the mid- to long-term. If approved, it will be an important reference document for: • the programmes that will subsequently be developed and submitted to DGD and which must demonstrate, for each specific objective, how the programme takes into account at least one JCA; • writing a progress report on the complementarity and synergy opportunities described in the JCA. This report shall be submitted in 2019; • allocating DGD funding within the framework of synergy initiatives. Below is the list of actors of the non-governmental cooperation (ANGC) who expressed their intention to implement a programme in Lao PDR in the next 10 years. This list includes the ANGCs that took part in the Asia Regional Thematic Analysis on Decent Work: WSM (Lead), IEOI-IIAV, IFSI-ISVI and Oxfam Solidarité. Participating ANGCs 1 2 3
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5 6
Rue des Quatre-Vents 60, 1080 Brussels Aide au Développement Passage des Déportés 2, Gembloux 5030 Gembloux Place Sainctelette 2, APEFE 1080 Brussels Geneeskunde voor de derde wereld – Chaussée de Haecht 53, 1210 Médecine pour le tiers- Brussels monde Rue de l’Arbre Bénit 44 1050 Handicap International Brussels Louvain Coopération au Avenue du Grand Cortil 15a, Développement 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve Oxfam Solidarité (Lead)
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Médecins du Monde Belgique – Dokters van de Wereld België Oxfam Wereldwinkels
9
PLAN België
10
Rode Kruis Vlaanderen Internationaal
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Address
Email
Contacts
[email protected]
Joelle Plumerel
[email protected]
Gilles Michelin
[email protected]
Solange de Harlez
[email protected]
André Crespin
Dominique.delvigne@han dicap.be ivgod@louvaincooperatio n.org
Dominique Delvigne Inge Van Godtsenhoven
Rue Botanique 75, 1210 Brussels
gilles.khuc@medecinsdu monde.be
Gilles Khúc
Ververijstraat 17, 9000 Gent Galerie Ravenstein 3B5, 1000 Brussels Motstraat 40, 2800 Mechelen
[email protected] Arne Schollaert Fabrice.lepla@planbelgiq Fabrice Lepla ue.be
[email protected] Toon Wets
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Blijde Inkomstraat 50, mianne.vanderbiest@ Mianne 3000 Leuven vredeseilanden.be Vanderbiest 90, Bvd Emile Jacqmain,
[email protected] Jerome Laycock 1000 Brussels ANGCs participating in the Asia Regional Thematic Analysis on Decent Work
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Vredeseilanden
12
WWF
1
IEOI-IIAV
Chaussée de Haecht 579, 1030 Brussels
2
IFSI-ISVI
Rue Haute 42, 1000 Brussels
3
Oxfam Solidarité
4
WSM (Lead)
Rue des Quatre-Vents 60, 1080 Brussels Chaussée de Haecht 579, 1030 Brussels
[email protected]
Stijn Sintubin
christian.vancoppenolle@ Chris abvv.be Vancoppenolle Hilde Van
[email protected] Regenmortel
[email protected]
Jeroen Roskams
Oxfam Solidarité was appointed as lead organization for the Laos Joint Context Analysis.
Disclaimer / Neutrality The JCA presents the outcome of the exchanges between the participating organizations on their own vision and their own analyses from a technical and operational perspective. The views expressed on the basis of information contained in this context analysis bind only the organizations that have explicitly taken these positions. Under no circumstances may they be construed as a position of all organizations who have been involved in the process. In addition, no information mentioned can be construed as representing a political or ideological position of the participating or of the partner organizations.
Approval request Oxfam Solidarité hereby formally requests DGD to approve the present JCA.
1 Description of the JCA-process, the participation of the ANGCs, the involvement of the local partners and any other relevant local stakeholders 1.1 Description of the JCA-process This JCA was produced in accordance with the Vademecum approved by the Boards of the ANGC Federations. Based on the Vademecum, the participating ANGCs followed the steps below: 01/02/2015 05/03/2015 15/03/2015 20/03/2015 02/04/2015 03/04/2015 08/04/2015 28/04/2015 08/05/2015 15/05/2015 15/05-30/06 05/6/2015 12/06/2015 15/06/2015
List of ANGCs participating in the Laos JCA JCA launch meeting; definition of roles and tasks, of 3 thematic clusters, internal planning Mapping of actors, their previous and future thematic areas Drafting Chapters 3, 4 and 5 for the 3 thematic clusters, based on existing and other analyses Second JCA meeting: fine-tuning ways of working; methodology for local consultation List of local actors and identification of their involvement in the analysis Submission of budget request Third JCA meeting: ToR for consultation of local actors, methodology for Chapters 8, 9, 10 Sharing draft Chapters 3 to 5 for review by ANGCs and their local representations; Identification of relevant actors and potential partners (Chapter 6 & 7) Preparation of the local consultation workshop Compilation of Chapters 3 to 7 Collecting data for and drafting Chapter 8 Integration of input from Regional Thematic CA on Decent Work
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17/06/2015 25/06-01/07 & 30/06/2015 July/August 03/09/2015 23/09/15
Draft submitted to the Coupoles Translation into Lao language of a draft summary for use in the local consultations Individual interviews and consultation workshop with local actors in Laos Integration of the contributions from the local consultations; Preparation of second draft ANGC workshop on synergies and complementarities Final draft ready and sent to JCA participants for their review and approval
This JCA draws first and foremost upon various recent analyses and other reference documents on the Lao PDR, which were produced by the ANGCs themselves and usually with inputs from their partners (see 1.3). These sources were supplemented by data from other key development actors. The existing analyses from ANGCs and their partners, which were used in this JCA, are listed in Annex 1. Additional bibliographical sources are referenced in footnotes. Using these references, the participating ANGCs wrote a draft document which was discussed and commented in the field by various local partners and stakeholders and by local representatives of the ANGCs. A final draft took into account the results of these local consultations and was sent to all members of the Laos JCA for their comments. The final document was approved by all ANGCs on 4/10/2015.
1.2 Participation of the ANGCs 12 ANGCs plus the Regional Decent Work Group on Asia participated in the Laos JCA. As many ANGCs are not represented in Laos, it was decided to coordinate the process from Belgium with strong involvement from ANGCs’ local representations and from local stakeholders in Laos. Four face-to-face meetings were held in Brussels to select thematic areas, divide tasks, agree schedules, methodology for each chapter, local consultation process, discuss progress, and identify synergies and complementarities. The JCA participants identified 3 broad thematic clusters: - Agriculture / Rural Sector / Environment / Trade / Resilience; - Education; and - Health A Cluster Lead was appointed for each of them, based on their thematic expertise. The Cluster Leads collected and synthesized inputs from other ACGNs involved in those Thematic Clusters, ensuring quality and coherence. One Environment Sub-Lead and the Lead respectively ensured ‘Environment’ and “Gender” are fully integrated as cross-cutting themes in the analysis. The Lead compiled all data and regularly shared draft chapters with members and their local offices for their review. In September 2015, a final workshop brought together participating ACNGs to identify synergies and complementarities. Decent Work In addition to the three thematic clusters mentioned above, the Laos JCA also covers the theme ‘Decent work’ as discussed in the Regional Thematic JCA on Asia, but with a specific focus on Social Protection and Vulnerable employment. Decent Work is one of the DGD’s three priority themes. In order to link up and ensure complementarity between regional and country joint analyses, one representative of the Regional Thematic Decent Work group acted as focal point for the Laos JCA. The regional thematic analysis was born from an international and regional vision on Decent Work, but the proposed areas of intervention, the types of partner organisations and their needs regarding capacity strengthening also point to the strong relevance of support at Lao level. ANGCs with a proven expertise in the country were actively involved in elaborating this thematic JCA.
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Social protection, as well as the defence and realisation of vulnerable workers’ rights (such as informal workers, migrant workers, women and disabled workers …) are important areas of intervention when striving for the implementation of the Decent Work Agenda. They are tackled in this JCA, but in such a way that it complements the regional JCA or brings in a more detailed national perspective to the regional one. Therefore, the various chapters on Decent Work, as described in this JCA and those covered in the thematic JCA Decent Work Asia should be read together, and jointly form one complete analysis on Lao PDR.
1.3 Involvement of local partners (and local offices) Local partners and actors have been involved in the JCA as described hereafter, and as part of a wider and continuous engagement process of ANGCs with local stakeholders: - Partners’ own context analyses and views have been taken into account in the ANGCs’ analyses (e.g. Country Analyses, Country Strategies, Strategic Plans…), as well as in the development of the 2014-2016 DGD programmes. The present JCA draws heavily upon these existing documents. A selection of consultation processes held with local actors and/or partners of some of the participating ANGCs is described in Annex 2, by way of example. - In June 2015, a representative selection of local stakeholders from civil society organisations to academia through to government agencies and ACNGs’ local offices, with expertise in the above Cluster Themes took part in a consultation workshop in Vientiane on the basis of a draft of the JCA. In designing this workshop, care was taken to valorise local partners and actors’ recent contributions to the ANGC’s strategic analysis and planning (see previous point) as much as possible. Their involvement has therefore focused on adding value to the JCA, rather than duplicating previous consultations; This consultation of local partners resulted in a more robust analysis as well as feedback on some key aspects of the JCA, such as the intervention strategies and the risk and opportunity analysis. It also updated and added information where it was lacking. - Oxfam Solidarity partners Lao Federation of Trade Unions and regional NGO Asia Monitor Resource Centre were invited to fill in a specific questionnaire on Decent Work, covering such topics as the key issues in the area of decent work, their underlying causes, their impact, particularly on women, ways to address these issues and potential synergies and complementarities. Their contributions informed the JCA, too.
1.4 Involvement of other local actors (Belgian government, INGOs, EU) The Embassy of Belgium in Bangkok and the EU Delegation in Laos were invited to the local consultation workshop of June 2015. Additional individual interviews were held in Laos with experts from: - the EU Delegation in Laos, - INGOs CORD and Helvetas - the network of civil society organisations “Gender and Development Association” to seek their perspectives on development issues in Laos, with a specific focus on the role and strengthening of civil society and government. No EU country roadmap for Engagement with Civil Society for Lao PDR was published at the time of writing this JCA. Annex 3 lists the local actors involved
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B.
Programs/projects implemented
2 Mapping of programs, projects, synergy-projects and partnerships that were implemented by the ANGCs during the last 5 years in Laos 2.1 Table with programs and projects ANGC name
Title
Main intervention domain
Geographic area
Partner
Donor
Vietnam National University of Agriculture
EU, University of Gembloux Agro Bio Tech
Vientiane Capital, Provinces of Luang Ministry of Health, Prabang, Xiengkuang, Center for Medical Savannakhet, Rehabilitation Champassak
Health
Vientiane Capital, Provinces of Luang Prabang Province, Xiengkuang, Savannakhet, Champassak
Health / Prevention
Vientiane Capital
ADG
ANNÂDYA Project: “Promoting appropriate technology for smallholders to increase food security among indigenous peoples in Cambodia and Lao PDR”
Agriculture / Rural Sector
Attapeu province (4 Districts)
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
Development of a model for medical rehabilitation and improvement of quality of medical rehabilitation services
Health
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
Development of a model for medical rehabilitation and improvement of quality of medical rehabilitation services
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
Pilot of Hospital-based Services for Screening and Treatment of Children with Disabilities, Inclusion of Disability in NGO/IO partners’ Community-based MCH projects
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
Réduction des handicaps infantiles et leurs conséquences dans la province de Savannakhet. Prévention, détection précoce et intervention pour les enfants handicapés ou à risques (0-7 ans)
Health / Prevention
Health / Prevention
Dates
Gender
Environment
3,403,326 EUR
2012-2015
No
No
MAE-Lux
467 995,65 EUR
2014-2017
Yes
No
Ministry of Health, Center for Medical Rehabilitation
DGD
562,835 EUR
2014-2016
Yes
No
Ministry of Health, Children's Hospital
DGD
421,953 EUR
2014-2016
Yes
No
DGD
747,118 EUR
2011-2013
Yes
No
MAE Lux
462,718 EUR
2010-2013
Yes
No
DGD
450,354 EUR
2014-2016
Yes
No
DGD
466,187 EUR
2011-2013
Yes
No
Ministry of Health, Savannakhet province Center for Medical Rehabilitation Ministry of Health, Savannakhet province Center for Medical Rehabilitation Ministry of Public Works and Vientiane Capital and Transport - National Savannakhet Province Road Safety Committee Ministry of Public Works and Vientiane Capital and Transport - National Savannakhet Province Road Safety Committee
Budget
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
Améliorer la sécurité routière au Laos
Health / Prevention
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
Améliorer la sécurité routière au Laos
Health / Prevention
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
Development of a Human Rights Based Culture for Disabled People in the Lao PDR - The way to greater inclusion and participation
Support to civil society
Vientiane Capital, Ministry of Labor Provinces of Vientiane, and Social Welfare Savannakhet, National Committee Champassak for Disabled Persons
UE
81,000 EUR
2008-2011
Yes
No
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
Development of a Human Rights Based Culture for Disabled People in the Lao PDR - The way to greater inclusion and participation
Support to civil society
Vientiane Capital, Ministry of Labor Provinces of Vientiane, and Social Welfare Savannakhet, National Committee Champassak for Disabled Persons
EU - EIDHR
131,000 EUR
2010-2013
Yes
No
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
Building the Capacity of Lao Disabled People Association (LDPA) to support and advocate for inclusive employment and economic opportunities for people with disabilities
Economie sociale/decent work
Ministry of Labor Vientiane Capital, and Social Welfare Provinces of Vientiane National Committee and Savannakhet for Disabled Persons
USAID
216,049 EUR
2009-2012
Yes
No
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
Decent work and Social protection for persons with disability
Economie sociale/decent work
Ministry of Labor Vientiane Capital, and Social Welfare Provinces of Vientiane National Committee and Savannakhet for Disabled Persons
EU regional (three country)
2,187,665 EUR
2010-2014
yes
No
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
CRPD Advocacy for Government Action Program: Laos, Cambodia and Thailand
Support to civil society
US-DRL
425,000 USD (regional)
2012-2015
Yes
No
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
Renforcement des capacités de LDPA afin de promouvoir l’égalité et la participation des PSH au Laos.
Support to civil society
DGD
777,889 EUR
2011-2013
Yes
No
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
Vers une société inclusive en RDP Lao: Renforcement des capacités des organisations laotiennes de PH pour contribuer significativement au développement de leur pays.
Support to civil society
Vientiane Capital, Provinces of Savannakhet and Champassak
Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare National Committee for Disabled Persons
DGD
590,599 EUR
2014-2016
Yes
No
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
Strengthening the capacities of Lao Disabled People 's organisations to meaningfully contribute to inclusive development of Lao PDR.
Support to civil society
Vientiane Capital, Provinces of Savannakhet and Champassak
Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare National Committee for Disabled Persons
EU
815,879 EUR
2015-2018
Yes
No
Vientiane Capital
Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare National Committee for Disabled Persons
Vientiane Capital, Ministry of Labor Provinces of Vientiane, and Social Welfare Savannakhet , National Committee Champassak for Disabled Persons
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ANGC name
Title
Main intervention domain
Geographic area
Partner
Budget
Dates
Gender
Environment
MEDECINE POUR LE TIERSMONDE
The right to health, water and food of indigenous populations in remote regions of Lao PDR.
Water, Health, Capacity Building and Gender
Saravan Province (Toomlane, Vapi and Ta Oy Districts)
Lao Women Union, Health Poverty Action
EU
340,000 EUR
2011-2014
Yes
??
OXFAM SOLIDARITE
Peasants improve their livelihoods by the recognition that sustainable peasant agriculture is crucial for economic and social development
Agriculture / Fair Trade
Champassak, Vientiane and Xiengkhouang provinces, Vientiane capital
ASDSP (NPA); Phonesoung Centre (Government agency)
DGD
365,330 EUR
2011-2013
Yes
Yes
OXFAM SOLIDARITE
More economic justice for small-scale producers in Laos (Organised female and male smallholders in rural and disaster-prone communities sustainably manage their natural resources, take better advantage of opportunities in agricultural markets and advocate for measures that contribute to the sustainability and resilience of their livelihoods)
Agriculture / Fair Trade / Resilience
Champassak, Vientiane and Xiengkhouang provinces, Vientiane capital
ASDSP (NPA); Phonesoung Centre (Government agency)
DGD
532,146 EUR
2014-2016
Yes
Yes
OXFAM SOLIDARITE
Institutionalizing Farmers' Knowledge in Agricultural Production Systems
Agriculture / Rural Sector
10 provinces
National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI)
SEARICE
2011-2014
Yes
Yes
OXFAM SOLIDARITE
Eat Greener: Changing food consumption patterns (Boosting national, ASEAN & European consumption of Lao sustainable food products)
Agriculture / Rural Sector / Fair Trade
Vientiane capital, Xiengkhouang, Luang Prabang, Bolikamsay, Khammouane, Champassak and Vientiane provinces
ASDSP (NPA); Phonesoung Centre (Government agency)
EU
1,238,069 EUR
2014-2018
Yes
Yes
OXFAM SOLIDARITE
Scaling up Community-based Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Lao PDR (Strenghtening coordination mechanisms and DRR capacities at national and local levels to increase the resilience of vulnerable communities
DRR
Vientiane province (3 districts)
District Disaster Management Committees
ECHO
426,035 EUR
2014-2015
Yes
Yes
District Disaster Management Committees
ECHO
431,000 EUR
2012-2013
Yes
Yes
District Disaster Management Committees
ECHO
205,738 EUR
2010-2011
Yes
Yes
OXFAM SOLIDARITE
Enhancing Local Capacities in Disaster Risk Reduction in Vientiane Province
DRR
Vientiane province
Donor
OXFAM SOLIDARITE
Building disaster prepared communities in Kasi district, Vientiane province.
DRR
OXFAM SOLIDARITE
Facilitating Partnerships of National and ASEAN DRR Authorities and Civil Society to support AADMER Implementation
DRR
Country
National Disaster Management Office (NDMO)
ECHO
53,464 EUR
2012-2013
Yes
Yes
OXFAM SOLIDARITE
Embedding Civil Society Engagement in AADMER Implementation towards Disaster Resilient ASEAN Communities
DRR
Country
National Disaster Management Office (NDMO)
ECHO
54,647 EUR
2014-2015
Yes
Yes
Lao Federation of Trade Unions; ECCDA (NPA)
DGD
245,339 EUR
2014-2016
Yes
No
Vientiane province
OXFAM SOLIDARITE
Marginalised workers in the ASEAN region have an increased bargaining power to claim better social protection and more social justice.
Decent work
Vientiane capital, Vientiane, Bolikhamsay, Khammouane, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, Salavan, Sekong, Champassak and Attapeu provinces
OXFAM SOLIDARITE
Strengthening capacity of Trade Unions and promoting workers’ rights in the factories in 4 provinces in Lao PDR.
Decent work
Savannakhet, Khammouane, Vientiane Provinces and Vientiane Capital
Lao Federation of Trade Unions
DGD
95,317 EUR
2011-2013
Yes
No
OXFAM WERELDWINKELS
Kleinschalige landbouwproducenten in het Zuiden hebben een beter duurzaam economisch perspectief
Agriculture / Fair Trade
Vientiane capital, Vientiane, Xiengkhouang and Champassak Provinces
Lao Farmers' Products (Coop)
DGD
194,270 EUR
2014-2016
Yes
Yes
OXFAM WERELDWINKELS
Kleinschalige landbouwproducenten in het Zuiden hebben een beter duurzaam economisch perspectief
Agriculture / Fair Trade
Vientiane capital, Vientiane, Xiengkhouang and Champassak Provinces
Lao Farmers' Products (Coop)
Partner Fund
30,000 EUR
2014-2016
yes
Yes
Although a limited number of Belgian ANGCs implemented interventions in the Lao PDR during the reference period, they enjoy a strong anchorage in the country. About 30 projects or programmes have been or are being implemented. Both by number of projects and by funding volume, the domains of Health and of Agriculture / Rural Sector / Environment and Resilience are the most strongly represented. Support to civil society is mainstreamed in various interventions but also features in 6 stand-alone projects or programmes. Of these 30 interventions, the vast majority pay attention to gender aspects. The projects and programmes in the Agriculture Cluster all have an environmental dimension. This ranges from a focus on climate change adaptation, to biodiversity conservation, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and sustainable natural resource management, or building rural communities’ resilience to natural disasters and to climate change.
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2.2 Synergy Projects No synergy projects (as per the DGD definition of “Projet de Synergie) were implemented over the period 2010-2015.
2.3 Partnerships in collaboration with governments Lao PDR is not an official partner country of the Belgian bilateral cooperation, so no Belgian bilateral programmes or projects were implemented over the reference period. However, some projects have received funding from the Luxembourg cooperation.
2.4 Links with JCAs in neighbouring countries There are links between the Lao JCA and the Regional Thematic JCA (Asia) on Decent Work (see Chapter 1 for details). In the area of Education, there are links with the Cambodia and Vietnam JCAs: a vocational training program to ensure adequacy between training and employment has been designed and could be implemented in all 3 countries. Furthermore, environmental projects tend to have a cross-border and landscape approach, therefore having links with Vietnam and Cambodia.
2.5 Assessment of synergy within existing programmes Sector Within the Agriculture Cluster, there are synergies or complementarities between work in the sub-sectors of Agriculture, Environment, Trade and Resilience. For instance, one project may focus on sustainable production while others aim at facilitating access to (fair trade) markets and enhancing the consumption of green agricultural products. There are also partnerships across sectors, such as Handicap International collaborating with a DRR consortium, of which Oxfam-Solidarité is a member, to promote the inclusion of persons with disability in the DRR approach in Laos. Partners ANGCs have built strong and lasting partnerships with a variety of local actors, totalling some 20 organisations. These include CSOs – some local, some with a national mandate -, mass organizations, academia, national government bodies, and decentralized authorities. Within one given sector (Agriculture, etc), ANCGs may work with partners originating from civil society and from government. This is interesting as far as complementarity of partner roles and leverage is concerned. Geographic coverage Intervention areas cover over half of Laos’ 19 provinces. Some interventions take place at the district level and a large number of projects/programmes are located in Vientiane capital and Vientiane province. This proximity facilitates communication and learning. Funding As shown in the above table, Belgian ANGCs have a diversified portfolio of funding partners in addition to the Belgian Government. These range from non-Belgian bilateral cooperation to the European Union through to non-European donors. Funding synergies, in the form of cofunding agreements with external or internal resources of funding exist.
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C.
Current situation, civil society and authorities
3 Analysis of the political, economic, social and environmental situation 3.1 Analysis of the political situation The Lao PDR is a one-party socialist republic led by the People's Revolutionary Party. As in neighbouring China and Vietnam, the country is retaining single-party control of government and the apparatus of state even as it has been transitioning to a market economy. The Government of Laos (GOL) is the most significant development actor in Lao society. It remains a monolithic entity, with the vast majority of policy debates conducted internally. Political power is controlled by the Central Committee, in which an eleven-member Politburo directs the country's affairs. The government and its Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong - himself number two of the Politburo - are responsible for implementing the directives of the party which defines the country’s economic orientations and strategies. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has a major influence on the government’s domestic priorities and decision making. Civil society is nascent and cannot provide a countervailing voice. A National Assembly (Parliament) of 132 members generally espouses the Party’s orientations, although there has recently been a beginning of freedom of expression and criticism, especially on issues ranging from corruption and mismanagement of public funds to land issues and the development path. But on the whole, transparent and accountable governance, including space for direct dissent, disclosure of government process, community access to mass media, and openings for civil society formation have been developing quite slowly. Freedom of expression, association and assembly is tightly controlled, including social media (e.g. Decree on Information Management on the Internet1). Some important changes have been taking place, however, at the level of legislation. Since 2000, the National Assembly has passed a number of laws intended to improve financial oversight at both central and provincial level; adopted comprehensive anti-corruption legislation; passed legislation on Environmental Impact Assessments; and in 2009 formally legislated for the existence of national Non-Profit Associations (NPAs). Decentralised radio services covering minority languages and displaying some openness to community programming have been introduced. On the international level, as the government proceeds with economic and political integration with ASEAN/AEC/WTO (see infra) it is under some pressure from western countries to live up to its international human rights commitments2. However, much remains to be done to guarantee their implementation. The Universal Periodic Review on Human Rights for the Lao PDR includes 196 recommendations3. Many of them relate to the DGD’s thematic priorities: natural resources; gender and inclusion; and civil society. Overall, there is a wide gap between the stated intent of most progressive legislation and policy and their actual implementation in most sectors. This implementation gap appears to 1
Government Decree N° 327/Gov of 16/09/2014 on Information Management on the Internet. Six core human rights conventions have been ratified: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; Convention on the Rights of the Child; Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 3 Universal Periodic Review on Human Rights for the Lao PDR (February 2015) 2
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be due to a lack of knowledge on the part of government bodies of the provisions of such legislation, as well as to collusion and corruption. There is also a lack of skilled human resources to interpret and implement new legislation, and the concept of public education on legal rights is still quite unfamiliar. Unclear, overlapping or even conflicting mandates across government agencies or government tiers compound the problem. Gender equality: The country has a positive legal environment 4 for gender equality and women’s rights. A mass organisation, the Lao Women’s Union, is mandated to represent and protect the interests of Lao women and children of all ethnic groups and work towards gender equality and promotion of the advancement of women. In 2003, the Lao National Commission for the Advancement of Women was set up. Progress has been made in women’s leadership at national level, e.g. 25% female representation in the National Assembly and a Lao women parliamentary caucus is up and running. Women leaders are needed at all levels of society. But this is challenging at the village level, where tradition, culture, the role of women in the home, and their own lack of confidence prevent them from putting themselves forward for leadership roles. Only 2% of village heads are female.
3.2 Analysis of the socio-economic situation Ranked 139th out of 187 countries in the Human Development Index (UNDP 2014), Laos is a lower-middle income economy, with a per capita GNI of USD 1,4605 in 2013. It is the poorest country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). However the GOL is planning to lift the country from its Least Developed Country status by 2020 and achieve full integration into the regional and international community. This forms a major plank of its public policy. To this end, the country joined the WTO in 2013 and is joining the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015. The AEC creates an integrated market and production base with a free flow of goods, services, investments, skilled labour and capital. The economic course pursued by the Government is thus one of liberalisation of trade and investment. Growth is driven mainly by natural resource exports, primarily through Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese foreign direct investment (FDI) in hydropower, mining and plantation agriculture. Large-scale resource extraction and the development of industrial plantations and export-orientated crops are promoted. For instance, under the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, outward Chinese FDI turns Laos into a supply base of natural resources for the bordering provinces in China. The GOL is also offering inducements to the manufacturing industry, such as long and cheap leases of land while weakly enforced labour laws acts as a pull factor to investors. The resulting annual economic growth has averaged 7% over the past decade. According to the UNDP’ MDG progress report (2013), the country has achieved significant economic and social progress over the past two decades, overall. The proportion of people living below the poverty line has been reduced from 46% in 1997 to 27.6% in 2013. The infant and under-five mortality rates show a steady decline. The country has already achieved the national MDG target for under-five mortality rate, previously set at 80 per thousand live births. In addition, there is good progress towards universal primary education; and access to health services has increased steadily. Gender parity has steadily improved in all three levels of education in Lao PDR. Malaria and tuberculosis show a steady decline. Despite the reduction in poverty rate, inequalities are growing. Poverty remains largely rural. It is heavily concentrated in upland areas inhabited largely by ethnic groups. Laos has 49 officially registered ethnic groups - representing more than 70 % of the population in some northern and southern provinces. The groups are geographically dispersed and many live in ethnically homogeneous villages. There are strong disparities in living standards across 4
The country’s 1991 constitution guarantees equality between men and women in politics, economy, culture and society, as well as the family. It has also adopted the Law on Development and Protection of Women in 2004, having ratified CEDAW and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991 and 1990 respectively. 5 World Bank Country Overview (Lao PDR). Consulted on http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/lao/overview#1
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these groups. The politically, economically and socially dominant Lao-Tai, for instance, are the primary residents of urban areas, and also live in the high density, agriculturally productive lowland areas around Vientiane and the Mekong corridor. The government’s neo-liberal development model assumes a trickle-down effect on the population. Yet, in the absence of redistributive policies and social protection mechanisms it has had little positive impact on the majority of poor Lao people who work mostly in the agricultural sector (comprising over 72% of workers, mainly subsistence farmers, gatherers of non-timber forest products, and fishers) and informal sector workers in the urban areas. 88% of the labour force is own-account and unpaid family workers. In fact, more and more farmers are pushed out of farming, as they are unable to compete with imported food. This in turn has exacerbated migration towards urban and industrial areas, especially to Thailand, in search of jobs. Migration has disrupted social cohesion in places of origin and in places of destination. Rural areas are left with an ageing farmer population as the rural youth shun agriculture to look for jobs in the cities. Traditional safety nets in households and communities are fast disappearing. The potential benefit of migration in terms of remittances is under pressure as wages are stagnating and cost of living is increasing. The lack of enforcement of labour standards creates increasingly exploitative, insecure, unprotected and most of all underpaid jobs. Women occupy the bulk of lower tier jobs. At the same time, Lao enterprises have great difficulty in finding skilled workers. The skills base among the workforce in Lao PDR is low, due in large part to the low quality of education and high dropout rates at the level of basic education. Migration of skilled workers to neighbouring countries adds to the difficulties for Lao employers. Lao enterprises, in particular small non export-oriented and domestic-owned companies, rarely provide training opportunities for staff6. Women, girls and people with disability remain the most disadvantaged in the country, especially in the country’s poorest, most inaccessible, and ethnic minority areas. Poverty and marginalisation of women and girls, rooted in the predominantly patriarchal culture of Lao society, are exacerbated by the limited progress in addressing women’s rights, access to resources, participation in decision making and their political and economic leadership role in society. Even though the government has opened spaces for national discussions on women’s rights, i.e. proposed amendments to the constitution, public interest and engagement, including those of civil society organisations, remains minimal. Laws related to violence against women and girls are poorly enforced and young people have limited access to sexual and reproductive health rights information and services. Women’s economic empowerment is lacking, despite a high rate of female participation in the labour force. Unable to make informed decisions about their lives, many young women migrate to cities or neighbouring countries. However, since they mostly lack formal education and skills, they find themselves in high-risk and low-paid jobs. A realistic estimate of the number of persons with disability based on WHO global estimates of 10% to 15% of a given population indicates that between 700,000 and 1,000,000 persons live with a form of disability in Laos. Available official statistics (1.4 % of the population in the census 2005) underestimate the situation. Persons with disability, and even in a greater proportion women with disability or the ones from ethnic groups, are facing difficult access to services such as health, and education. Most are not taking part in economic activities. They are still facing strong stigma and generally lack self-confidence to participate in the life of their community. The regional and socio-economic discrepancies in the distribution of resources, wealth and assets are thus a key challenge, which the Government has been attempting to address in its 6
UNESCO (2013). Policy Review of TVET in Lao PDR. Consulted on http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002211/221146E.pdf
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5 year National Socio-Economic Development Plans (NSEDP) and through other instruments. The 8th NSEDP (2016-2020), for instance, intends to achieve inclusive economic growth and sustainable development. In addition, the GOL ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2009. In 2012, it signed the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities (2013–2022) and the Incheon Strategy, which outlines regionally-agreed disability-inclusive development goals. The National Disability Decree was adopted in 2014. Following its adoption, line ministries now have an official mandate to initiate work to develop and implement policies to promote disability-inclusive development actions. In addition, decree 232/PM defines the organization, roles and function of the National Committee for the Disabled and the Elderly (NCDE), which is the inter-ministerial coordination body responsible for the coordination of planning and monitoring of implementation of a national disability strategy and action plan.
3.3 Analysis of the environmental situation It is estimated that 35% of all water in the Mekong River originates from watersheds within Lao PDR. About 80% of water flow materializes during the rainy season and the rest during the dry season. Flows in the Mekong River are at a 50-year low as a consequence of degradation of its watersheds. Continuing deforestation has progressed to the most remote upland areas and the lush forests that provide watershed’s wellbeing have now been degraded or deforested completely in the last decade contributing to alternating seasons of floods and droughts. Human population growth, agricultural expansion, infrastructure development, unsustainable and illegal resource extraction and poorly planned and uncoordinated regional development are fragmenting habitats and eroding the region’s natural capital7. Climate change is exacerbating these drivers and causing additional direct impacts, with the region already warming and experiencing more extreme floods, droughts, and storms8. The current forest area which has more than 20% of canopy density, according to national definition, is 9.5 million hectares, about 40% of total land area compared to 47% in 1992. Besides the quantitative changes, forest quality has also deteriorated. Forest degradation includes decreases in stocking density, changes in species composition and size structure, and reductions in wildlife and plant populations. Surveys have recorded at least 166 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 247 animal species, some with high international profiles9. Energy production in factories can be roughly categorized into two main types of fuel: firewood and fossil fuel. Burning firewood causes emission of particulate and carbon monoxide. But high technology factories that burn fuel oil are increasing. Burning of fuel oil (or diesel) causes black fumes, sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen. Even though factories are using different kinds of fuel, these fuel types are degrading air quality. Sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen are discharged into the atmosphere and are affecting people in cities across Lao PDR 10 . Rapid economic growth of the country will increase industrial development, resulting in higher pollutant levels11. The Government pays little attention to environmental concerns. It has set aside 17 National Biodiversity Conservation Areas (covering just over 10% of the national territory), where flora and fauna are nominally protected, but logging controls are only enforced sporadically,
7
http://web.undp.org/evaluation/documents/ADR/ADR_Reports/ADR_Laos.pdf Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (2012). Lao environment outlook 2012. Vientiane. Lao PDR 9 World Bank. Lao PDR environment Monitor. Consulted on http://siteresources.worldbank.org/NEWS/Resources/reporten.pdf 10 Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (2012). Lao environment outlook 2012. Vientiane. Lao PDR. 11 World Bank. Lao PDR environment Monitor. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/NEWS/Resources/report-en.pdf 8
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The role of forest biodiversity in production and consumption At the national level, non-wood forest products have been calculated to be worth an average of $320 per year for rural households, contributing about 44% of subsistence value, 55% of cash income, and 46% of the total household economy12. Forest foods are estimated to contribute between 61-79% of non-rice food consumption by weight, and provide an average of 4% of energy intake, 40% of calcium, 25% of iron and 40% of vitamins A and C23. More than three quarters of the population, and many businesses and enterprises, rely on wood fuel as their primary energy source to an annual value of more than $6.5 million a year and commercial non-timber forest product exploitation is thought to generate gross revenues of more than $46 million, including $32 million in export earnings13. Analysis of the full value of biodiversity shows that it contributes to more than 90% of employment, almost 60% of exports and foreign exchange earnings, just under a third of government revenues and nearly half of foreign direct investment inflows. The direct use of biological resources by poor rural households is worth an average of $100 per capita14.
3.4 Analyses per intervention domain 3.4.1.
Agriculture / Rural Sector / Trade / Environment / Resilience
Lao PDR is mostly rural, and has about 5.9 million hectares of cultivable land of which 800,000 hectares (14%) are arable for rice or secondary crops under shifting cultivation systems. Although less than 5 % of the country’s area is suited to irrigated agriculture, this sector engages over 70 % of the population and accounts for about 25%15 of GDP. Most farmers are subsistence farmers, who frequently combine agriculture with forest gathering and/or fishing. Agriculture is broadly divided into lowlands and uplands system, reflecting the mountainous geography of the country. Rural Lao-Tai households are often engaged in the cultivation of lowland irrigated paddy-rice. By contrast, non-Lao-Tai households typically practice subsistence-oriented semi-permanent or shifting agriculture in ways adapted to their specific agro-ecological environments; they grow upland rice, often supplemented by corn and, in many more isolated areas, poppy. Some non-Lao-Tai minority groups are still semi-nomadic, moving to new areas when their lands are depleted, but others have become sedentary. Rice production dominates the sector. In line with the national strategy for rice selfsufficiency, total production has steadily increased from 1.3 million tons in 1993 to 3.07 million tons in 2011. The increase is attributed in large part to the expansion of irrigation in the lowlands and adoption of improved seeds. Other important crops include maize, vegetables, starchy roots, sugarcane, bananas and increasingly rubber. In plateau areas, coffee, tea and cardamom are also important. Maize, grown mostly for livestock feed, is planted by about 24% of households, second only to rice. Vegetables are grown for household consumption and for sale: 40% of households have small vegetable plots. While national output of vegetables and starchy roots has increased substantially in recent years, it is mostly geared for export markets. Sugarcane and rubber are fast-growing cash crop industries.
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http://web.undp.org/evaluation/documents/ADR/ADR_Reports/ADR_Laos.pdf Ministry of Planning and Investment, Water Resources and Environment Administration and UNDP. Lao PDR, UNDP/UNEP PEI. Poverty Environment Initiative (PEI) Framework in Lao PDR 14 World Bank. Lao PDR environment Monitor. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/NEWS/Resources/report-en.pdf 15 http://www.indexmundi.com/laos/economy_overview.html 13
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The shift to cash crop production is occurring most prominently in the north, with important implications for food insecurity: as households replace food crops with cash crops, they can become increasingly reliant on market purchases for their food supply and therefore vulnerable to fluctuations in prices and access. According to the CFSVA16 2006, still valid in 2013, the food insecure populations tend to be households engaged in shifting cultivation in upland areas on steep sloping fragile land, smallholders and unskilled labourers. They are asset-poor households, with little or no access to infrastructure, and subject to poor sanitary conditions. They are frequently from non-Lao-Tai ethnicities. Other key challenges to small-scale producers’ and gatherers’ access to food producing and income-generating assets include: 1. The unsustainable use of natural resources, and unsustainable agricultural practices: The Government has committed to turning three key natural resources into capital. These are i) utilization of Mekong water resources to turn into electricity for export; ii) mining exploration; and iii) conversion of forest and land into agro-business plantations such as coffee, tea, rubber and maize. Hydro-electricity, that takes advantage of the country’s abundant water sources, has displaced local communities and threatened local biodiversity, namely fisheries which are a major source of protein for poor people. There are different laws and regulations on the conduct of the environmental and social impacts of hydroelectric and other infrastructure projects, but they are not consistently applied. The mining industry, which involves major foreign investors from countries like China and Australia, has also brought with it the displacement of local communities, and impacts on the environment and livelihoods resulting from toxic tailings and run-off. Finally, Government’s land-concession strategy to attract FDI into agriculture development is leading to environmental damage through deforestation and by replacing the diverse, low input, integrated farming systems of Laos’ smallholder farmers with industrial-style, monocrop plantations. This disrupts the natural bio- and agro-biodiversity, while eroding and depleting soils. Much of the FDI also engages in – directly or through the farmers they contract – heavy input agriculture. Agro-chemicals use, including illegal pesticides, is on the rise and is poorly regulated. Awareness on safe use is limited. Emphasis on chemical inputs threatens water, soil, and ecosystems with severe pollution. Food safety is deteriorating. Moreover, land concessions for these plantations have often been granted with minimal or no regard for community tenure or use, or compensation for loss of assets. As a result, land conflicts are increasing. Such conflicts are often related to corruption, a growing problem even though leaders condemn it. Logging continues at an unsustainable rate. Forestry laws and regulations are not enforced. The traditional tenure and harvesting rights of local communities are not recognized17, and loss of communal forest through commercial logging has had severe impacts on the food security and viability of upland communities. The 8th NSEDP (2016-2020), with its focus on “effective management and utilization of natural resources” may exacerbate these problems. It will promote mega agricultural projects to ensure food security and commercial agricultural production (e.g. industrial plantations). However, it also carries some opportunities. For instance, it promotes i) clean and organic agriculture, ii) family agriculture, and iii) agro-ecological crops in mountainous plains. The 16
Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis Rural households possess user rights to agricultural land, which are transferable and heritable. Communities may also exercise traditional rights to non-agricultural land, including those ethnic minorities who practice shifting slash-and-burn farming. The Government is concerned over the swidden agriculture practices of these ethnic minorities, and has a policy in place of resettling them in locations where their livelihoods can be controlled more closely. But this effort has served more as a means to integrate minorities into the state, than to protect Laos’s forests 17
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Agriculture Development Strategy for 2020, too, insist on sustainable management of natural resources, sustainable production patterns, fair trade and the importance on smallholders. But this is only insofar as these facilitate further linkages to regional and global value chains, including through contract farming and more land concessions. 2. Vulnerability to shocks and stresses According to the National Risk Profile of Laos18 (2010), which mapped hazard-prone areas and assessed the risk to households at the provincial and district levels, most provinces are at risk of more than one hazard. The Lao PDR is a mountainous country with most of the population concentrated in the lowlands, constituting 30% of total land area, around the Mekong River. These areas are prone to droughts, storms and floods – the three main hazards that have caused annual economic losses of about USD 30 million in infrastructure, properties and agricultural assets19. In the past 10 years, flooding and droughts have occurred more frequently, as deforestation has changed hydrology in the uplands and affected downstream areas. The effect of droughts is felt primarily in the agricultural sector and in rural areas where the population depends mostly on subsistence farming, causing losses to livelihoods and food insecurity. Some 60% of Lao households are at risk of food insecurity should late or erratic rainfalls, floods or agricultural pests affect them. As the impacts of climate change and natural resources exploitation intensify20, communities in disaster-prone areas will experience stronger climate variability, more intense rainfall and flooding, and harsher droughts, further eroding community resilience, food security, nutrition and undermining development gains. The GOL has responded to this issue with a REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) strategy and has set up a REDD task force. In 2009, it developed a National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) to Climate Change with the main objective of establishing a cross-cutting programme to address the impact of climate change across four key sectors: agriculture, forestry, water and water resources, and human health. Adaptation to climate change is embedded in strategic documents, such as the National Environmental Strategy/National Environmental Action Plan, the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and the National Growth Poverty Eradication Strategy. But improved early warning systems and environmental education are also needed for communities to better anticipate and respond to these changes. The Lao PDR is also the most heavily country contaminated by cluster munitions. The US Air Force records show that a total of 2.3 million tons of bombs were dropped and up to one third failed to explode. Unexploded ordnance still affects 42 of the 46 poorest districts, with Savannakhet the most severely impacted province, threatening human safety, causing food shortages and limiting agricultural and infrastructure development. 3. The shift from a largely subsistence and non-market local economy to a monetised system with links to regional and global value chains. Food production for local consumption has not been sufficiently valued as an economic development model. As a result, food producers do not receive adequate support to access inputs, markets, finance, technology, natural resources, etc. Agricultural development in the lowlands is constrained by insufficient market information and linkages; absence of commodity grades and standards; inadequacy of commercial credit 18
ADPC, PTI, NDMO and UNDP (2010). A National Risk Profile of Lao PDR. ASEAN, ISDR and World Bank (2010). Synthesis report on ten ASEAN countries disaster risks assessment. 20 Temperature is forecast to increase by 1.4 to 4.3 degrees by the 21st century, with more rapid warming likely in the south. Rainfall will increase by 10 to 30 percent in the southern and eastern regions, and 4.2 percent in the north. An increase in intensity and frequency of extreme events, runoff and dry season precipitation is expected in the Mekong delta. 19
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facilities and insufficient flow of productivity-increasing cash crop technologies in more isolated areas. Upland areas, having lower levels of market integration, suffer from lack of markets and market information; inadequate access to transport and roads; low incidence of rural savings and investment; absence of productivity-enhancing technology; slow implementation of formal land tenure arrangements and insufficient community-based irrigation infrastructure needed to optimize water resource productivity The increasingly open trade between ASEAN countries may create opportunities for some. But, even when smallholders maintain tenure of land, forest and water resources, they often find it hard to engage in regional or other markets on anything other than very disadvantageous terms, or to get a fair return for their products and labour. In addition, as a mainly primary commodity-producing country, the Lao PDR is subject to the vulnerability faced by commodity producers in value chains. The country can export to Europe under preferential tariffs, but non-tariff barriers are hindering fair exports (eg quality certificates, rules of origin ...). This has several consequences. First, it is a constraint especially for small farmer groups as the application for such certificates often implies complicated and expensive administrative procedures. Secondly, it impacts on labour mobility by driving away farmers from the agricultural sector. Thirdly, preferential tariffs for export attract foreign investors to Laos to open up large-scale agribusinesses. For a country as Laos where land registration is often not formalized legally, land grabbing is then a major threat. The same pattern is now seen within ASEAN with the AFTA regulations where neighbouring countries impose non-tariff barriers and import bans according to their needs. Next to that, the availability of land draws the attention of neighbouring countries that can now import products tax-free. Despite the certification constraints, AEC integration could provide an outlet for its organic agriculture production with an added value compared to its neighbours. Women’s role in agriculture is significant, but often undervalued. Increased agricultural productivity and opportunities for off-farm jobs are helping to pull some households, and select areas, out of poverty. Yet, for women in asset-poor households and areas, including those who have lost access to arable land and lack non-farm skills, the commercialization of agriculture can also increase vulnerability. Shifting from subsistence based to marketoriented household economies can be particularly difficult for women in non-Lao-Tai ethnic groups whose cultural roles, limited Lao language and technical skills, often leave them unprepared to engage with the market. On average, female-headed households have less household labour and productive assets than male-headed households. Improving their language and literacy skills is seen as an enabling factor to improve their situation. In rural settings, persons with disability face challenges to take part in agricultural activities and may find themselves excluded. If supported and encouraged, they can engage in homebased livestock raising, gardening or non-agricultural income generating activities. Greater participation in the economic life of the community facilitates their social inclusion and builds their confidence. 3.4.2. Health According to the WHO 21 , the Lao PDR’s national health indicators have been improving steadily over the past three decades. The crude death rate declined from 15.1 to 8.0 deaths per 1000 inhabitants between 1995 and 2010. At the same time, life expectancy at birth rose by more than 10 years, from 1995 until present. Nearly half of Lao’s population (55%) is below 20 years of age. The main cause of mortality and morbidity is still communicable diseases, and the main cause of death for children under 5 year-old is lower respiratory infections. Laos is considered a crisis country in terms of health workforce. Other weaknesses of the health system include financing (less than 3 % of public expenditure (% of GDP) goes to 21
WHO (2014). Country Cooperation Strategy Brief: Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Consulted on http://www.who.int/countryfocus/cooperation_strategy/ccsbrief_lao_en.pdf
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Health), information systems, infrastructure and planning and management of health services. Basic health structures exist, but are under- equipped and unevenly distributed. There are almost no services provided in the field of mental health. Utilization of many rural health facilities remains low. The shortage and unequal distribution as well as the poor quality and motivation of many staff in the health sector remain critical issues. To achieve the various Health sector targets, including the MDGs, the Health Reform Strategic Plan until 2020 has been developed. It covers 5 important areas that need improving and strengthening. These include: human resource development, health financing, management and administration, work planning, services, health information, monitoring and evaluation. These aim at improving the quality and expansion of health service. Priority areas in the current National Health Strategy include primary health care, maternal child health, health systems development, and aid effectiveness and coordination. Improvement in the population’s health status is a central priority of the 8th National SocioEconomic Development Plan. Priority activities include the following: -
-
Improve and establish health centers in the appropriate areas, upgrade district hospital capacity to carry out small case surgery, upgrade provincial and regional hospital to increase people’s trust in healthcare services Build and train field medical staff in the remote areas consistently; send more fresh medical graduates to the provinces for internship. Broadly expand private and community health insurance Continue establishing more health model villages Continue efforts on food quality and medicines inspection and take measures against law violations Improve health information systems to be accurate, fast and up to date
Child mortality From the early 1990s to 2011, Lao PDR recorded significant declines in infant and under-five mortality rates. Recent LSIS 2011/12 data show that infant and under-five mortality rates declined from 114 and 170 per 1,000 live births respectively in 1993, to 68 and 79 per 1,000 live births in 2011. Despite this progress, Lao PDR still ranks amongst the countries with the highest under-five mortality rates in the region. Achieving further reductions in infant and child mortality will require reaching the poorer populations and people living in remote areas. Most child deaths are due to preventable and treatable conditions. The top three causes of under-five mortality are neonatal conditions, pneumonia and diarrhoea. Immunization coverage has increased but remains low and inequitable. Lifesaving interventions are still reaching less than half of children. Maternal health Maternal mortality has declined considerably over the last two decades, from 796 per 100,000 live births in 1995 to 357 per 100,000 live births in 2009. Still, the Lao PDR has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the region. Births attended by a medical professional jumped from 14% in 1995 to 42% in 2009, but the number still falls short of the 50% target. Further, facility-based deliveries are still low at 38%. There continues to be massive disparities in delivery assistance, with the safe-delivery rate in urban areas six times higher than in remote rural areas. The C-section rate in 2010 was less than 0.3 %, well below the minimum threshold of 1 % required by the WHO (permissible levels in developing countries: 5%; in developed countries: 16%). To achieve the 2015 MDG targets, the Lao PDR will need to improve the quality of services, promote facility-based delivery and prevent high-risk and unwanted pregnancies. Family planning alone could cut maternal deaths by almost a third and is one of the most costeffective interventions to help reduce maternal mortality. Mobilization and health education activities will need to target women and men from communities in the remote rural areas. 20
Priority interventions include family planning to reduce unwanted pregnancies, presence of skilled birth attendants at deliveries, and access to emergency obstetric and neonatal care. These interventions will only be effective, however, if they reach out to women in rural and remote communities. To increase the use of health services and provide the reproductive health care needed to improve maternal and neonatal health, investment in training and capacity strengthening for health personnel, especially skilled birth attendants, is required. Food security and nutrition In the past years, the country has faced widespread food insecurity with over a third of the population experiencing rice shortfalls for 2-6 months every year. Based on a 2007 countrywide National Risk and Vulnerability Assessment conducted by WFP, up to 46% of the rural population are at risk of becoming food insecure because of either loss of access to natural resources, floods, drought, or a sudden increase in food prices. This is in addition to the 2% of people who are already chronically food insecure. Stunting in children remains the biggest challenge in Lao PDR, as an estimated 44 per cent of children under five years of age are stunted. Recent data from LSIS suggest that the rate of decline in undernutrition is too slow (less than 1 percentage point per year) to meet national or international MDG targets. In fact, given an annual population growth of 1.4 per cent and an annual reduction in stunting of less than 1 per cent, the number of stunted Lao children is more likely to increase than to decrease. There are high inequities in stunting and underweight levels between children from the poorest and the richest quintiles, with stunting being more pronounced in rural areas and amongst children from ethnic groups living in remote mountainous areas. Figure 1.28. % of children under age 5 suffering from stunting, selected countries (2006 WHO standards* ) 70 Cambodia
60
Timor-Leste
50 Lao PDR 40 30
China
Myanmar
Philippines
Thailand 20 10
China
0
Source: WDI for all countries. Lao PDR updated with LSIS 2012 data, WHO standards. * Expressed in percent below minus 2 standard deviation units from the median of the 2006 WHO standards
The GOL developed a national nutrition strategy for 2025 and a 2016-2020 action plan. Water and sanitation Access to good drinking water and good sanitation both have an important impact on the health of the population. However according to the UNICEF/WHO Joint Monitoring 21
Programme (JMP) 2011 report, the Lao PDR will not achieve its MDG for ‘improved water’ by the end of 2015 (target was that 69% of the population should have access). Not all households have reasonable sanitary facilities in rural areas either and open defecation remains common. Moreover, where toilets and sanitary installations are available, they are of low quality and design, are poorly maintained and risk contaminating the drinking water supply. Communicable diseases Communicable diseases remain the most significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Lack of proper sanitation and water supply, malnutrition, poor health awareness and lack of good hygiene habits, all in the context of inadequate access to quality health care, promote the spread of communicable diseases. The Lao PDR is a low HIV prevalence country with increasing risk related to injecting drugs. There is also a need to increase awareness of safer sex practices. The incidence of tuberculosis is still high. Surveillance must be intensified. The Lao PDR has successfully controlled the burden of malaria with 90% of its target population– at-risk being protected and the epidemic now confined mainly to remote, hilly and forested areas of the country. Non Communicable Diseases and Road Safety Non communicable disease and disabilities are on the increase and pose a major challenge to an already overstretched health system. Tobacco and alcohol-related illnesses, illicit drug use and related crimes and road traffic-related injuries reflect the changing lifestyles of the Lao people. From 2012 to 2013, the total number of vehicles rose by 19.8% (e.g. motorcycles +19.2 %) in Lao PDR. At the end of 2013 Lao PDR had 1,423,534 registered vehicles. With the current economic growth, vehicle numbers are expected to keep rising steeply. The rising number of vehicles on the road has led to a rapid rise in the number of road traffic fatalities. In 2013, 6,044 road accidents caused at least 910 fatalities and at least 11,000 significant injuries. In 2003, the ADB published a costing study which found that road crashes claimed at least 2.7% of the GDP of Laos. Although there are no updated figures, it is highly likely that up to 3% of annual GDP is lost through road accidents. A 10-year projection in the same report estimated that the total costs of road accidents will rise from 54 million to 168 million USD. However, reality shows this loss is higher. First aid training to the general public is a key contributor to raising public resilience to these emergency situations. Recruiting and training motivated citizens can add to the emergency care resources that are available at a later stage in emergency situations. Medical rehabilitation is covered by the Ministry of Health. The Centre for Medical Rehabilitation (CMR) is the focal point for on-job training and specialised services provision for persons with disability (PWD), such as basic physical rehabilitation services, sign language courses, orthotics, orthopaedics and wheeled mobility and positioning devices in some places. Rehabilitation units are also available in mainstream services such as national, provincial and district hospitals However, very few people access these services 22 , and delivered assistive devices do not cover needs. Beside the lack of proper strategy and policies, and the scarcity of rehabilitation services particularly at provincial level and networks among services, another key issue affects people’s access to rehabilitation: often persons with disability, and even the community as a whole, do not know what rehabilitation means or how to access services. Likewise, medical staff in health structures lack training and sensitization on disability and rehabilitation.
3.4.3. Education Education is provided for under the Constitution and in the Law of Education. Considering it a key element of its human resource development policy, the GOL has prioritized education in 22
250 per month in CMR in 2011
22
its development policies, and supports sector coordination mechanisms. The Education Sector Development Plan (ESDP) and the Master for Development of TVET from 2008 until 2015 were to focus on an education system reform in order to improve access to, and quality of education at all levels, increase teacher development and social responsibility, improve technical and vocational education and training to respond to the labour market needs, improve the organizational structure of education and the education administration, strengthen the inspection and monitoring of the education system, and increase the relationship between partners and between partners and government. This last issue is crucial because many organizations can work in one same area. Since the process is still ongoing, all objectives remain valid for the next ESDP. The Education for All (EFA) Plan shows that investment has been and is still being made in basic education – through the construction of schools and community learning centres, and that there are some improvements. Overall however, services do not yet adequately meet the country’s need. Rural-urban differences are even greater for secondary, technical or vocational schools given the higher unit costs involved. The number of schools is influenced by demographic structures and is highly sensitive to the size of the school-age cohort. The MOES recognizes that “the quality of education does not meet the demands of society and the labour market. Moreover, the quality of education has not reached international standards”. The reasons for this are identified to be a need for more teachers, for improved professional quality among teachers, for better teacher training, for better school buildings and equipment, and for improved administration and management. The education system is evolving under severely constraining conditions of inadequately prepared and poorly paid teachers, insufficient funding, shortages of facilities, and often ineffective allocation of the limited resources available. There are significant geographic, ethnic, gender and wealth disparities in the distribution of educational services, and inequalities exist at every level of the system. Lao, the official and instructional language, is the first language of about 50% of the population. Children from homes where Lao is not spoken enter schools with a significant handicap, which partly accounts for the high dropout rate. Changing the language of instruction would be a complex task though schools can take steps to assist non-Lao speaking pupils. Reaching excluded children and enabling their families to help realize their children’s right to a good quality education is a big challenge23. Children’s right to education is also not fulfilled in time of disasters as children are often out of school for several weeks. Schools are also often used as evacuation centres, and therefore schooling is disrupted for students, often for long periods. Many schools are located in dangerous areas, prone to landslides and/or flooding, due to poor planning. Many schools do not have access to water supplies due to a tendency to place schools on higher ground, often above the gravity flow water supply systems. Nationally, only 42% of Lao PDR’s primary schools have sanitation facilities and only 53%, water supplies. Progress has been made over the last years, with the rise of primary school enrolment to 92.7 % of the population but the dropout rate is still very high and only 71.1 % of pupils complete primary school education. School attendance is constrained by food insecurity and a lack of latrines and drinking water in schools. The enrolment rate decreases sharply after primary school for many reasons such as financial issues. Gender disparities widen at each higher level of education. The lack of infrastructure, coupled with all those factors makes the challenges critical. The low relevance schooling holds for their children, both real and perceived, by parents; a lack of engagement of parents by schools; and the economic demands of the household all 23
UNDAF Action plan 2012-2015: Lao PDR
23
work to deter children’s access to education. The poorest families cannot afford to send their children to school because of their need for the children’s labour at home. Further, there may be high costs related to purchasing school supplies and uniforms. Families with disabled children often do not acknowledge or understand the importance of education for their child, nor are schools equipped to accommodate and provide instruction to disabled children. Teachers (at all levels) have gaps in understanding and skills on pedagogical and content teaching due to lack of training and other technical support from school administrators, and to weak supervision. The quality of education remains a concern – scarcity of materials; poor teaching and poor resources further detract people from attending school. Even though most primary school teachers teach several grades at the same time they lack training on multi-grade teaching, and they lack the basic supplies for developing teaching aides and sufficient textbooks for all students. School facilities do not support child/studentcantered teaching, nor are the teachers sufficiently trained in teaching that way. Capacity to assess children’s learning is low, and teachers often use negative discipline methods, which are detrimental to students’ welfare. Another problem is that Lao society has a long tradition of teacher-centred education practices, which have built on transfer models of education which position the teacher as authority. Higher education has been growing steadily since the year 2000 and there are diversified training programmes and courses. The enrolment at the National University of Laos (NUOL) has increased very fast. Violence against children perpetrated by teachers in schools is still common. Research 24 shows that children experience violence at school in the forms of bullying, teasing, sexual harassment and rape. Much violence is gender-based, with boys bullying, teasing and harassing girls, though ethnicity and other forms of difference (e.g. over-weight) are also causes. Many teachers do not take such misbehaviour very seriously. Children are not heard or expected to be heard unless specifically asked a question by the teacher, and their participation in decisions about the school is extremely limited. The so called New Economic Mechanism has been introduced and the country opened up to global donors and markets. This also had an effect on the education system as private sector and thus private schools are treated the same way as public schools. Following donor demands, the GOL has been replacing the previous strongly-centralized management of education with more decentralized strategies. There have been further demands to replace teacher-led lessons and rote learning with more student-centred classroom practices. 3.4.4. Work-related vulnerabilities and social protection2526 The Lao labour market remains predominantly rural and agrarian, with farming and allied activities accounting for more than 75 percent of all employment. Agricultural work in Lao PDR is characterized by high levels of underemployment, which together with weak productivity and slow movement of labour out of the sector, constitutes a major drag on poverty reduction and (improved) national competitiveness. With most agricultural work conducted on small plots of land, and with most workers identifying themselves as either “own-account” or “unpaid family” workers, the quality of employment in agriculture is often lower than in other parts of the economy. The bulk of agricultural work in the country is considered “vulnerable employment” owing to its characteristically low wages, poor working conditions, and deficits in access to both social protection and workplace representation. 24
LAO WOMEN UNION and UNICEF (2007) “This is my story”: Children’s perspectives on a protective environment in Lao PDR (2007). Draft. 25 Five Year NSDEP Plan III (2016-2020). Consulted on http://rightslinklao.org/wpcontent/uploads/downloads/2015/03/Draft_8th_NSEDP_2016-20.pdf 26 Regional Thematic JCA “Decent Work”.
24
Yet, vulnerable employment is not confined to agriculture alone. In Lao PDR as in much of developing Asia, informal employment is widespread and often absorbs a greater proportion of ex-agricultural workers than the formal sector. In these circumstances, movement out of agriculture seldom leads to movement out of “vulnerable employment,” since the jobs these workers often take up are characterized by similarly low pay and poor working conditions to those in agriculture. At the macro-level, it is clear that recent economic growth in Lao PDR has failed to translate into sufficient rates of decent job creation. A key factor in this is the country’s narrow economic base outside of agriculture, which after an earlier focus on low wage, labour intensive industries like garments and wood processing, is now moving increasingly toward one dominated by capital intensive activities with low domestic employment creation. A case in point here is mining, which now constitutes 12 percent of GDP but has generated just 8,000 direct jobs. Poor rates of job growth have particular repercussions for young people, who make up a large proportion of the labour force. A Handicap International survey of 2,200 persons with disability of working age across seven districts of Vientiane Capital in December 2011 observed that just under one quarter were working, with a majority working in informal employment: daily labour or in family-run businesses. 1 in 4 persons working is self-employed, with a majority being farmers. Among PWD not working (three-quarters of the study population), the vast majority were not willing to work, with many considering themselves as unable to work. The study also examined barriers to employment seeking for persons with disability. Findings showed that: more persons were actually working than the survey captured; there was a desire among many unemployed PWD to work; social barriers to employment such as low self-esteem and family reluctance could likely be overcome with behavioural change and advocacy efforts; and that employer attitudes towards PWD remained a significant – but surmountable – obstacle to wider employment of persons with disability in Lao PDR. Lao migrants abroad make up around 8 percent of the workforce, most of whom can be found in low paid, labour intensive work in neighbouring Thailand. These workers send remittances home worth around 7 percent of GDP, thus representing a critical financial lifeline for thousands of rural households. Life for most is tough, especially in Thailand where regulations governing and protecting migrants are weak and pay and working conditions often poor (yet still often significantly higher than at home). Migrants are disproportionately exposed to a range of decent work deficits, including occupational injury and a weak voice or representation, not to mention threats and extortion by police and other authorities. Illegal industries from Thailand venture into Laos. Working conditions are dangerous, industrial activities are polluting, all being facilitated by high level of corruption. Not all women are vulnerable, but within Lao society, women do find themselves disproportionately exposed to a range of risks and vulnerabilities both in the workplace and outside. Part of this relates to the still unequal access of women to primary and secondary education. But it also relates to enduring cultural ideas about the role of women, which although less severe than in many societies in South and Southeast Asia, continue to undermine progress toward gender equality. Women make up a larger proportion of workers in agriculture, as well as a smaller proportion of those employed at the higher echelons of politics and the private sector. Within agriculture, women are also over-represented among “unpaid family workers” –a particularly underprivileged group within the broader category of “vulnerable workers”. At the same time, women are also moving out of agriculture at a faster rate than men, although given the also large proportion of women working in the informal economy, this does not always equate to a transition out of vulnerable employment. The industrial relations environment in Lao PDR is characterized by a monopoly trade union and one major employers’ organization. The Lao Free Trade Union (LFTU) has 113,000 members and is the sole formal workers’ representative at the policy level. While mainly responsible for representing and advocating for workers’ rights, LFTU gives special 25
priority to workers’ education and preventative education on workplace health issues, particularly HIV and AIDS. LFTU is affiliated with and subsidized by the Lao government. Similarly, the principal employers’ body, the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) is a social organization under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Commerce, which seeks to promote the interests of the Lao business community. Work stoppages and strikes remain illegal, so instances of labour unrest are virtually unheard of. At the same time workplace level disputes do occur (and have been on the rise in recent years). These are dealt with by a department of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare. Collective bargaining is a relatively new concept in Lao PDR, and as such, agreements based on this process are rare. While in the public sector the government unilaterally determines wages (hence there are no CBAs), in the private sector unions are allowed by law to negotiate pay levels and conditions at work with their employer. The possibilities to organize and strike are very limited. Since joining the ILO in 1964, Lao PDR has ratified 8 ILO conventions, including 5 of the 8 ILO core conventions, covering forced labour, equality, discrimination and child labour. Formal social protection in Laos is dominated by two main social security schemes (SSO27 and SASS 28 ) that are currently being merged, one community-based health insurance scheme and a number of health equity funds which have been piloted with donor-support across various provinces in recent years. Their exclusivity and/or geographical focus, together with fragmented implementation have meant that overall coverage in the population has remained weak. The perception among private employers and employees is that government services are of generally poor quality compared with those available in Thailand or Vietnam. The second scheme, the State Authority for Social Security (SASS), is a contributory scheme covering civil servants, who pay 6 percent of their monthly pay to receive its benefits.
4 Description of the local civil society, the decentralized authorities and the governmental institutions, and their most important financial partners 4.1 Description of the local civil society and their most important financial partners According to the Advisory Group on Civil Society and Aid Effectiveness, “CSOs can be defined to include all non-market and non-state organisations outside of the family in which people organise themselves to pursue shared interests in the public domain. They cover a wide range of organisations that include membership-based CSOs, cause-based CSOs and service-oriented CSOs. Examples include community-based organisations and village associations, environmental groups, women’s rights groups, farmers’ associations, faithbased organisations, labour unions, co-operatives, professional associations, chambers of commerce, independent research institutes and the not-for-profit media”. In the Lao PDR context, the notion of civil society sector is mostly limited to the traditional non-governmental or non-profit organisations 29 . Civil society does not usually include the media, academe, and other forms of representative organisations that have the potential to add diversity to the sector. State control of media prevents the development of a vibrant, independent press. The role of civil society in the country’s development is still largely limited to service delivery and community development.
27
Social Security Organization (for private sector workers) State Authority for Social Security (a civil servant scheme) 29 Non-Profit Organisations are called NPAs (Non-Profit Associations) 28
26
While the right of association has existed since the promulgation of the Constitution in 1991 (Art. 44), Non-Profit Associations (NPAs) have only been officially permitted since the 2009 through the Decree on Associations. Only a few independent local organizations were active up to then. These groups generally existed under ad hoc arrangements, such as being registered as companies or training institutes, or through arrangements with specific ministries. The establishment, activities and administration of cooperatives are regulated by the Decree on Cooperatives (2010) – updated in 2014 for agricultural cooperatives. Cooperatives (of production or of services) allow small commercial entrepreneurs to cooperate on capital, experience, production technology, trade and services to earn a living. They also provide social services for members and their families. Despite these new laws, collaboration and implementation mechanisms are only at a very early stage of development. Registration30 of NPAs (and cooperatives) has been very slow. In late 2012, the Lao NPA Network listed 53 registered CSOs with a similar number of nonregistered organizations thought to exist31. The majority of new registrations are happening at the provincial level, with the central level lagging behind. There are also four main mass organizations including (1) the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC); (2) the Lao Women’s Union (LWU), (3) the Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU) 32 ; and (4) the Lao People’s Revolutionary Youth Union (LYU). Mass organisations are regarded by government as part of civil society and therefore are very often well positioned at local and central level to act as liaison between communities and authorities. Many development functions that would be the work of CSOs in other contexts are fulfilled by the mass organizations. Their tasks include social mobilization and extending government and party work through Lao society and all ethnic groups. Finally, there are a few NGO networks but more informal networks do exist. Gender and Development Association (GDA) is a local network of organizations working on gender issues. It has been operational since 1991. GDA’s main role is to build networks and capacity of NGO staff on gender issues. It also offers consultancy and training services to other organizations, including government agencies. The Learning House for Development Association is a network of Lao CSOs that provides space and opportunities for NPAs to come together to learn new skills, share their knowledge and grow their organisations. An informal network of Disabled People organizations was set up in 2011, comprising of 8 Disabled People organizations, some registered as NPAs and some not. The network meets regularly to exchange their experience and have conducted joint awareness events. In 2014 it produced a joint stakeholders’ submission for the Universal Periodic Review of Lao PDR. Fair Trade Laos was created in 2008 by business people and NGOs that recognize the social and economic viability of Fair Trade to improve producers’ and farmers’ lives while offering high-quality products. It currently has a dozen members, from among crafts and agricultural organizations, as well as outlets. Besides Fair Trade, this network also addresses Corporate Social Responsibility. It has also started discussing how to integrate the bottom of the pyramid into economic development by advocating for more ethical ways towards shared common values of doing business for both social and economic actors. Main financial partners: Starting from 2007–2008, local organizations began to access funding sources within the Lao PDR through various donors’ small grant mechanisms. The European Union, United Nations, the World Bank, and several bilateral donors began offering small grants to local organizations working on poverty alleviation projects. Increasingly mechanisms are set up by those donors or through re-granting to support smaller and more informal (non-registered) organisations as well. 30
Creak, S. (2014) Laos in 2013. International Controversies; Economic Concerns and the Post-Socialist Rhetoric of Rule. Southeast Asian Affairs 2014. 31 Ibid. 32 This sole trade union in Laos has existed since the communist revolution in 1975 with the key roles of protecting the rights and benefits of workers, training members, participating in national (labour-related) policy formulation, and contributing to social development.
27
4.2 Description of the decentralized authorities and the governmental institutions, and their most important financial partners The GOL has embarked on a series of reforms to establish the rule of law, decentralise authority and re-engage with constituents. Decentralisation is being implemented through the Party’s Three Builds (Sam Sang) directive, whereby Provinces are defined as Strategic Units, Districts as Comprehensive Strong Units and Villages as Development Units33. Fiscal centralization was introduced in 2007. The new Budget Law promulgated in 2007 aims to address the weaknesses of the intergovernmental fiscal relations originating from the former decentralized management of public finances without adequate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. The new budget policy aims at further centralizing the treasury, customs and tax departments and to develop a new fiscal transfer system. The National Assembly’s legislative priorities (including amending the Constitution and establishing local councils) are designed to support these reforms. Local councils were abolished in 1992. Since then the role and capacities of provincial governors had expanded without strict devolution of competencies. They had enjoyed in practice an authority which was scarcely scrutinized. Reforms are intended to reassert state authority and strengthen local decision making particularly concerning natural resources. This includes practical measures such as decentralised development planning to ensure local priorities are reflected in National Socio-Economic Development Planning34. 4.2.1
In the field of Agriculture / Rural Sector / Environment / Trade / Resilience
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) defines national strategies and policies, and controls their implementation. It comprises amongst others the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Livestock and Fisheries, the Department of Forestry, the Department of Irrigation, and the newly created Department for Agricultural Extension and Cooperatives (DAEC). DAEC provides support to organizations of small-scale farmers. It is responsible for implementing the Decree on Cooperatives. There is a Gender Focal Point in the Ministry. MAF also comprises Provincial as well as District Agriculture and Forestry Offices (PAFOs and DAFOs). The National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) and several specialized agencies35 also depend on MAF. The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MONRE) was created in 2011 by merging the Water Resource and Environment Administration with departments of the National Land Management Authority and portfolios of other ministries including the Geology Department, and the Forest Conservation and Divisions within the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Until 2013, the Lao Disaster Management system was led by the National Disaster Management Committee (NDMC), and its secretariat, the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO). The system was designed so that each administrative level had a clear mandate in disaster preparedness and response. Lao PDR’s provincials and districts Government offices established Provincial and Districts Management Committees (P/DDMC). At the village level, DRM works though the Village Disaster Protection Units (VDPU) which has been established in a small number of communities at the moment. In 2013, the NDMC was reorganized and renamed National Disaster Prevention and Control Committee (NDPCC). This involved the move of its secretariat, previously hosted
33
Prime Minister Decree No. 16/PM of 15/7/2012 on Piloting Sam Sang: “Formulation of Provinces as Strategic Units, Formulations of District as Comprehensive Strong Units and Villages as Development Units”. 34 Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) is developing revised guidelines for District Socio-Economic Development Planning which include integrated spatial planning to support decentralised development planning 35 The Plant Protection Centre, the Upland Research Centre, etc
28
by NDMO, to the newly established Department for Disaster Management and Climate Change (DDMCC) in the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment (MONRE). The Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) represents the business community in Laos. LNCCI conducts business negotiations, and deals with trade and labour issues at both regional and international levels with a view to expanding trade and investment. It is the nexus between state and private enterprises and represents employers, groups and joint ventures across all agencies that have been established under the laws of Lao PDR. It has over 1000 members represented by Chambers of Commerce in 13 provinces.
4.2.2
In the field of Health
The Ministry of Health is responsible for both public health and curative service delivery. It is composed of several departments: hygiene and disease prevention, curative health, planning and finance, inspection, food and drug, personnel and organisation and cabinet office. The Lao PDR currently has 923 health centres, 859 of which provide services on birth delivery. At district level, there are 143 district hospitals, 27 of which provide caesarean birth surgery while 3 of which relied on support from provincial medical staff, 5 of which do not provide surgery services and 103 of which provide very basic support on birth delivery and new born child care. Provincial hospitals provide basic treatment, standard to emergency surgery and caesarean birth surgery that have been referred from the district hospitals. At the central level, there are 5 hospitals and 3 specific healthcare centres. There are 13 private hospitals or healthcare centres that officially operate (8 in Vientiane Capital and 5 in provinces). The Ministry of Health give permission to 1,054 private clinics to officially provide health services (360 in Vientiane Capital and 694 in provinces) Provincial Health Department (PHD) and (DHO) Provincial health departments organise the planning, implementation and monitoring of all health related interventions in the Province. District Health offices supervise the health facilities in their district and implement health interventions at district level. District health offices are generally under-staffed and lack budget, especially to conduct supportive supervision to remote health centres and to visit communities. Village health volunteers are the lowest level of the health system. They mostly provide health prevention messages to the community. The National Road Safety Committee (NRSC) is a cross-ministerial body whose role is to coordinate implementation of the road safety decade 2011-2020 in Lao PDR. Members include Ministry of Public Works and Transport (chair), Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Sports, and Lao Red Cross. Its secretariat is located in the Department of Transport (Ministry of Public Works and Transport). Provincial Road Safety Committees have been set up in some provinces. Their role is to implement and monitor all road safety interventions among all road safety stakeholders (Transport, Health, Education, Police, Youth Union ...) in each province. The Centre for Medical Rehabilitation (CMR) is situated in Vientiane capital. It was established in 1964 to address the medical rehabilitation needs of people with disability and injuries around the country, which consist of the following field of interventions: -
In- and outpatient physiotherapy Orthotic and prosthetic services Medical surgery Audiology and hearing aid production Community-based Rehabilitation Wheelchair workshop 29
-
Deaf and blind school Outreach services Training for Physiotherapists and P&O technicians, and medical doctors students Vocational training for persons with disability Promotion of education and research development
Under the central management of the Centre for Medical Rehabilitation, Provincial Medical Rehabilitation Centres (PMRCs) exist at provincial level throughout the country as rehabilitation service providers. PMRCs provide prosthetic and orthotic services as well as basic physical rehabilitation treatment.
4.2.3
In the field of Education
The Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES) is responsible for formal and non-formal education. MOES also has oversight for private sector education provision. The national education system is organised at four levels: i) the national level, through the MOES; ii) the provincial level through the Provincial Education Service (PES); iii) the district level through the District Education Bureau (DEB), and iv) the school level. These institutions have responsibility for implementing government education policy at their respective level through planning, programming, forecasting and budgeting. These levels and the respective departments/institutions linked to each level can be summarized as follows: -
National University of Laos organizes teaching and learning at pre-Bachelor, Bachelor, post-Bachelor and Master’s levels;
-
Department of Teacher Training (DTT) prepares the teacher training plans and manages the teacher training centres and teacher training colleges across the country;
-
Teacher Training Colleges and Schools (TTCs and TTSs) train teachers for pre-schools, primary and lower secondary education, and organise teaching and learning activities in line with curricula and textbooks;
-
National Research Institute for Educational Science is responsible for conducting research in education and for curriculum development
-
Department of Primary and Pre-school Education, Department of Secondary Education and the Inclusive Education Centre
-
District Education Bureau, Provincial Education Service, the Inclusive Education Centre
Basic education consists of primary and lower secondary education. Laos has a 5-4-3 formal education structure since 2010. Primary school has an official entry age of six and has five grades. Secondary education is divided into two cycles: lower secondary consists of grades 6-9, upper secondary consists of grades 10-12, including vocational and technical training. In principle, primary school is free and compulsory. Students sit for the primary achievement examination at the end of grade 5, the lower secondary achievement examination at the end of grade 9, and the upper secondary achievement examination at the end of grade 1236. College and university start from the age of 18. The National University of Laos (NUOL) is responsible for organising short term training programs, to promote and perform research in natural and social sciences, to provide technical services to society for sustainable community development, to preserve and promote the arts, culture and traditions of the Lao multi-ethnic nation and its surroundings. NUOL has the mandate to produce curricula and teaching materials for its education programmes but these have to be approved by the MOES before being put into practice.
36
UNESCO International Bureau of Education, World Data on Education. Revised in 6/2012.
30
4.2.4
In the field of Social Protection and Vulnerable employment
The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MoLSW) is tasked with protecting and assisting disadvantaged people in society such as orphaned children, elderly and disabled individuals. In 2007, the MoLSW started drafting a Labour and Social Welfare Master Plan (2007-2020) with JICA support. The Master Plan identifies strategies, policies and direction in the following sub sectors: Labour; Social Welfare; Personnel development; social security; War veteran-pensioners; Coordination and disaster. The MOLSW also represents the GOL in the tripartite meetings. Through national level social dialogue with the workers’ representatives (LFTU) and the employers’ representatives (Chamber of Commerce) they formulate proposals for policy and regulations covering formal employment, a. o. the minimum wage, social security, … The MoLSW comprises, amongst other departments, the Department of Planning and Cooperation, Department of Labour, Department of skill development and employment, Department of Social Welfare, Department of Pensions, invalidity and disability and Department of Social Security. National Committee for the Disabled and the Elderly (NCDE): the National Committee for Disabled People (NCDP) was established in 1995 by official decree from the Prime Minister. In September 2013, Prime Minister Decree 232 modified the structure and role of NCDP and merged this body with the existing National Committee for the Elderly. As a result, NCDP became the National Committee for the Disabled and the Elderly (NCDE). The NCDE roles and duties include promoting benefits for people with disabilities, awareness raising, gathering statistics, developing policy, establishing an association for disabled people and a provincial and district-level network, exchanging information with other countries, disability prevention, barrier-free access, and equal opportunities. Since Decree 137/GoL on the rights of persons with disability was approved in 2014, the NCDE has been leading on promoting the development of plans of action from various government ministries to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities into the respective services. NCDE initiated a process to develop a national disability policy, strategy and action plan. The National Commission for Mothers and Children37 (NCMC), chaired by the Standing Deputy Prime Minister and composed of Vice-Ministers and equivalents from all relevant ministries and organizations is responsible for promoting healthcare for mothers and children, and is in charge of the development and protection of the rights and benefits of mothers and children. The Commission has organizational networks throughout the country from the central to local levels, under the supervision of the provincial governors or vicegovernors at the provincial level, district chiefs or deputy district chiefs at the district level. Apart from the National Commission, the ministries and institutions which have functions and responsibilities relating to the promotion of healthcare, education development for children and protection of the rights and benefits of children include the Ministries of Public Health, of Education and Sports, of Labour and Social Welfare, of Justice, of Public Security, as well as the Lao Front for National Construction, the Lao Women’s Union, the Lao Youth Union, the Lao Disabled People’s Association etc. These organizations operate at the central and local levels in the country. Main financial partners: The Lao PDR is classified as a Least Developed Country (LDC) and remains heavily dependent on foreign aid and expertise. According to the OECD38, ODA disbursements to the country reached US$ 421 million in 2013. Main sources of ODA include the World Bank, ADB, the EU, and countries such as Japan, Australia and Germany.
37 38
www.crin.org/en/library/publications/lao-peoples-democratic-republic-childrens-rights-references-universal-periiodic http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=Table2A
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5 Analysis of the situation of the local civil society, the decentralized authorities and the governmental institutions, and the strategies that are being considered to strengthen their condition 5.1 Analysis of the situation of local civil society, and the strategies that are being considered to strengthen its condition 5.1.1 Analysis The small number of civil society organisations and entities in Lao PDR has little capacity to engage in political analysis or to engage with government on national policy issues. The absence of a critical mass currently makes it difficult to mobilize them. In addition, they often lack experience, face internal capacity challenges and re rarely representative of the constituency on behalf of which they speak. Women-led CSOs and CSOs representing children and other vulnerable groups’ interests are few with the exception of Disabled People Organisations (DPO) which have grown in numbers in recent years. The fact that civil society’s formal relationship with government is not well-defined yet and the lack of an enabling environment also constrain CSOs’ operations. CSOs are little engaged in regional and international fora and their space to put pressure to the government for policy improvement is almost non-existent. Moreover CSOs have to contend with the risks associated with advocacy on sensitive topics, especially those related to access to and control of natural resources. Gender equality and inclusion of vulnerable groups also has cultural and political implications. As a result, most organizations, including mass organizations, that have access to policy makers, work in relatively uncontroversial areas such as health and education, generally to implement, not challenge government policy. Inevitably they have to retain close links to the state. CSO involvement to facilitate the raising of poor communities’ voices in decision making is at a very early stage of development. Some local CSOs have emerged to promote and protect the rights of Lao citizens. They could be an effective force for political reform and defence of human rights and democracy if they had effective recourse to those making decisions at various levels, including local or national governments, regional bodies, investors and financiers or developers. Some positive dialogue has for instance already been established between civil society and government in the field of disability. While organised by and for the State, mass organisations, too, are developing their own reflections often supported by donors or INGO’s and aiming at influencing the current neo-liberal development model in favour of their target groups while often acting as facilitators. Since the country is increasingly becoming a “networked society” where state control of some aspects of social communication is disappearing, this could work to the advantage of civil society. But the rule of law and genuine citizen participation, especially women’s participation, in governance remain far from reality. Since 2012, with the disappearance of Sombath Somphone, the small space for civil society has possibly shrunk further. Silence and self-censorship have pervaded the sector. The circulation in mid-2013 of revised guidelines on civil society organisations from the Ministry of Home Affairs is also causing concern among CSOs and INGOs. 5.1.2 Strategies envisaged to strengthen civil society Following a rights-based approach: •
Support the development of an organised civil society that is better able to exercise its rights to organize, influence, access information, and to equal justice. The definition 32
of civil society should go beyond the government-sanctioned NPAs. Support should be extended to non-formal, non-registered groups of people getting together and organizing themselves for a common goal or cause. •
Ensure that civil society organizations truly represent and promote the interests and voices of poor women and men in decisions that affect their lives. And that they are accountable to them.
•
Promote women’s leadership and empowerment in critical areas of their economic lives, including access to resources and financial capital. The gender dimension and role of women are indeed central in civil society development as well as in the advocacy for inclusive and sustainable development models.
•
Promote networking and alliance building among civil society organisations to achieve a critical mass of voices vis-à-vis authorities and the private sector, and to develop and implement joint advocacy strategies.
At the same time, the government should create an enabling environment for civil society participation in the country’s development. This may take some time to happen. But despite the constrained space for civil society, there are possible alternative spaces that can be opened within which people’s organisations and other forms of civil society formations can operate. It is, for example, relatively simple to register as a social enterprise and be able to operate countrywide. Mass organisations are also often well positioned at local and central level to act as liaison between communities and authorities. Targeting structural and multi-dimensional change: •
Poverty and injustice are multi-dimensional. They are driven by socio-economic and political dynamics occurring and intersecting at different levels – from the household and community, sub-national and national, to regional and global. Changing the situation of poverty and injustice and obtaining change in the lives of poor women and men require linked and coherent actions at different levels.
•
National level change is the main locus of durable change, but it is not enough. It has to be built on a local or sub-national engagement for change in order to ensure credible representative voices and influence at the national level. Actors at regional and global levels can also act to catalyse change at the national level. So, it is crucial to support the increase and intensification of civil society participation in relevant regional and global advocacy platforms, with priority towards the AEC.
5.2 Analysis of the condition of the decentralized authorities and the government institutions and strategies to strengthen their condition 5.2.1 Analysis Overall, the Government’ role focuses on defining, implementing and monitoring policies and services to bring about effective and sustainable development, in line with its national and international commitments. Government structures present the same weaknesses as civil society. With no history in supporting the development of civil society organizations in Laos, they lack human, institutional and financial capacity to ensure greater civil society engagement with policy and planning. Local authorities, in particular, are underfunded. Combined with poor planning skills, this is resulting in an inability to respond adequately to local needs. The government policy to regularly rotate or relocate civil servants is causing discontinuity of interventions. 33
There is also a lack of coherence between the policies and mandates of different ministries or departments and at different levels (local, national), resulting in conflicting legislation and poor law enforcement. In terms of governance, the major risks concern public finance management, procurement, corruption, and accountability, according to the draft 8th NSDEP39. Specific issues include weak public finance mechanisms, lack of congruence of sub-national priorities with national objectives, weak capacity, inadequate financing of recurrent costs of investment projects, irregularities in procurement, and rising corruption perception. In 2014, Laos ranked 145 out of 175 countries on corruption in the non-governmental organization Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, which scores nations on how corrupt their public sectors are seen to be. In the area of women’s empowerment, or what the government calls women’s advancement, the policy is in place at central level with the Lao National Committee on Advancement of Women which takes the lead from the Prime Minister’s Office. But implementation depends on the priorities within each ministry. So far, the champions are the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Ministry of Education and Sports, where policies are translated into work plans, implementation, monitoring, and reporting. Their staff tend to be well versed on gender integration in their work. A couple of ministries are trying to follow suit, such as the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. The challenge even for the more progressive ministries is that their leadership still does not fully understand what gender mainstreaming means and how important it is to prioritise it. This challenge is compounded by inadequate budget allocation (as a result of low priority) and the absence of knowledgeable staff to lead on gender mainstreaming. Budget shortfalls could be solved by increasing financial assistance from external actors. However, the lack of gender specialists within ministries is a long term challenge. Gender specialists can be trained; but government recruitment processes means that qualified individuals will not always be hired. 5.2.2 Strategies to strengthen their condition There is a need for making the systems and policies more redistributive to the more vulnerable populations, focusing on cooperative engagement with government. Strategies include • • • • • •
Improving policy development with provision of technical assistance to relevant ministries Clarifying mandates between ministries and across various government tiers to increase government effectiveness Strengthening management, planning, and technical capacities of local authorities and national and sub-national levels Building government capacity on women’s, children’s, disabled persons’ and other vulnerable groups’ rights in development and economic processes that impact the lives of these groups Strengthening public service delivery Improving consultation mechanisms to inform policy development
More responsiveness and accountability from local and central authorities to the interests of the poor and marginalised and their representative organisations will come from government understanding what civil society is, what CSO’s roles are, and what they are good for. Without reaching a common understanding/definition of civil society, it will be a challenge to achieve more cooperation, given the current tension.
39
http://rightslinklao.org/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2015/03/Draft_8th_NSEDP_2016-20.pdf
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Fostering government understanding and acceptance of civil society as equal partners in development can be achieved by showcasing success stories of civil society’s work in the country’s development, which goes back to a strategy on civil society strengthening and support. Make use of international/regional instruments, organisations and fora to promote implementation of, and upholding higher standards of human and other rights, in particular for vulnerable groups (women, children, migrants, the disabled, etc.).
5.3 Analysis of the Agricultural sector and strategies to strengthen its condition 5.3.1 Analysis of civil society in the field of Agriculture / Rural Sector / Trade / Environment / Resilience Small-scale farmers are currently in a weak position to defend their rights. This is due to: • •
• •
Limited space for civil society to engage with government and private sector on issues affecting their lives because channels for voice and for seeking downwards accountability are few. A lack of awareness among small-scale farmers and local government of the legal provisions that do exist in their favour. Communities are often not fully informed or consulted prior to investments and projects, are threatened and deprived of decisionmaking power and voice to hold the corporate sector accountable. Their power and capacities are dwarfed by those of the corporate private sector and the space for them to operate and become influential is limited. A lack of knowledge among small-scale farmers of the national and regional trends that impact on agriculture and natural resources The fact that they are not well organized to face the new economic actors, new production systems, new markets, and natural or man-made disasters. Where they exist, informal associations tend to be credit groups or small income generating groups, though some novel ways of organizing are emerging. Small farmer groups and agroenterprises have been created – in most cases with the help of international projects – that could lay the foundation of future cooperatives. Some of these organizations are overly donor-driven, lacking in autonomy and sustainability beyond project lifetimes. Farmer networks are also still weak.
In addition, policy distortions tend to favour large-scale enterprises and create unfair competition for small agro-enterprises in mobilizing capital. Women have even fewer voice and influence due to the deeply unequal gender relations in Lao society. Women have lower levels of literacy (their literacy rate is 54 %, compared with 77 % for men40), more limited access to assets, information, finance, and markets. Moreover, their role as entrepreneurs is not recognized, neither is their role in nutrition and provision. Amongst most upland (Mon-Khmer and Tibeto-Burman) communities, women have traditionally managed many productive and reproductive tasks, and therefore work longer hours and take on a greater burden than men. But they rarely have a recognized role in family or community decision-making. As these communities have more frequently faced loss of assets and displacement, women have borne heavier losses to their economic position. Finally, populations living in disaster-prone areas also have little awareness on disaster risk reduction measures. This includes awareness of causes and impacts, and mechanisms for mitigating and adapting to climate change. 40
IFAD. Rural Poverty Portal, Rural Poverty in Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Consulted on http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/country/home/tags/laos
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•
5.3.2 Strategies envisaged to strengthen civil society in the field of Agriculture / Rural Sector / Trade / Environment / Resilience Advocating for and promoting alternative models of sustainable and equitable development, where smallholder farmers control and sustainably manage their own productive resources with improved access to markets. There is a need to empower small-scale farmers, especially women, to become more responsible for their own development but also to dialogue/negotiate with local government and private sector to defend their control over and use of natural resources, and influence decisions-making in areas, and strengthen their position in value chains and their access to markets so that they can avail themselves of sustainable economic opportunities on better terms.
•
In a time of transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture, small farming households must be better organized in order to have stronger bargaining power and to meet the market demand in terms of production volume and quality. Local leadership plays a key role in connecting the group members to the village and district institutions, to improve group management rules as a pre-requisite to up-scaling into larger associations, e.g. governance, quality control, reporting procedures to group members, transparency of group decision making processes.
•
So it is key to promote an enabling policy and regulatory environment that facilitates the growth of autonomous organisations that effectively represent the interests of small-holder farmers, fisher-folk, agricultural workers, Community-Based Organisations (particularly from ethnic minorities), and women’s groups. The Ministry of Agriculture’s 2011-2020 Agricultural Development Strategy’s acknowledgement of the importance of organic agriculture and Fairtrade, and the role of women and of small holders for poverty reduction and food security offers an interesting policy framework for this. Nonetheless, operationalizing the strategy’s envisaged shift from subsistence to commercial smallholder agriculture could potentially create further inequalities.
•
It is equally important for civil society to work with government to implement resilience building policies and measures. This means enhancing rural communities’ preparedness and response to disasters, but also addressing the impact or shocks arising from global and regional dynamics, particularly the ASEAN economic integration that starts in 2015. This poses the challenge of regulating the increasingly cross-border character of investment and economic activities in the region. Governance of foreign direct investment and regulation of the corporate sector at the regional level remain weak. On the other hand, influencing ASEAN policies presents opportunities for promoting responsible investment and sustainable livelihoods.
•
Women’s roles in climate mitigation and adaptation have been insufficiently supported to date. Women’s traditional responsibilities in the household and community as stewards of natural resources and guardians of biodiversity position them well to contribute to strategies for adapting to changing environmental realities. 5.3.3 Analysis of decentralized authorities and public institutions in the field of Agriculture / Rural Sector / Environment / Trade/ Resilience
The GOL recognizes that agricultural and forestry development demands a more holistic approach. Moreover, the diversity of rural livelihood systems implies that development efforts need to be decentralized to provinces, districts and villages. It is now policy that district level governments should coordinate combined interventions of central agencies. Local 36
governments thus try to promote government policies on contract farming/cash crops. District and provincial authorities also have the power to approve investments. They may have an interest in investors setting up business in their area and some can be corrupt. The investment permit process is becoming more transparent thanks to recent institutional reforms. However, the legal framework for business remains weak, and needs further improvements to avoid conflicts. As the interface between the public and private sectors has grown during the last decade, there is an increasing need for clear regulations on procurement of services and goods, and careful accountability and transparency practices. Moreover, while the official regulations stress that farmer organizations (cooperatives, associations, production groups) are to be democratic and self-controlled, these same decrees prescribe strong oversight roles for government offices and require approval of membership, objectives, reporting, and regular re-authorization of the groups. It is not clear how these policies will be enforced. In the area of Disaster Risk Reduction, the institutional landscape change of 2013 mentioned in section 4.2.1) had an impact on government capacity. Indeed, the staff from NDMO was not transferred along with the mandate, so the new structure, hosted by MONRE, suffers from a clear lack of capacity on DRM. Uncertainty also remains on the functioning, protocols and organization of the new structure and on the organization at lower administrative levels.
5.3.4 Strategies envisaged to strengthen decentralized authorities and public institutions in the field of Agriculture / Rural Sector / Trade / Environment / Resilience • •
•
• • •
Encouraging the GOL to shift to a growth model that is more quality-based and in line with sustainably managing natural resources, reducing the negative effects of climate change and ensuring food security. Facilitating constructive dialogue on sustainable development options between communities, representative organizations (farmers, marginalized workers) and decision makers, including government (especially at the provincial and district levels) and corporate sector Enhancing the GOL’s ability and willingness to support participatory policy processes that enable poor rural communities, particularly ethnic minority communities and women, to influence planning processes at the sub-national level (SEDP); explore initiatives that can provide lessons for more effective collaboration between government, community and civil society; Supporting efforts to effect changes in the policy and legal framework around freedom of assembly, the right to protest, and the fair implementation of the NPA decree and related legislation at the national, provincial and district levels of government; Building the capacity of decentralized authorities in sustainable agriculture and DRR to better link long term development and DRR, and so build rural populations’ resilience. Increase decentralized authorities’ knowledge of, and capacity to implement and monitor policies and legislation
5.4 Analysis of the Health sector and strategies to strengthen its condition 5.4.1 Analysis of civil society in the field of Health According to the 2014 Directory of Lao CSOs, 22 CSOs work in health, hygiene, sanitation, primary healthcare, nutrition and HIV/AIDS. These organisations vary in size and capacities. Some are based in Vientiane, others in provinces. Some have initiated partnerships with INGOs and others not. They are mostly involved in community-based health programmes.
37
The involvement of user groups or parents groups is still very limited in terms of monitoring the quality of health service provision. Very few services have mechanisms allowing users’ feedback. Many of these CSOs still lack skilled human resources, management and financial systems, strategic planning skills and fund raising skills. Disabled People Organisations (DPOs) have multiplied in recent years. Today they represent most types of disability. These DPOs are still mostly Vientiane based and do not have regular systems to consult their members in the communities. An informal network of DPOs exists since 2011. This is a dynamic group that started implementing services for their members both in the field of health and education and who is engaging in dialogue with the government of Lao PDR on questions of interest for them. They are piloting programmes for a variety of groups such as children with autism, children with cerebral palsy, children with intellectual disability, women and men with sensory, physical or intellectual disability…Their governance structure and management capacities still have to be improved as well as their capacity to influence decision makers. The context is currently favourable with a new decree on disability being approved in 2014. A group of victims of road crashes also organised themselves within the Road crash prevention team and are organising awareness campaign targeting the youth in Vientiane capital.
5.4.2 Strategies envisaged to strengthen civil society in the field of Health Strategies envisaged to strengthen civil society in the field of health are organised around the following blocks: General organisational capacity building: • • • • • • •
Identify Community based groups (CBOs) and NPAs, and engage them to take active part in the programme Support assessment of capacity and capacity development needs of CBOs and NPAs Provide training, coaching in areas of planning, financial management, advocacy General organisational capacity building Supporting CSOs in health prevention awareness at community level Supporting user groups or parents group to monitor service quality and engage in dialogue with services providers. Supporting CSOs to advocates for improved access to health for vulnerable groups.
Health Promotion • • •
Provide health information in local language and for non-literate groups Promote occupational safety awareness and education Promote road safety awareness and education
Community participation and Inclusive Health • • • • • • •
Identify vulnerable groups and assess their barriers to access to health services Strengthen community groups and local service provider accountability Support user groups or parents group to monitor quality and inclusivity of services and engage a dialogue between users and service provider Improve health-related knowledge and support development and adoption of appropriate attitudes and behaviours by community members. Engage communities in health service governance and in data collection activities, including birth and death registration Establish community level “solution funds” Advocate for inclusive health services 38
5.4.3 Analysis of decentralized authorities and public institutions in the field of Health The MOH remains the main provider of health services. In recent years, the Ministry has made significant progress in terms of health policy development and decentralization of health services to provincial, district and health centre levels. The establishment of the sector working group for health chaired by MOH and co-chaired by the WHO and the Embassy of Japan, has been the core mechanism for effective coordination in health. The various technical working groups and task forces formed under this mechanism have drafted major policies and strategies for sector development in areas such as human resource for health and health financing; maternal, neonatal and child health; emerging infectious disease; HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis control. However, investment in health is still low and out of pocket spending is above 62.6% and social health protection coverage is 12.5% of the total population. As mentioned earlier, health service provision is strained by a lack of qualified, adequately distributed staff, adequate infrastructure and affordable drug supply. Issues, identified per health system building blocks, are as follows: Coordination and Management • • • •
Inadequate information for planning Inadequate strategic / operational planning Inadequate implementation, monitoring and supervisory systems Low levels of community involvement
Human Resources for Health • • • • •
Inadequate staffing levels and low level of staff knowledge and skills Poor availability of equipment and supplies Low staff morale and motivation Support and supervision inadequate Lack of information
Service Delivery • • •
Service not available Service not accessible due to geography, financial barriers, cultural beliefs and barriers When it is available, service is of poor quality
Equipment and Supplies Management • • • •
Inadequate and poorly maintained infrastructure and equipment Inadequate drug supply Inadequate transport Weak systems for managing supply of medicines and equipment
Financing • • • •
Inadequate (or late) government funding Lack of coordination of demand side incentive measures: Health Equity Fund, Free maternal, neonatal and child health, Clean Birth kits, Direct financial subsidies Poor management of user fees Poor financial management systems
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Health Information • •
Inadequate information on Human Resources for Health, Financial resources, Services delivered, Coverage, Equipment and Drug availability The information that is available is not used to manage the system
5.4.4 Strategies envisaged to strengthen decentralized authorities and public institutions in the field of Health Strategies envisaged for supporting decentralised authorities and public institutions in the field of health are organised around the following blocks: Health Policies development and Partnerships • • • • • • • • •
Revise national Mother, New Born and child Health (MNCH) package Revise national nutrition policy and action plan and Health Sector Development Plan Regulate use of breast milk substitutes Revise midwifery/Skilled Birth Attendant strategy Revise and implement national rehabilitation and inclusive health action plan Implement the national decree on the rights of Persons with Disability Strengthen the scaling up of nutrition civil society alliance Develop partnerships at local national and international level to facilitate implementation of project activities. Encourage exchange of ideas and experiences between PHD, DHOs and their counterparts in other provinces and at national level.
Human resource development • Invest in initial training and continuous professional development of key health professionals • Build health management staff capacities on general management, health financing... • Adjust staff deployment to real needs to ensure health staff availability in remote areas • Develop and implement staff retention strategies • Encourage client friendly attitudes Health System and Facilities improvement • • • • • • • • • •
Improve sanitation (non-subsidised) Improve access to obstetric care and neonatal care Develop safer road systems Develop rehabilitation facilities, including prosthetics and orthotics and other assistive devices Establish mobile service teams for remote areas, referral network, and financial support Strengthen referral systems Increase health financing, especially essential commodities Improve infrastructure for accessibility of health services for persons with disability Upgrade facilities (including provision of appropriate water and sanitation facilities) and ensure appropriate and adequate equipment is available Scale up emergency services (ambulance, service for victims of sexual violence, etc.)
Community participation, Inclusive Health and Social Protection • • • •
Support social protection systems (HEF, CBHI) Strengthen / establish community health committees Identify, train and make use of community-based health workers Support provision of community based contraception 40
• • • •
Improve water supply, and promote hygiene Support community-based services and outreach services Support network of first aid volunteers Expand more programs of Community Based Rehabilitation
Data and Health Information Management/quality insurance • • • • • •
Support improved health information and management systems Pilot satisfaction surveys in health facilities Monitor quality of life of vulnerable groups such as persons with disability Assess and strengthen capacity at PHD, DHO and Health Centre levels to manage human resources, procurement and supplies, service delivery and finances Strengthen the Health Information Management System to ensure collection, and analysis and local use of data Strengthen supportive supervision and M&E systems and approaches
5.5 Analysis of the Education sector and strategies to strengthen its condition41 5.5.1 Analysis of civil society in the field of Education As mentioned above, there is new legislation allowing civil society associations in Lao PDR, but no institutional understanding of how civil society should work in practice, or how it should relate to the Government. The nascent Lao civil society faces many internal challenges relating to capacity, such as in financial and project management, organisational development and internal governance. NPAs struggle to define themselves as members of a civil society that can contribute to policy debate and development planning at local and national levels. Most NPAs have limited experience, and face significant internal and external governance challenges. 5.5.2 Strategies envisaged to strengthen civil society in the field of Education There needs to be better links made between schools and communities – to do more governance and management work rather than fundraising – this will help improve the focus on quality. This is already happening as school community models and committees are being set up to look at capacity development overall. This is predominately donor supported. 5.5.3 Analysis of decentralized authorities and public institutions in the field of Education The Lao education system is organised hierarchically, taking its staring point at the highest political level which is the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party. Government coordination is strong at national level but not matched at provincial and district level. The consensus model assumes that the emerging global economy has created serious challenges that affect all education systems in similar ways. For instance, higher education systems are now experiencing the social consequences of economic development, political and social mobilization, and the consolidation of independent postcolonial states. According to the consensus, education systems are developing in similar ways. Developing countries, like Lao PDR, open up to market forces and borrow education models from those countries that are considered ‘successful’ and promising countries with strong economic competitive capacities. 41
Chounlamany K., and Kounphilaphonh, B. (2011) New methods of teaching? Reforming education in Laos. Thesis report. Department of Education, Umea University, Sweden.
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This cross-national borrowing has led to an emerging international model of education which also allows giving attention to issues dealing with gender and ethnicity and schooling. Tensions exist between a decentralisation of education policy with the aim of increasing ownership and responsibility of each administrative level and the centralistic hierarchical activity. The government has been and is still responsible for the overall centrally unified management of education through its MOES. There are gaps in the planning and management of primary education. At the school level school principals lack capacity in management and administration, and in providing technical and pedagogical support to teachers: to improve school governance and management and provide an essential link between the school and the community, but the majority of them have not yet received any training and are not functioning. The support from the DESBs’ Pedagogical Advisors is limited as they are few in number compared to the number of schools and the distances to be covered. Finally, the quality monitoring of primary education remains relatively weak due to serious capacity gaps at all levels in data collection and analysis. The use of the data analysis in the review and planning is also widely lacking. 5.5.4 Strategies envisaged to decentralized authorities and public institutions in the field of Education Together with donors, the GOL has focused on creating an education system for all based on new methods drawing on student-centred approaches. Policy has stressed the perspectives of local conditions and needs, and the values of decentralism have been formulated in policy. The Lao education system is however hierarchal and form, method and content are, if not explicitly at least implicitly, decided by the system. Thus, curricula, textbooks, teacher guides, assessment models and subsequent evaluations of teaching and learning performance create a culture where transfer models are more common than discovery models and where textbook content is privileged. • Moving towards a situation where the teacher is no longer expected to be the authority but the facilitator, where curriculum and textbooks do not alone formulate content to be learned, and where student are expected to become constructors in the teaching and learning processes, is a challenging task for all. • MOES allows the development of 20 percent local curriculum. However this is not done at all levels. But if the teachers felt obliged to build this 20%, the student-centred approach would develop more. • A student-centred education is about individual learning. Yet, in Laos the individual has never been more important than the collective, but the aim of this student-centred approach is to create a citizen who can contribute to society . • New teaching methods for both females and members of ethnic minorities as well as girls and boys with disabilities: teachers could pay more attention to these groups. • More focus on inclusive education is needed, with improved overall governance and management of schools
5.6 Analysis of the Social Protection sector and strategies to strengthen its condition 5.6.1 Analysis of civil society in the field of Social Protection and Vulnerable employment Few Lao organisations take up the challenge to improve the life of workers in rural or urban environments who face very vulnerable employment conditions, both in formal and informal economic sectors. The most important one is the Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU), the only trade union operating in Laos. They have kept their close connection to the Communist party, as well as to the state apparatus. In this sense they are close to decision 42
making power and have influence over policy making. While a tripartite mechanism is now in place and functioning, a lot of their decisions are prepared in party and government where LFTU also has a say. The other side of the coin is that LFTU will strictly keep to final party lines and will need to make concessions with regard to the rights and wellbeing of the workers. As a consequence, LFTU resists involving their members in important internal decision making. Rather than using their members as a critical mass to shape policies, they focus on service delivery and dissemination of government policies (duties of workers), and keeping social ‘harmony’, in line with the role given to them and practiced since their start. LFTU’s experience is therefore mainly situated in old State-owned Enterprises – and their number is decreasing fast – and in the civil service sector, including public services, where they have a close tie to the management. However, with the opening up of the economy, new types of labour relations have developed quickly in privately owned companies, where LFTU is not present. Their old practices are not adapted to this new situation; the lack of strong work place unions makes LFTU therefore very ineffective in labour rights defence, all the more since the number of vulnerable workers is increasing fast. While LFTU has willingly shifted its focus to formal employment in close-by private enterprises – introducing collective bargaining in their practices – the challenge in the informal economy remains huge. Beside LFTU, only a few other organisations attend to workers’ rights and social protection. A few NPAs are taking up work with informal economy workers, introducing a rights’ based approach. But advocacy remains a big challenge in the Lao context; working with LFTU is usually practiced. Both types of actors face the following challenges with regard to vulnerable employment: • Most workers lack awareness about their status and rights as workers and easily fall prey to exploitation, especially in companies that operate in remote areas, such as mining and plantations, but also in SME’s, such as small restaurants. They are not aware of the existence and role of a trade union, or consider them as a government institution. • Employment-related discriminations are widespread against disabled, women, ethnic minorities, some foreign workers … both in domestic and foreign enterprises. • Vulnerability and lack of skills usually go hand in hand; while better skilled workers occupy the better jobs or choose to migrate, the unskilled workers do what they best know, such as manual labour in plantations. Women are less skilled than men. There are hardly any opportunities for skills improvement. • Workers often consider employment as a temporary condition and return home for the harvest, not aware of their obligations to their employers and therefore end up in trouble. They are very mobile on the labour market and difficult to reach. 5.6.2 Strategies envisaged to strengthen civil society in the field of Social Protection and Vulnerable employment Because LFTU remains to date the only recognised organisation to represent workers, it is important to increase their capacity to reach out to the most vulnerable groups by way of: • Focusing more resources to vulnerable sectors to build workers’ rights awareness. • More appropriate ways of working that take into account the characteristics of vulnerable workers, including those of women workers, such as their high mobility, lack of skills and confidence, … ; better service to members. • Improved practice of workers’ rights and labour law enforcement monitoring and of social dialogue. • Increased involvement of workers in trade union activities and structures, including in social dialogue, so as to improve internal decision making and to bring workers’ problems to the foreground; introduce a rights-based approach. • Better leadership skills at all levels of the union. 43
• More exposure in the region and peer pressure for the respect of international standards. • More cooperation with other civil society actors that can support LFTU with regard to the above strategies. • Improved advocacy for better laws and policies that ban discrimination and exploitation in the workplace and for better enforcement mechanisms, and for better social protection throughout workers’ life cycles. Beyond the strategy based on trade union action, other strategies of civil society actors, such as Women Union or Not-for-Profit Associations, will complement or create synergy: • The creation of communities of workers, including migrant workers, women workers, unemployed or disabled workers for mutual support, better service delivery and joint activities, including advocacy. • Support to workers to improve their chances in the labour market, including TVET; support to informal sector business or social economy. • Better research and action-based research to underpin advocacy, lobby and negotiation • Increased outreach to workers via media, social media, information centres, etc. for improved rights’ awareness. • Multi-stakeholder initiatives, including with governmental actors, to jointly discuss ways forward and for more mutual accountability. 5.6.3 Analysis of decentralized authorities and public institutions in the field of Social Protection and Vulnerable employment With regard to labour protection, the GOL, by way of the MoLSW, has put efforts in adapting the labour law to the changes in the economic development of the country, more in particular to the entry of big foreign-invested firms for which new legislation was required. This can be seen in the establishment of a minimum wage, better regulation of recruitments and dismissals, and a bigger role for the trade union. These improvements however were too slow and not adequate compared to the need to regulate bad practices. MoLSW also lacks capacity to monitor and enforce the labour laws due to a lack of resources and/or commitment. On the plus side, MoLSW combines a mandate of labour, social welfare and labour markets, allowing them to develop comprehensive policies that respond to the ILO’s guidelines and standards more easily. But to develop a universal social protection, more coordination is needed with other ministries, since vulnerability also strongly relates to access to essential services or to livelihoods assets. Decentralised provincial tripartite meetings have been organised with a mandate to promote good practices, but these meetings often lack teeth as government representatives prefer any investment over non-investment. Also in the field of social security, or social protection more broadly, the authorities have made slow progress due to lack of resources and the need to balance social policies with macro-economic policies, this in spite of the GOL’s commitment to the ILO’s Social Protection Floor. The social security system that is currently in place lacks coverage and quality.
5.6.4 Strategies envisaged to decentralized authorities and public institutions in the field of Social Protection and Vulnerable employment • Sharing of information and increased dialogue with MoLSW on good practices, areas for improvement • Promotion of coordination between various ministries • Exposure and peer pressure at regional level, a.o. at ASEAN level • Cooperation with ILO on the Social Protection Floor roadmap and implementation • Strengthen and expand the coverage of the current social security system 44
D.
Actors and partners
6 Identification of relevant development actors 6.1 Relevant actors related to Agriculture / Rural Sector / Environment / Trade / Resilience In favour / Their interest in the thematic area Blockers / (= their policy, practice, attitude or belief in Undecided? relation to the theme) (+ ; - ; ± ) ACTORS RELEVANT IN AGRICULTURE/ RURAL SECTOR / TRADE / RESILIENCE CIVIL SOCIETY NPAs / Associations / + Can be opportunistic (donor driven), servicefarmer cooperatives delivery oriented or corporatist Accountability issues towards their constituencies and beneficiaries, especially to women Small producer + Practice low-input agriculture ; heavily depend groups on natural resources for their livelihoods, but also engage in unsustainable agriculture and NRM practices Little decision-making power of women Relevant development actors
Land issue network
+
Consumers
±
GOVERNMENT National government
±
Their capacity to influence (+ ; ± ; -)
Their role in the theme: are they important? (= important for the success of the activities/solving the problem)
-
Potential to become more inclusive and representative, adding voice to farmers Can raise government and public awareness on farmers issues
±
Important space to create awareness and learn about collective actions Easily accessible for local NPAs and agencies to develop programs and experiences. Potentially these groups can start linking with each other and gain more bargaining power but important to ensure female voices and female leadership for change Their research can inform policies
Networking group. Works with MONRE on land law review Conducts research into land grabbing and other land issues Increasingly concerned about quality of food and of agricultural produce but mostly low purchasing power, resulting in buying patterns favouring cheap imports
±
±
Can be mobilized through campaigns / media to change beliefs and attitudes in order to buy local, organic, fair trade, but is still a niche market for now
Ambivalent.
+
Develop general policies for national development
The
Government
formulates
45
Local government
±
national development policies, which sometimes contradict each other. For instance, some policies promote industrial farming, cash cropping and large scale companies while others highlight the need for sustainable development, natural resource conservation, and safe production, with organic farming as a niche market and a key role for smallholders Ambivalent. On the one hand they try to promote government policies on contract farming/cash crops. They may also have an interest in investors setting up business in their area. Some are corrupt.
Are important but lack monitoring and general capacity
+
The Provincial Governor has the same rank as a state minister, and is therefore influential. District and provincial authorities have the power to approve investments. They can also issue guidelines to higher level authorities, so can be very influential, too.
On the other hand they are closer to the local population and its concerns and they are inclined to defend their interests.
Specialised government agencies
+
Supportive of small scale farmers and the promotion of their food and income security
They implement and monitor impact of national policies as well as flag social problems – also related to policy implementation – and try to mitigate these.
+/-
Conduct research into seeds, livestock, cash and food crops
Local population can demand more accountability from their local governments (grassroots democracy, decentralization policies) They are responsible for recognizing producer groups. They develop extension tools/methods
Department of Agriculture in Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF)
±
Somewhat removed from the field
+
Committed staff can influence their line ministries to some degree by demonstrating good practice and economic productivity Develop seed and pesticide standards and policies; give registration permits to pesticide importers, and monitor Lack transparency: not easy to influence from below in current system. External pressure from above needed
Certification agencies
+
In favour of organic farming
±
Weak on monitoring and enforcement LCB issues national organic certification and builds the capacity of producer groups to meet organic standards
Media
+-
Even though media are under state control they increasingly cover issues of safe food production, and the impact of agricultural
±
Can inform the public and consumers via more news coverage on the benefits of locally produced organic products. Can participate in campaigns and advocacy
46
Land & Natural Resource Information Research Centre (MONRE)
+
National Assembly
±
Ministry of Trade & Commerce / industry
+
Chamber of Commerce
ADB (GMS) WTO World Bank ASEAN PRIVATE SECTOR Agribusiness companies / investors
-
-
chemicals on people and the environment. Cooperates with other government agencies (NAFRI), NPA and donors in organizing research, case study for gathering information of regulations and laws on land management and strategies and plans and land concessions that might have some impacts on the community livelihoods. MPs represent their provinces and are concerned by what is happening there. They may have strong vested interests and collude with the private sector and investors.
Defines policies and guidance’s for AFTA, and support its implementation. Chamber of Commerce is the nexus between state and private enterprises and represents employers, groups and joint ventures across all agencies that have been established under the laws of Laos These institutions promote liberalization, commoditization of natural resources, and regional and global market integration and facilitate/invest in projects and policies to this end They need an enabling environment for business development like cheap resources (land, labour), incentives (tax breaks), and little regulations and control They are also responsible for environmental degradation, but adverse to environmental rules and norms. Some companies provide inputs and training to farmers under contract farming
-
+
+
against unsustainable agricultural practices In charge of reviewing Land Management Law in consultation with national assembly and other stakeholders They document what is going on and present problems and solutions. They have some good research already but could be supported to increase the quality or bringing alternatives (with other groups like the LIWG) on communal land titling, contract farming, etc. Approval and monitoring of Government Plans Interesting potential after the last 2 sessions for raising questions on critical issues / making sensitive issues clearer to the government and the public, but no enforcement power There is a trend for MPs to be closer to their constituency. So these groups can approach them and MPs could play a role in making these voices better heard. Can facilitate SME, cooperative organizing and connect them to new regional and global markets, but difficult to influence from below given their lack of transparency, collusion of interests External influence required
+
Facilitate the development of hydro power, large-scale infrastructure and plantations, and complicate the possibilities of market regulations. Requires a region-wide / worldwide approach.
+
In many ways they are in direct competition with local farmers over resources, particularly land, and have a strong influence on government policies and a growing influence on the Lao development model. To a degree they can be kept accountable on their practices via local governments, people and interest groups, provided that farmers can be organized and empowered to support their political representatives
47
Local traders
±
Part of the value chain; have information about markets, products, consumers. Want to control buying price and market share; driven by profit but can also help farmers Microfinance + Provide affordable rural finance; support savings institutions groups and farmer groups to organise, to network with other groups, and organise learning visits; provide training ACTORS RELEVANT IN ENVIRONMENT CIVIL SOCIETY +Communities Can be both in favour of conservation or against, if it is perceived as a constraint to development.
NPAs
+-
Lao Women’s Union (LWU) GOVERNMENT Local agencies of all the departments below
+
Department of Forestry – DoF – (MAF) Department of Forest Inspection – DoFI – (MAF)
+-
Department of Livestock and Fisheries (MAF)
+
-+
-+
±
Can facilitate producers organizing, introduce new techniques and connect producers to new markets But accountability needs to be built in
±
Can provide agricultural and low-interest loans to farmers and to agricultural traders
- capacity to influence only at community level
Communities are the most important partner in any field work. The key to get buy-in is to demonstrate that conservation, or sustainable natural resources management, goes hand-in-hand with development and livelihoods improvement They are important to ensure capacity is built in country. But they cannot operate without government agencies so their capacity for impact is limited.
More and more NPA are being “taken over” by Government staff, either retired or relatives/network, which undermines their nongovernmental nature Always have been supportive of sustainable NRM
-
-
Not much influence capacity with regards to NRM – unless more focus is on gender
Ambivalent. Varies from district to district, province to province, from one individual to the other. Some are active supporters of sustainable NRM, others only see their personal benefit In charge of the management of production forests. Rumors have it that it may be merged with the DFRM (see below) Supposed to control all forest law–related issues in the country. But facing pressure from those higher up who benefit from illegal timber trade. Officially in favour or more law enforcement but in reality reluctant to push for more Their capture fisheries portfolio is getting encroached on by the DWR. They seek cooperation and support from international
+
Essential to have buy in from them for initiatives to bear fruit, as they have a lot of power coming from the current Government’s decentralization efforts
+-
Used to be very influential but not so effective, especially since the creation of the MONRE in 2012.
+-
Officially the most important agency against illegal timber trade. But seems to be weak. For example, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) no longer wants to work with DoFI, preferring to work with the Ministry of Public Security This department has been relatively low profile since the creation of MONRE in 2012. But still in charge of the Fisheries Law and hence is still is an important actor in any
-
48
Department of Forest Resource Management (MONRE) Department of Water Resources (MONRE)
+
Lao National Mekong Committee (LNMC)
-
Media
+-
National University of Laos (Faculty of Forestry, Faculty of Environmental Sciences) UNODC
+
UNDP
+
World Bank
+-
ADB
+-
PRIVATE SECTOR Large investment projects e.g. Hydropower projects, roads, factories, etc. Coffee sector
+-
+
-
-+
organizations to revitalize programmes Generally supportive of environmental protection initiatives. But also required to follow official development strategies of the Government/Party that sometimes do not match Ambivalent. Required to follow official water Government/Party policy but it seems sees the shortcomings of the current development strategies put forward Follows the credo of the Government/Party, which is to dam rivers to become the battery of southeast Asia Double-edge sword in that the newspapers and TVs are bound by the official political discourse. Has environmental curricula and staff in place. Looking for placements for students. Can support project work with consultants.
+-
-
+
+-+
fisheries work Very important as in charge of the management of all protection forests and national biodiversity conservation areas. Any protected areas or species work must be in partnership with the DFRM Needs to be involved in all water-related projects but seems to have low capacity to handle all requests.
Linked to powerful people. They are the voice of the Lao PDR in the Mekong River Commission. Difficult to approach. Needs lobbying from inside. Number of readers and TV watchers is always on the increase and impact can hence be exponential A great pool of resources and the future of the country’s capacity. But not much influential capacity currently
Anti-wildlife trafficking programme. Has developed very good tools / training material. Has environmental programmes – more focused on development but has good access to funding Interested in environmental protection but not a priority. Interested in supporting government agencies for capacity building In theory interested in environmental protection but invests and supports very destructive projects
+-
+
Need lobbying at regional/international level
Usually only interested in building at the lowest cost. Little due diligence in EIA. No ear for environmental NGOs although some projects have a more progressive approach (e.g. European companies) A few small groups are organic/fair trade certified. The big players are not very interested in environment protection.
+
Know how to promote their projects – have large budgets for Government “engagement”. They are shaping the new landscape and hence need lobbying – among new WWF approaches is the river/water stewardship.
-+
Very high impact on southern country landscape i.e. water use. Difficult to lobby since the sector is very closed. Need to engage from consumer countries or international
++
The leading international agency against wildlife trafficking. Now working with Ministry of Public Security Need to have the involved or kept in loop of initiatives as they are always involved in discussions Need to have them involved or kept in loop of initiatives as they are always involved in discussions
49
Rubber
-
No environmental due diligence. Highly corrupt, and involved in land grabbing.
+
Other commercial plantations
-+
Some international companies investing in Laos have due diligence processes and are willing to cooperate
-+
companies investing locally. Very high impact on landscape i.e. deforestation. Difficult to lobby since most investment comes from Vietnam. Need to engage from consumer countries These can serve as models for other to follow e.g. plantation and forest certification
6.2 Relevant actors related to Health Relevant development actors
In favour / Blockers / Undecided? (+ ; - ; ± )
CIVIL SOCIETY Lao Red Cross (LRC)
+
Non-profit Associations
+
Road crash prevention (RCP) team
+
Health service users
+
Their interest in the thematic area (= their policy, practice, attitude or belief in relation to the theme)
Their capacity to influence (+ ; ± ; -)
Their role in the theme: are they important? (= important for the success of the activities/solving the problem)
Recognized by the government as a “social humanitarian support organization”, which gives it a framework to work in. First aid courses are organized by the LRC and other organisations. Trains volunteer ‘first responders’ to compensate the limited accessibility to emergency first aid care. The human blood supply management and blood bank activities are provided by LRC. Also provides a free ambulance service for road accidents. CSOs are implementing community based health programme mostly focusing on health promotion at community level
+
Direct contacts with government. Established organization active in the domains. Network of volunteers spread out over the territory.
+-
The RCP team is a group of road crash victims who decided to be involved in public awareness on road safety; their personal history is at the origin of their motivation to reduce the risk of accident for their peers Their experience with services is crucial to understand some barriers but also good practices
+-
They can contribute to favour access to health services for remote community and may engage communities in a dialogue with authorities on access to and quality of services The involvement of direct victims is powerful in conveying prevention messages. They are still an informal network and wish to organize themselves as an organisation.
+-
The government service providers is sometimes reluctant to engage with service users on management of the quality of their services
50
GOVERNMENT Ministry of Health
Defines policies and priorities and accreditations
+
Ensure implementation of health policies and monitoring of health facilities and programmes at provincial level Implement health policies at district level
+
+-
Key role in community based health
Are the primary contact for healthcare.
+
As the victim/patient is expected to go to the primary health providers first; as such the health centres have a direct influential impact on the perception and quality of provided assistance. The Hospital envisions itself as a teaching hospital, both for medical student training and for capacity development of other national and sub-national health facilities. The mandate is to develop model service delivery systems for paediatric medicine. CMR role is to coordinate the rehabilitation sector including development of strategies, technical guidelines, acting as a training centre, service provision and monitoring of quality of services in provincial centres. Involvement in training professionals. Can also provide training to medical doctors on rehabilitation.
Provincial Health Department
+
District Health Offices Health Centres
+
Children’s Hospital
++
Primary child-focused and child-friendly hospital in Laos
Centre for medical rehabilitation +4 provincial branches
+
CMR is leading the rehabilitation sector in Laos. It is interested in partnerships and capacity building with ANGCs
Faculty for Medical Technology
+
National Road Safety Committee (NRSC) and provincial committees Health related development partners (WHO, ADB 42 UNFPA , The global fund, World Bank…) PRIVATE SECTOR Hospitals Private care givers
+
Role in training rehabilitation professionals such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists. Strong demand for collaboration and support Coordinates the implementation for the decade for road safety in Lao PDR. This includes development of a national action plan and the coordination of various road safety stakeholders. Support implementation of health policies and health system reform.
42
+
+
+
As they define and control the health care setup, they are very influential. Influential partner for projects implemented at province level
NRSC should oversee intervention in road safety and conduct national level awareness campaigns.
+
Influential, but unclear to what extent Influential, but unclear to what extent
United Nations Population Fund
51
6.3 Relevant actors related to Education Relevant development actors
In favour / Blockers / Undecided? (+ ; - ; ± )
CIVIL SOCIETY NPAs / Local NGO’s
+
INGO
+
Lao Women’s Union
Community organisations GOVERNMENT National Ministry of Education and Sports Provincial and Education Services (PES) and District Education Bureaus Local Authorities at village level
Their interest in the thematic area (= their policy, practice, attitude or belief in relation to the theme)
Their capacity to influence (+ ; ± ; -)
Their role in the theme: are they important? (= important for the success of the activities/solving the problem)
A few local NGOs are active in the education sector. Their interest mainly remains at very local level (village or district levels) to promote basic education (awareness raising, capacity building and some constructions). Work with local NGOs and are able to do some advocacy at provincial or national level, depending on their relationship with the government
-
Their role can be important in addressing issues at local level (gender inequity, conflicts farming/education…). They need to be strengthened to be able to do evidence based advocacy at higher level.
±
+
Mass organization that is theoretically present in all administrative sections of the country.
+
+-
Mainly Parent-Teacher Associations in the education sector.
-
Their role is important as they can provide capacity building at provincial or national level and contribute to improvement of quality education (training of trainers on topics INGOs are expert in for ex.). The risk often lies in the type of relationship they have with the government. Their advocacy power is reduced (as gov. agreement can be revised) but – as long as they don’t make too much noise – they can provide valuable support to the education sector in collaboration with government. They play an important role as they are a very influential body. This mass organization is present everywhere and has representatives from village to higher levels. In areas where education still remains the field of women, they can be a great partner to enhance enrolment and equity. Work at very local level (within schools) and their role is very limited
+-
In charge of basic, Early Childhood Education and TVET and higher education Weak on transparency Idem
+
Local authorities are basically village leaders Weak on transparency
+
+-
+-
+
Very important role but somehow reluctant to work with NGOs and INGOs and admits some of the weaknesses addressed by NGOs Idem
Their role is very important as they can influence attitudes and practices at village level. They also have some
52
Universities
+
Department of Teacher Training (DTT) Teacher Training Colleges and Schools Other international cooperation such as Germany, Japan… Organisation internationale de la francophonie et CREFAP : centre régional AsiePacifique UNESCO
+
+ prepares the teacher training plans and manages the teacher training centres and teacher training colleges across the country; train teachers for pre-schools, primary Teacher Training Colleges and Schools and lower secondary education Involvement depends on their own strategy
+
+
Access to international standards and references of OIF (international methods, Bamako conference)
+/-
+
Statistics International experts to conduct policies Funding
+/-
+
+/-
influence at higher political levels (District and provincial, where decisions regarding education can be taken, given decentralization of the system) Their role is important in the training of the future teachers and a pedagogical support for all Important because help the teachers to change methods and help to reach international quality
+
idem
+/-
Could provide investment for schools, but could have also a different strategy The government doesn’t organize general meeting of all cooperation, it means that a common strategy is difficult Depending on the Lao involvement in new teaching methods Supports new pedagogical methods and free access to libraries
As UNESCO conducts same studies everywhere in the world, the (bad) results can induce new strategies to get better results
6.4 Relevant actors related to Disability Relevant development actors CIVIL SOCIETY Lao Disabled People’s Association (LDPA) The Disabled People
In favour / Blockers / Undecided? (+ ; - ; ± ) +
+
Their interest in the thematic area (= their policy, practice, attitude or belief in relation to the theme) LDPA promotes the rights of people with disabilities empowering them to personal achievement, assisting them to participate fully in the social, economic and cultural life of their community An informal group of disabled people organizations in provision of services for persons with disability, in
Their capacity to influence (+ ; ± ; -)
+
+
Their role in the theme: are they important? (= important for the success of the activities/solving the problem) LDPA is an advocacy body focused on disability rights, access to employment services, policy development and law reform, social and economic development and networking. Can engage in collective advocacy and provide services for their members.
53
Organisations network GOVERNMENT National Committee for the Disabled and the Elderly (NCDE)
the field of education, livelihood and health
+
Represents the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare for all disability-related issues.
+/-
NCDE is the inter-ministerial coordination body responsible for the coordination of planning and monitoring of implementation of a national disability strategy and action plan. They are essential.
6.5 Relevant actors related to Social Protection and Vulnerable employment Relevant development actors CIVIL SOCIETY Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU) NPA’s
GOVERNMENT Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MoLSW)
Chamber of Commerce PRIVATE SECTOR Private enterprises
In favour / Blockers / Undecided? (+ ; - ; ± ) +/-
+
+
+/-
-
Their interest in the thematic area (= their policy, practice, attitude or belief in relation to the theme)
Their capacity to influence (+ ; ± ; -)
Their role in the theme: are they important? (= important for the success of the activities/solving the problem)
Represents the workers towards employers and government to defend their rights and to promote their wellbeing, but acts within party perimeters Introduction of a rights based approach, but few in numbers and limited room for manoeuvre and advocacy
+
Have a mandate to develop policies and regulation on labour, labour market, social protection. Mandate to monitor and enforce these policies. Mandate to represent the government in tripartite dialogue. Represents its members in tripartite dialogue, must defend international practices of social dialogue.
+
Prepare policies and can enrich the debate in parliament and government, as well as in tripartite dialogue, with research and arguments. Can learn from international models.
+
Can pressure its members to respect laws and recommendations
Must apply the laws and regulations, but are more interested in cheap production, including cheap and flexible labour
+/-
Law application makes a lot of difference, but competition for markets and shareholder pressure pushes for maximizing benefits.
-
Member of the national and provincial tripartite bodies, Recognised partner in social dialogue with employers Influential in party and government structures Pressure and push factor on other actors, and/or influence via support and cooperation with other actors
54
7 Identification of the type of potential partners per ANGC
Agriculture / Rural Sector / Environment / Trade / Resilience Potential partners for ADG Civil society
Authorities
CSOs, (International) Networks Research institutes Community organizations / Farmer organizations/associations Cooperatives Ministries and their provincial and district divisions Government agencies related to Agriculture and Natural Resources Local authorities (province and district) International institutions Academia & research institutes
Potential partners for Louvain Coopération au Développement Civil society
Authorities
Private sector
CSOs, (International) Networks Research institutes Community organizations / Farmer organizations/ Consumer groups Cooperatives Farmer unions and Farmer group associations Ministries and their provincial and district divisions Government agencies related to Agriculture and Natural Resources Local authorities (province and district) International institutions Academia & research institutes Agribusiness / Traders / Processors Local traders Microfinance institutions
Potential partners for Oxfam Solidarité Civil society
Authorities
Private sector
CSOs, (International) Networks Research institutes Community organizations / Farmer organizations/ Consumer groups Cooperatives Mass organisations Ministries and their provincial and district divisions Government agencies related to Agriculture and Natural Resources Local authorities (province and district) Agribusiness / Traders / Processors Fair trade networks
Potential partners for Oxfam Wereldwinkels Civil society
CSOs Research institutes Community organizations / Farmer organizations / Consumer groups Cooperatives
55
Authorities
Private sector
Mass organisations Farmer unions and Farmer group associations Ministry of agriculture and forestry, provincial department, district and commune divisions Government agencies related to Agriculture and Natural Resources International institutions (UNDP, ADB, World Bank, ASEAN) Academia (universities, schools) and research institutions Public media Agribusiness / Traders / Processors (Input suppliers, trading companies, exporters) Associations Fair trade networks
Potential partners for Vredeseilanden Civil society
Authorities
Private sector
CSOs Research institutes Community organizations / Farmer organizations / Consumer groups Cooperatives Mass organisations Farmer unions and Farmer group associations Ministry of agriculture and forestry, provincial department, district and commune divisions International institutions (UNDP, ADB, World Bank) Financial institutions (Agriculture bank) Agribusiness / Traders / Processors (Input suppliers, trading companies, exporters) Associations Commercial banks
Potential partners for WWF Civil society
Authorities
Private sector International organizations Other
CSOs Communities (villages) International NGOs engaged in livelihoods, natural resource management MAF > DoF, DoFI, DLF MONRE > DFRM, DWR Local government (all the above-mentioned departments’ line agencies) Agro-business operators (coffee, rubber, pulp plantations, etc.) Potential renewable energy investors UNODC on wildlife crime UNDP on species and habitat work Academia
Decent Work / Social Protection Potential partners for Handicap International Civil society Authorities Private sector
CSOs, MoLSW Social enterprises
Potential partners for Oxfam Solidarité Civil society
Trade Union (local, provincial, national) CSOs, (Regional/Global) Networks Research institutes
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Community organizations, Informal workers organisations Mass organisations (women union)
Health Potential partners for Handicap International Civil society Authorities
Networks, CSOs National Children’s Hospital and provincial hospital potentially National Committee for the Disabled and the Elderly Ministry of Health, PHD, DHO Centre for Medical Rehabilitation National and Provincial Road Safety Committee
Potential partners for Louvain Coopération au Développement Civil society Authorities
CSOs Ministry of Health, PHD, DHO, Health Centres
Potential partners for Médecins du Monde Belgique Civil society Authorities
CSOs Ministry of Health National Road Safety Committee Provincial Road Safety Committee Centre for Medical Rehabilitation National Committee for Mothers and Children Decentralised authorities
Potential partners for Rode Kruis Vlaanderen International Civil society
Lao Red Cross Society
Education Potential partners for APEFE Authorities
Ministry of Education and Sports Ministry or provincial department competent for TVET Organisation internationale de la francophonie Centre Régional Asie-pacifique (CREFAP)
Potential partners for Handicap International Civil society
Authorities
Community organisations CSOs INGO Ministry of Education and Sports (Inclusive education centre) Local Authorities at village level
Potential partners for PLAN Belgium Civil society
Authorities
Private sector
Community organisations CSOs INGO Mass organisations Ministry of Education and Sports Provincial Education Service (PES) District Education Bureaus Local Authorities at village level Community schools
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Child protection and children’s rights Potential partners for PLAN Belgium Civil society
Authorities
Community organisations CSOs INGOs Mass organisations Ministry of Education and Sports at different levels Provincial Education Service District Education Bureaus Local Authorities at village level
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E.
Future sectors
8 Identification of future sectors per ANGC, taking into consideration the relevant actors 8.1 Overview: future sectors and relevant actors Sectors per ANGC and their relevant actors ANGCs
ADG
APEFE Médecine pour le 1/3 monde / Geneeskunde voor de derde wereld
Sector
Agriculture, Rural Sector, Environment
Education : TVET
Health
Rehabilitation and health Handicap International
Support to civil society Decent work, access to work
Louvain Coopération au Développement
Agriculture, Rural Sector, Environment
Health
Médecins du Monde Belgique
Health (Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare)
Oxfam Solidarité
Agriculture, Rural Sector, Environment, Trade, Resilience, Gender
Social protection, Vulnerable employment, Gender
Relevant actors CSOs, community organisations, farmer organisations/cooperatives, networks & alliances, agricultural services, local authorities, academia and Research institutes Ministry of Education and Sports, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Vocational Education Development Institute, TVET schools To be confirmed Health institutions (Hospitals, rehabilitation centres), universities, local authorities, networks CSOs, Disability associations, local authorities CSOs, local authorities, disability associations, ILO CSOs, Farmers organisations/ associations, consumers groups, networks & alliance, agricultural services Ministries, local authorities, Academia and Research Institutions, private enterprises CSOs, Ministry of Health, PHD, DHO, Health Centres CSOs, National Road Safety Committee, Provincial Road Safety Committee, Centre for Medical Rehabilitation, National Committee for Mothers and Children, local authorities, Ministry of Health, hospitals CSOs, community organisations, farmer organisations/cooperatives, consumers, agricultural services, public media, local and national authorities, academia and research institutes, mass organisations, international organisations, private enterprises Trade Union (local, provincial, national) CSOs, (Regional/Global) Networks, Research institutes, Community organizations, Informal workers organisations, Mass organisations (women union), MoLSW, ASEAN, ILO, Public media Social enterprises, Chamber of Commerce
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Oxfam Wereldwinkels
Agriculture, Rural Sector, Environment, resilience, gender, Trade
PLAN België
Child Rights, Education, Child Protection, Gender
Rode Kruis Vlaanderen Internationaal
Vredeseilanden
WWF
Health [EBP First Aid education & Disaster resilience education] Health [Blood bank] Health [WATSAN (improved water, improved sanitation)
Agriculture, Rural Sector, Environment, Trade,
Environment, Agriculture, Rural Sector, Water
Private enterprises, Academia, Tripartite bodies Farmer organisations / cooperatives, fair trade networks, CSOs, (international) networks & alliances, agricultural services, media, trade union, local authorities, academia (universities, schools) and research institutes, mass organisations, youth organisations, international organisations, ASEAN, ILO, public media, private enterprises, social enterprises CSOs, community organisations, INGO’s & networks, local (village-level) authorities, mass organisations, Ministry of Education and Sports at national, provincial and district level National/local Red Cross chapters in collaboration with local authorities / communities Lao Red Cross blood banks National/local Red Cross chapters in collaboration with local authorities / communities Farmer organisations/cooperatives, private companies, consumer associations, local authorities, research institutions, agriculture & business training centers, credit & financial institutions, networks & alliances, NGOs, INGOs WWF Network, CSOs, community organizations, farmer organizations, networks, media, cooperatives, local authorities, research institutions, donors, natural resource agencies
8.2 Strategies of change for the ANGCs 8.2.1 In the area of Agriculture / Rural Sector / Environment / Trade / Resilience KEY MESSAGES IN THE CONTEXT Poverty is predominantly rural and inequalities are growing; smallholders and informal workers, in particular from ethnic minorities, are the most affected by (unregulated) economic investments that dispossess and displace people, deplete community resources, and degrade the environment through unsustainable economic practices. The neo-liberal growth model exposes them to economic shocks that have local, regional and global causes. Women are particularly impacted. Traditional safety nets and social protection schemes are weakened or ineffective in enabling people to cope with shocks, be they natural or man-made. Small-scale farmers, particularly women, are in a weak position to defend their rights There is limited space for civil society to engage with government and private sector on issues affecting their lives because channels for voice and for seeking downwards accountability are few. Limited (local) government capacity, responsiveness and accountability There are major constraints to sustainable agricultural development: The shift to cash crop production has important implications for food insecurity: as households replace food crops with cash crops Unsustainable use of natural resources, and unsustainable agricultural practices 60
-
Climate change is having a big impact on the agriculture sector and the livelihood of many small-scale farmers. So is their loss of access and control over productive resources. Women are more affected by these impacts than men. With the increasingly open trade between ASEAN countries small-scale farmers find it hard to engage in regional or other markets on anything other than very disadvantageous terms, or to get a fair return for their products and labour. Rural exodus of the young Low agricultural productivity
With regards to the Environment
Biodiversity is threatened by hydropower development, climate change, illegal wildlife trade and various forms of ‘land incursions’ and habitat fragmentation (including major economic developments, agriculture expansion, mining, roads and infrastructure). In recent years, the scale and intensity of many of these threats has grown exponentially At the same time, there are several opportunities to leverage change including Growing awareness of how healthy ecosystems can contribute to poverty alleviation and climate change resilience, Increasing possibilities to leverage sustainable financing, The recent historic ‘sustainable development’ declaration by the governments of the Mekong River region and
ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN BY ANGCS TO LEAD TO CHANGE Opportunities for actions to lead to change include for instance:
Working with the most marginalized groups, including women, children and ethnic minorities toward securing their fundamental human rights and taking action to exercise these rights individually and collectively Supporting women participation, leadership and decision making Working with CSOs (NPAs and other less formal groups) and relevant government agencies for grassroots organizing / linking, and collective capacity building. Reinforcing CSO organizational, operational and technical capacities - including their advocacy capacity to engage in positive dialogue with government and private sector on issues affecting rural populations’ livelihoods and resilience Building the capacity of grassroots groups to ensure that they legitimately represent their members / poor people and that their advocacy agenda is evidence-based Building linkages with CSOs in neighbouring countries /region Supporting rural employment (SMEs) so that farmers can also earn off-farm income, in order to reduce migration Supporting exposure of CSOs and government officials to other contexts Working with CSOs, networks, progressive government agencies, the media and research institutions to link up local to national level influencing Build government capacity to set up an enabling pro-poor environment and to apply participatory governance; Building government (at various levels) capacity to better fulfil their mandate Cooperation with, and capacity building of government and other relevant stakeholders for the development and implementation of alternative development models which can be used in advocacy that challenges and proposes alternatives to the dominant neoliberal paradigm: sustainable management of natural resources, sustainable agricultural practices and production models that are adapted to and mitigate climate change, and lead to higher productivity while respecting the environment inclusive business models, including fair trade 61
Strengthening small-scale farmers’ access to markets Setting up pilots with several actors (private, government and farmer organisations) focusing on increased production of high quality agricultural products, matching market demands Developing sustainable chains of high-value, niche crops that capitalize on traditional, natural and wild resources; Cooperation with private actors and government for delivering services to small scale farmers. Supporting greater civil society participation in relevant advocacy platforms, with priority towards the ASEAN economic integration; Supporting better integration between DRR and long-term development Support resilience-building mechanisms
With regards to the Environment: focusing on Laos and the Mekong Region:
Protect landscape integrity through the promotion of integrated spatial planning and the diversification of local people’s livelihoods. Restoration (reforestation and enrichment) of forest resources on degraded land so that these forests can go on offering their ecosystem services Ensure sustainable hydropower development to maintain ecosystem integrity of the Mekong river, priority tributaries and other rivers in priority landscapes Secure landscape integrity and climate change resilience through integrated conservation, economic development planning and implementation Combat wildlife and illegal timber trade and poaching [through world-class protected area management and law enforcement and improved legislation Influence policy, consumption and priority commodities’ production to switch to sustainable use of land and water resources: Strengthening law enforcement and protected area management to secure priority habitats and species Securing sufficient sustainable & leveraged financing for conservation
LEADING TO WHAT SHORT TERM CHANGES? Women and men of all ethnic groups with greater control of and capacity to defend their rights to natural resources, and greater voice to request that investment projects be transparent, accountable, responsible and supportive of the poor’s right to sustainable livelihoods; Women and youth can organize collectively and mobilise around their specific needs and challenge their discrimination and denial of rights; Local and central authorities and corporate sector more responsive and accountable to the interests of the poor and marginalized and their representative organisations. Rural communities have more influence on, and benefits from policies and legislation on resource allocation, and the policies and practices of the corporate sector. Alternative models of sustainable and equitable development, where small-scale farmers control and manage their own productive resources with improved access to markets, are implemented, and advocated by CSOs Agricultural food chains in Laos are sustainable and inclusive for smallholder farmers. Higher agricultural productivity can help generate better livelihoods for the 4.5 million Lao people living on farms. Local authorities able to integrate DRR and climate change adaptation into socioeconomic, especially rural development plans Rural populations better protected against shocks and stresses With regards to the Environment
The ecological integrity and ecosystem services are protected, maintained and restored in priority sites and landscapes, and contribute to the sustainable livelihoods of local people. 62
Populations of Global Flagship and Eco-region priority species in Priority Landscapes and the Mekong River, including key tributaries are maintained or increased.
LEADING TO WHAT LONG TERM CHANGES? Empowered communities and representative organisations capable to demand transparency, fulfilment of the government’s duties and responsibilities towards the poor, and respect for citizens’ rights and the rule of law; A sustainable livelihood for smallholder farmers in Laos, by taking up their role in rural poverty alleviation, in feeding a growing world population while decreasing pressure on the planet. Poor women and men of all ethnic groups benefit equitably from accountable, inclusive, sustainable development strategy and corporate sector investment in agriculture, natural resources and other relevant sectors Poor people, especially women, living in disaster-prone areas are less affected by shocks, stresses and uncertainties, and thrive in the face of them. With regards to the Environment
As a long term change, environmental issues are partly transborder. We cannot aim for a healthy Laos without working on the Mekong countries as a whole. Human footprint stays within the country’s capacity to maintain the full spectrum of biological diversity and ecosystems and the key services they provide, to enhance Lao people’s livelihood resilience, and to contribute to the sustainable conservation of the overall ecological integrity of the Mekong region
8.2.2 In the area of Health KEY MESSAGES IN THE CONTEXT Low level of coordination and management (no adequate planning and monitoring systems, low information system and weak supervisory system) Low level of qualification of the health staffs (weak knowledge, skills, motivation) Health services are not accessible and/or not available Emergency health services difficult accessible. Health infrastructures (facilities) and equipment are very poor Poor financial support from the Government to health system (late support or not enough financial means) and poor financing system. Access to healthcare limited due to costs to be paid by patients Lack of accurate and reliable information/data Limited access to improved water and improved sanitation in rural areas.
ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN BY ANGCS TO LEAD TO CHANGE General organization capacity building. Support CSO in health prevention awareness at community level. Resilience strengthening by localized and contextualized first aid training of laypeople in local community. Support users groups or parents group to monitor quality of services and engage in dialogue with services providers (examples: assessments of barriers and facilitators to access to services for persons with disability). Set up of satisfaction survey in rehabilitations centres in the country.... Support CSOs to advocates for improved access to health for vulnerable groups. 63
Support LRC in rural WATSAN projects. Further strengthening LAO Red Cross Blood Bank facilities via knowledge sharing
LEADING TO WHAT SHORT TERM CHANGES? Improve the quality of care Improve laypeople’s response in emergency situations Improve emergency medical response via trained first responders (laypeople) Further improvement of access to quality water (i.e. rural areas) Further improvement of hygiene education and sanitation (i.e. rural areas) Strengthen community participation and community based services Strengthen health system capacity to manage and improve services Strengthened blood supply and blood availability
LEADING TO WHAT LONG TERM CHANGES? Having the national level authorities able to develop and implement relevant strategies, policies and guidelines on health issues. Health education, access to improved water and improved sanitation helps to decrease burden of preventable diseases (e.g. respiratory infections, malaria, diarrhoea...)
8.2.3 In the area of Education KEY MESSAGES IN THE CONTEXT In general
Local capacity is weak at the academic staff’s level and at the teacher’s level. The low relevance schooling holds for their children, both real and perceived, by parents; A lack of engagement of parents by schools; and the economic demands of the households all combine to deter children’s access to education. Education reform is proceeding. The Ministry of Education and Sports has launched the project after much research on the teaching methods Some school directors are against the change, many teachers are not ready for the change.
Regarding different subsectors:
There are gaps in the planning and management of primary education Poor enabling environment for education in schools and the community Limited ECCD access and issues with quality as well as limited parental awareness and engagement Even when an education sector working group exists, some project are still overlapping
ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN BY ANGCS TO LEAD TO CHANGE Capacity strengthening, training, mentoring and coaching of local civil society/NPA’s both on institutional level as on specific issues like advocacy capacity: Supporting/building capacity of government education ministries at provincial and district level through partnerships with international NGO’s 64
Partnering with local authorities and mass organizations in order to influence/raise community awareness on the importance of enrolling children education in ECCD and primary education. Construction and support of PTA’s to increase community involvement in education A real coordination of the different project needs to be done inside the ministry of education and sports and even more inside each department of the ministry.
LEADING TO WHAT SHORT TERM CHANGES? Children’s rights (especially girls and children from ethnic minorities) are respected in schools and by the wider education system. The capacity and accountability of local authorities to manage and lead the education system development is strengthened and best practices, especially on the inclusion of children from the most marginalized groups are demonstrated to decision makers at the top level of the Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES) for replication. Schools and their surrounding communities are healthy and safe environments where children’s voices are acknowledged according to their developing capacities and child rights are respected. Increased access to good quality and culturally adapted education for ethnic minorities More attention given to quality ECCD by GOL and non-state actors (including parenting education/programmes, preschool, …) LEADING TO WHAT LONG TERM CHANGES? All children in Laos, including the most marginalised, have equal access to at least 9 years of good quality primary and secondary education, as well as at least some years of preschool education and/or participation in ECCD programmes:
NPA’s capacity is increased so that they are able to build on their experience at local level to influence policies and even strategies at provincial or national levels, both in relation to education as to other sectors. More government support for and willingness from the government to work with nonstate actors. Improved quality of education as a result of higher investments, increased capacity and increased collaboration between different stakeholders (state and non-state actors) Leadership on the change is really important. Real coordination of the action on partners.
8.2.4 In the area of Social Protection and Vulnerable employment KEY MESSAGES IN THE CONTEXT Under-employment in agriculture, as well as new employment opportunities, push an increasing number of farmers to look for additional income, either in informal sector activities, or by selling their labour force. The majority of workers in Laos work in vulnerable employment, unprotected by the labour law or social security provisions, due to lack of labour law coverage and enforcement and lack of quality and coverage of social security systems. Women, persons with disability and ethnic minorities face a double burden. Most workers in Laos still work in rural and informal economic environments, as farmer, agricultural workers, informal trade or production, unpaid family workers, etc. Often they combine such activities with farming. They are not aware of their rights, nor of their identity as a worker. This increases their invisibility and makes them hard to reach out to. 65
Lao workers are largely unskilled and have few opportunities to improve themselves in the labour market. The most skilled and daring migrate to neighbouring countries, often as undocumented workers. A growing number of foreign private companies operate at the fringe or outside of the legal frameworks, leading to exploitation and discrimination Few actors in civil society or government have sufficient capacity to improve and enforce legal frameworks. Gender analysis and action requires improvement.
ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN BY ANGCS TO LEAD TO CHANGE Support to the Lao Federation of Trade Unions to increase their capacity to:
be more effective in private formal enterprises against law violations. refocus on informal economy practices strengthen the role of local trade union and their leaders in social dialogue strengthen gender sensitive approaches advocate for more protective policies and practices
Support cooperation between LFTU and other civil society actors (nationally, regionally) in order to:
increase outreach to more vulnerable workers promote quality of services and practices towards workers promote quality of policy development, including research promote rights’ awareness of the wider target group
Support cooperation and dialogue between LFTU and other stakeholders (private sector, government bodies) to: promote a practice of social dialogue promote willingness to apply laws and regulations LEADING TO WHAT SHORT TERM CHANGES? more workers aware of their labour and their social rights and willing to claim them, also outside the formal economy improved practices of the trade union , leading to a better representation of their members more cooperation between stakeholders LEADING TO WHAT LONG TERM CHANGES Cutting across the Agriculture, Rural Sector, Resilience, Health, Education and Decent work sectors, the above actions and short term changes are expected to lead to: Poor and marginalized women and men gaining control over decisions affecting their own lives by exercising their right to freedom of expression and information, freedom of assembly and protection of the law, and taking part in public policy and social and economic development processes both in their communities and nationally;
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9 Analyses of the risks and opportunities per sector 9.1 Agriculture / Rural / Environment / Trade / Resilience Opportunities
Risks
Support new forms of organizing, not just Restricted space and restrictive environment NPAs, as a way to strengthening civil society. for civil society to operate and grow. Examples: - non-formalized farmer groups; - social enterprises, which are a form of social engagement and responsibility Focus on promoting rural employment
New government regulations on producers aim to control not only formal but also informal farmer group activities. However, in practice, it might be difficult for government to control all these informal groups Elite capture: farmer groups can be a channel for village elites to control farmers and profits Youth migration
New media such as online platforms, SMS and community radio speed up information exchanges and opinion sharing; climate and market information can be more accessible
Cyber Law
Connecting people to achieve a critical mass of people to make change happen, including in government circles
There are few farmer networks; many of the existing ones are new
Presence of Lao people/organisations in regional forums increases visibility, perhaps for products, and local environment for trade or social inclusion
Dumping of cheap imported agricultural products following integration into AEC
Legal and policy instruments:
Lack of congruence among agricultural and investment policies and laws
Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) process FAO Voluntary guidelines on the responsible governance of tenure of natural resource. Opportunity to promote women’s rights to natural resources.
Implementation gaps Corruption (NB: impacts resource availability for policy and work plan implementation, and also impacts skilled labour)
Implementation of gender policies in agriculture
Lack of gender-trained staff in government
Academia as a leverage for influencing
Advocating on sensitive environmental issues (eg large hydropower or mining projects)
The momentum created by the Multi sectoral food & security nutrition action plan (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Prime Minister) Uncontrolled domestic and foreign investments impact access to natural resources
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9.2 Health Opportunities
Risks
Economic growth and politic stability
Low allocation of government funding to key programs (such as vaccination)
2015 Census to bring new statistics on health status of the population Legal and policy instruments:
Insufficient policy enforcement
8th NSEDP and new sector plans
Corruption (NB: impacts resource availability for policy and work plan implementation, and also impacts skilled labour)
Recent development of a National Action Plan on Occupational Health and Safety Strong policy framework for MCH and nutrition New anti-corruption/good governance frameworks Government’s interest and commitment to develop social projection system Government’s and development partners commitment to scaling up nutrition More CSO/NPA willing to engage in advocacy work with community.
Still restrictive regulatory environment for civil society
The relatively young population may bring new human resource to the health sector
This young population might engage more in risky behaviours [on the road, with drugs, violence, etc.] which may put a strain on health and disability care.) Low technical capacity and human resource development in rural/remote districts Skilled staff are difficult to find and/or retain Staff taken ‘away’ from service delivery to attend training or to take management/political positions
9.3 Education Opportunities
Risks
The Education Sector Development Plan (ESDP) and master plan from MoES highlight the main targets donors can work with.
Overlap between partners on projects due to lack of coordination
Human resource development strategy puts education as one of the Specific Human Development Targets (that consolidates interventions on capacity building) in the Socio-Economic Development Strategy 201625, stating that “human resources and skill development is the highest priority”.
Equipment issues to complete several projects
TVET is one of the three focal points of the
Despite laws and policies, difficulties in 68
new ESDP (still in the process of drafting)
implementation remain because of professional mentality
Inclusive education policy
Staff turnover during projects remains high
Strong support from ADB, AusAID, JICA, and GIZ
Climate as a cause of difficulties in accessing remote areas
Government’s willingness to receive development projects in this sector
9.4 Social Protection and Vulnerable employment Opportunities
Risks
ILO Social Protection Floor adopted by GOL
Government prioritises investments over wellbeing of Lao workers
ILO core labour conventions under consideration by GOL
Trade union under pressure from Party to restrict its scope of action
ASEAN social agenda and peer pressure from other members states
Chinese and Asian dominance in PS makes it too hard to introduce good trade union practice
NPAs emerging active in this area
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F.
Opportunities for synergy and complementarity
10 Analyses of the opportunities and added value for synergy and complementarity between ANGCs, and with the Belgian bilateral cooperation and other organisations 10.1 Introduction Synergies and complementarities aim to strengthen ANGCs and their partners’ capacities, increase impact and efficiency, and capitalize knowledge and practices. Here is a general description of theoretical possibilities: At the level of exchange of information Information exchange and mutual consultations are essential to establish synergies or complementarities between different actors. This information exchange can stem amongst others from the presence of actors in the same geographical area, shared thematic interests or shared partners, etc. At the operational level Programmes implemented by two or more organisations: where each ANGC maintains its unique and specific approach, but where the combination of different approaches enriches the programme and additionally also constitutes an advantage for each ANGC. A multistakeholder approach with actors from civil society, the private and public sectors around one issue is a possibility of synergy. This type of synergies is not limited to synergies between Belgian ANGCs, but can also exist between Belgian ANGCs and local NGOs/INGOs, Belgian ANGCs and CSOs, or Belgian ANGCs and the public (local, Belgian, …) sector, and even with the private sector. At the institutional level This could entail shared offices, logistics, ICT systems or staff, but equally the sharing of knowledge with respect to a specific topic, if this brings an added value to both (all) organisations involved. Opportunities for synergy and complementarity between ANGCs, with INGOs and with the Belgian government were identified in a dedicated “Synergy” workshop organised by Oxfam Solidarité on 3 September 2015. It was attended by ANGCs from the 4 JCA Clusters. Possible synergies and complementarities were identified i) at general level, ii) intersectorally and iii) within Clusters/Sectors. The workshop outputs were reviewed and enriched with inputs from ANGCs who were not able to attend. We wish to emphasize that the outlines presented here relate only to opportunities and possibilities for synergies and complementarities. They need to be further discussed and explored. At this stage, uncertainties therefore remain with regard to their operationalisation, timing and costing. Participating ANGCs are mindful that in order to achieve the full potential and impact of synergies, investments (in financial and/or other resources) will be necessary, and some pre-conditions may need to be met. It is for instance worth noting that one of the principles of the Red Cross is that its partners are always the local Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (in their role as auxiliary of the public authorities) and that it works within the coordination mechanisms agreed within the 70
Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement. One of these principles is that the local partner itself defines its implementing partner(s). The Red Cross is willing to look into possibilities of synergies and cooperation with other ANGCs but within the above context and in accordance with the Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross/Red Crescent. This example is by no way limitative and pre-conditions may be of a different nature.
10.2 General and inter-sectoral opportunities TYPE OF SYNERGY
AREA + LEVEL (Informative, operational or organizational?) General Keeping each other informed of our work (and that of our partners) in Laos and in Belgium (Informative) Share information about the legal and policy framework with ANGCs who wish to register and operate in Laos (Informative) Relaying information between local and national levels (Informative) Joint advocacy to donors on their country development strategy (Operational)
ANGC ANGC Joint efforts to seek increased resources from (non-Belgian) donors, and joint advocacy to increase funding from the development cooperation (Operational) Intersectoral Sharing information on the promotion of healthy consumption / sustainable food production with the Education and Health sectors (Informative) Mapping of expertise of the Belgian ANGCs in the JCA sectors (Informative)
ADDED VALUE ?
STATUS OF THE SYNERGY (existing? To create? To explore?)
Enhances possibilities for synergies and complementarities; avoiding duplications; possibility to promote linkages and alliances among partners to increase program impact More efficient process (savings of time and resources) Better information of the Belgian ANGC ; helps ANGC programs to fit better with the national priorities Making local actors aware of national level developments and relaying local experiences to central levels; Donors, including Belgian Cooperation, better informed of Lao PDR context, needs and priorities More relevant ODA frameworks More weight in consultations
Existing; to strengthen
To create
Done informally; to systematize
Some consultations exist; to be formalized and systematized
To explore
More resources available for our programmes
More impact - Because involvement of all relevant actors, beyond Agriculture - Possibility of later development of more effective strategies More efficient recruitment of experts
To explore
Exists but to be made more systematic
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Pooling training resources in various sectors (also on DGD processes) (Operational)
Training of ANGCs and authorities on disability rights and equity (Operational) Training of ANGCs and authorities on labour right awareness (Operational) Joint advocacy: developing joint strategies on the definition of poverty as multi-dimensional (Operational) Early childhood care and dev: sharing best practices and making links with Education, Nutrition, Hygiene, Health (Operational) Including awareness on disabled people’s right in Occupational Health and safety in the workplace Making linking between TVET and other sectors (first through sharing information to raise awareness about linkages; then potentially through joint development of interventions) (Informative and Operational) General
ANGCINGO
Continue participating in INGO working group which is the sector interface with the Lao Government (Informative) Joint advocacy to donors on their country development strategy (Operational)
Brings in complementary expertise; More comprehensive trainings – avoids duplication of training; Resulting in improved capacity of local partners ; Potential cost reduction; Improving inclusion of persons with disability in society thanks to inclusion in various sectors (eg Health, Decent Work, DRR, etc) Inclusion of labour market issues into agriculture, health, education sectors
To explore
Reaching a more critical influencing mass to inform the government policy agenda on poverty reduction
To explore
More coherent, better informed approach to ECCD
To create
Forward linkages for workers suffering from workplace accidents, resulting in better support ex post.
To explore
Increased synergies and complementarities
To explore
Stronger lobbying voice than if only teaming with Belgian ANGC
Existing; to strengthen via better coordination of agenda among Belgian ANGCs
Donors, including Belgian Cooperation, better informed of Lao PDR context, needs and priorities More relevant ODA frameworks
Some consultations exist; to be formalized and systematized
Improving inclusion of persons with disability in society
Exists but to be made more systematic
Exists but to be made more systematic
Inter-sectoral Training of ANGCs and authorities on disability rights and equity
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(Operational) Implementing an integrated cooperation model between Belgian ANGCs and INGOs belonging to the same organisation (Informative, operational and organizational) *
Greater programme impact and effectiveness; building on comparative advantage of various members
Existing – see below for details
See below for further details*
* Integrated cooperation model between Belgian ANGC and INGOs belonging to the same organisation: the Oxfam experience. The theme Decent Work and the thematic cluster “Agriculture” presented in this JCA are also components of the Oxfam Country Strategy (OCS) for Laos; these are the themes that Oxfam Solidarité plans to develop in its programme. Oxfam Solidarité has been a member of the Oxfam International confederation (Oxfam) since 1995. The 18 members of Oxfam cooperate in a common strategic plan that follows a rightsbased approach on 5 priority rights that were jointly defined. The current Strategic Plan runs from 2013 to 2019 and is implemented in about 90 countries, based on a joint Oxfam Country Strategy (OCS) and joint monitoring tools that ensure quality. The Oxfam country teams and programmes are managed by the Oxfam Country Director, representing all the Oxfam affiliates. Oxfam staff in each country will be members of a single Oxfam team with responsibilities across the affiliates’ boundaries. This cooperation model ensures higher impact and cost-effectiveness. Moreover, all Oxfam affiliates acting together in a common strategy in countries, but equally at regional and global level, will create important synergies. Based on these synergies, we will define additional synergies with Belgian ANGCs, but also with other international actors. Complementarity is realised between the Oxfams following their individual strengths and the added value they bring to the OCS. Oxfam Solidarité is, for example, known for its strategy of capacity building and the quality of its partnership relations. Other members can therefore rely on these skills while putting their efforts on other aspects. Ideally, the Country Director and his/her team manage the donor funds directly, while complying with all donor requirements.
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10.3 Agriculture / Rural Sector / Trade / Environment / Resilience TYPE OF SYNERGY
Envisaged actions and Level (Informative, operational, organizational)
ADDED VALUE
STATUS OF THE SYNERGY (existing? To create (when?) To explore?)
Documenting and sharing of good practices on value chains and marketing ; on linking DRR with long-term development (Informative)
Increased expertise among ANGCs through crossfertilization
To create
Share information on healthy food consumption campaigns (Informative) Sharing curriculum in vocational training for agriculture (Informative)
ANGC ANGC
Optimizing comparative advantages (e.g. thematic expertise; specialized partners; geographic coverage) in implementing sustainable production and agricultural commercialization programmes (Informative and Operational) Pooling resources for trainings to partners (Operational)
To create
More investigation needed into this possibility
More effective programme development and implementation; resulting in mutually reinforcing interventions for smallholders
Existing; to strengthen + to create
Brings in complementary expertise; More comprehensive trainings – avoids training duplications; Resulting in improved capacity of local partners ; Potential cost reduction; Better coordination of projects/programmes; More effective support to partners Avoiding overburdening some partners Avoiding conflicting interventions Complementary intervention areas Potential for collecting data from a broader base for evidence-based advocacy
To create
Sharing office space in Vientiane (Organizational)
Reduction in running costs ; sharing of information and knowledge among staff
To explore from 2017
Documenting and sharing of good practices on value chains and marketing ; and on linking DRR with long-
Increased expertise among ANGCs through crossfertilization
Exists; to strengthen
Mapping of partners to identify common and complementary partners (Operational) Mapping of geographic coverage of interventions and taking these into consideration in programme planning (Informative and Operational)
ANGCINGO
Risks of long term development gains being undermined by natural disasters and climate change better mitigated Mutually reinforcing campaign messages and approaches (geographic, targets, ...) for beneficiaries Enriched contents for training of local partners (eg government and CSOs)
To create
Exists; to strengthen
74
term development (Informative)
ANGC-Gov cooperation
Joint advocacy on integrating CCA and DRR into long term interventions on sustainable rural livelihoods (Operational) Complementary advocacy on NRM governance (Operational)
Risks of long term development gains being undermined by natural disasters and climate change better mitigated Reaching a critical mass in our influencing work; building on our comparative advantages (thematic knowledge; access to regional / national fora; etc.) Mutually reinforcing influencing / policy work from civil society and from the Belgian government side
Exists; to strengthen
To explore
10.4 Health TYPE OF SYNERGY
AREA and LEVEL (Informative, operational or organizational level?)
ADDED VALUE
STATUS OF THE SYNERGY (existing? To create (when?) To explore?)
Share best practices about Early Childhood Care Development and Rehabilitation strategy (Informative)
Better use of the in-country resources
To explore
Share best practices on Evidence Based Guideline Development (EBM/EBGD) (Informative)
Scientific and accepted guideline development methodology. RKV Centre Evidence Based Practices (CEBaP) experience in Europe, Africa and Asia Avoid duplication of efforts and initiatives
To explore
Pooling training resources (Informative)
Better use of in-country expertise, reduction of Human Resource costs
To explore
Exchange documentation / good practices on health (Informative)
Avoid duplication of efforts and initiatives
To explore
Pooling training resources (Informative)
Better use of in-country expertise, reduction of Human Resources costs
To explore
Introduce and develop Inclusive concept amongst actors (on, DRR, Education, Health, etc) (Informative)
Better address the needs of People with disability in different sectors
Exists but to be made more systematic
Share information about new legal framework on disability (Informative)
Advocate for a multisectoral approach of disability issues
Exists but to be made more systematic
ANGC ANGC Exchange documentation / good practices on health (Informative)
ANGCINGO
and
policy
To explore
75
Knowledge transfer and capacity building of National Red Cross Society on EBM/EBGD, FA education and materials, Prevention, WATSAN, Emergency/Disaster preparedness (Informative and Operational)
RKV INT works directly with local RC HQ following the guidelines of our Federation (IFRC). RKV INT shares experiences in implementing First Aid education, quality control, guideline development, etc. and supports active capacity building within the National Red Cross Society. .
To explore
AREA and LEVEL (Informative, operational or organizational level?)
ADDED VALUE
STATUS OF THE SYNERGY (existing? To create (when?) To explore?)
Teacher training: Support to in-service teacher training on ATL approach (approche par compétences). APEFE can link with ATL experts via its connections with OIF and Plan can organize trainings via its capacity building agreement with Ministry of Education and partners in education (Operational) Inclusive education: Promote inclusive education for handicapped children in primary schools and TVET centers (Operational) Early childhood care and development: Merge educational aspects (pre-schools, parenting education) and health components (healthy and balanced nutrition, hygiene, vaccination) into a comprehensive approach of the individual development of children 0 to 6 (Operational) Exchange information on the issues taking place at decentralized level of the Ministry of education (Informative)
APEFE works at TVET level and Plan at primary school level to strengthen the teaching conditions. Same in-service trainings can be organized for both sub-sectors, reducing costs, saving time and enhancing the impact and the audience.
To explore
Reach discriminated beneficiaries
To explore
Promote a more comprehensive approach of ECCD
To explore
Local National Red Cross can support initiatives of other organizations (ANGC/INGO) in the domain of First Aid education (e.g. inclusion of First Aid education for specific target groups or FA education in schools) by supportive material and assistance
To explore
10.5 Education TYPE OF SYNERGY
ANGC ANGC
Informal information sharing
76
Promote a South-South cooperation (thanks to identification of experts from the South) Reduce cost, improve effectiveness
To explore
ANGCINGO
Identify OIF experts to provide ATL training to primary school teachers and TVET instructors (Operational) Identify training materials produced by Unicef, Unesco to technically support ATL trainings (Operational)
Support the implementation of the methodologies promoted by the Ministry
To explore
ANGC-Gov cooperation
Support to MOES for in-service teachers’ training on ATL approach (approche par compétences). APEFE can identify ATL experts via its connections with OIF and Plan can organize in-service trainings of teachers in place via its capacity building agreement with Ministry of Education and partners in education (Organisational/operational) Facilitate synergies with neighbouring countries in the framework of ASEAN and OIF(Informative)
teaching
Exists but systematic
needs
to
be
more
10.6 Social Protection and Vulnerable employment TYPE OF SYNERGY
ANGC ANGC
ANGCINGO or I’nal TU
ANGC-Gov cooperation
AREA and LEVEL (Informative, operational or organizational level?)
ADDED VALUE
STATUS OF THE SYNERGY (existing? To create (when?) To explore?)
Information sharing to ANGC in thematic JCA w/r Decent Work: trends, analysis, issues, struggle… (Informative)
Laos taken into account in regional analysis. Promotion of regional networking
To create
Facilitate entry / activities of ACV/CSC in Laos (Operational)
Additional opportunities and facilitation for ACV/CSC; Better Risk Management w/r legal requirements, sensitivities Lao partners benefit more from exposure and contribute with their experience
To explore? To Create?
Better donor coordination, Better coordination of solidarity action
To strengthen
More effective pressure mechanisms on MNCs in supply chains, via more info, advise, joint action
To explore
LFTU better equipped in tripartite negotiation
To explore
Facilitate linking partners into regional initiatives /activities regarding DW issues: social fora, regional networks, international meetings (Organisational) Oxfam to play more active role for TUSSO (Trade Union Solidarity Support organisations) (Organisational) Generation of support for identified workers’ struggle in MNC’s operating in Laos (Operational) Support/Advise to policy development via tripartite mechanism
To strengthen
77
G.
ANNEXES
11 ANNEX 1: List of existing own analyses ANGC name ADG Handicap International Handicap International Médecine pour le Tiers Monde Médecins du Monde Belgique Oxfam Solidarité Oxfam Solidarité Oxfam Solidarité Plan Belgium Rode Kruis Vlaanderen Internationaal WWF WWF partner MONRE
Document title / reference Bolte P. (2014). Final Evaluation of the ANADYA project Handicap International. Country Program Framework 2012-2016 (CPF, strategy country document) Handicap International (2013). Laos Country programme (2014-2016), presented by HI to DGD Médecine pour le Tiers Monde (2010). The right to health, water and food of indigenous populations in remote regions of Lao PDR, co-funded by the European Commission (2011-2014). Médecins du Monde France (2014); Document d’analyse interne Oxfam Solidarité (2013). Laos Country programme (2014-2016), presented by Oxfam Solidarité to DGD Oxfam (2015). 2015-2019 Oxfam in Laos Country Strategy (OCS) Oxfam (2014). Private Sector Scoping Study (Laos): Opportunities and leverage vis-à-vis FDI. Final Report Country Strategic Plan Rode Kruis Vlaanderen Internationaal (2015). BRC-F context analysis summary Lao PDR V2.0 (draft). WWF (2011). WWF Greater Mekong programme strategic plan FY2011-2015. Safeguarding biodiversity & livelihoods in the Greater Mekong MONRE (2012). Lao environment outlook 2012. Vientiane. Lao PDR
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12 ANNEX 2: Examples of formal consultation processes Examples of formal consultation processes that informed some ANGC country strategies or plans, and/or DGD programmes & projects
HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL 1. Country Strategy Framework (2012-2016) for Laos The preparation of Handicap International’s country strategy framework gave a large space to consultations with our teams and partners. All consultations adopted participatory tools. One of the clear outputs of this process, which the program should still benefit from in the comings years, has been to further strengthen our relation with our government and non-government partners. A very good level of trust and dialogue was established that will support the implementation of the strategy until December 2016. 7 sector consultation workshops were organized in May and June 2012 involving teams, representatives of Persons with Disability, government partners and some NGOs and UN agencies involved in those sectors. These workshops were very rich in discussions / exchanges and produced a large amount of material to prepare the strategy document. Workshops components included analysis of strengths and weaknesses of past and current interventions, stakeholders mapping and definitions of priorities per sector for the future. A final consultation workshop was organised on 5-6 July 2012 with HI teams (HQ and local team) and partners. It was the opportunity for each sector to share their perspectives and to discuss cross cutting issues. A two-week support mission was organized for the rehabilitation component to have a more thorough analysis of stakeholders and to support the team to identify potential intervention. 2. Country Programme Framework (2012-2016) and DGD Programme Framework. All the stakeholders and partners of HI (around 20) were consulted in 2012 for the CPF process, and in 2013 for the DGD program framework. Title of the analysis or document : Country Program Framework 2012-2016 Publication or Finalisation date : January 2013 What type of consultation Workshops
What type of actor was involved How many people took part ? Ministries, National Disability Around 30 Committee, Disabled People Organizations (DPO) and Associations,
Title of the analysis or document : Framework Agreements (DGD 2014-2016 and MAE-Lux 20142017) How many relevant local actors Around 20 were involved? Among those, how many are Around 8 institutions/associations partners of implementation? What type of consultation What type of actor was involved How many people took part ? Workshops / meetings Associations and representatives Around 30 people of Ministries 79
Description of the process Project-focused workshops were organised, which gave the opportunity to review the analyses conducted for the Country Strategy Framework.
PLAN 1. Country Strategic Plan for Laos Plan Laos piloted an integrated strategic planning process which focused on integrated strategic decision making across the Plan federation, including Plan Belgium, as well as ensuring a strong evidence-based and robust staff and partner consultation. The following steps were taken in developing Plan Laos’ second Country Strategic Plan (CSP): Step 1: Evaluate the first CSP: Starting in January 2013, Plan Laos engaged a two-person evaluation team to conduct an independent evaluation. The evaluation report was finalized in April 2013. The second evaluator was a Lao gender expert, with the aim to ensure a strong focus on Plan’s progress in meeting our commitments to the Plan International Gender Equality Policy, and the mainstreaming of gender equality in our programmes. The evaluators met with government partners at national and sub-national levels, local NGO partners, communities, and especially children in Plan’s target areas. The gender expert ensured that discussions were facilitated in a way that allowed the voices of women and girls to be heard. Step 2: Implementation of Child rights situation analysis (CRSA): Save the Children Laos invited ChildFund, Plan and World Vision to undertake a joint CRSA in early 2013. This consortium approach is part of a larger move to strengthen the partnerships between the child-focused INGOs in Laos. To supplement the CRSA, in the second CSP workshop with Plan Laos staff, an analysis of the underlying causes of poverty and non-realisation of child rights was done. This facilitated exercise used Childcentered community development (CCCD) as a theoretical framework, and supported staff to dig deep into their understanding of why there is persistent poverty in Laos, and why child rights are not yet realized. The analysis resulted in a framework that could then be mapped on the CCCD Operational Standards, and form the basis of further discussions as the Plan Laos team develops their sub strategies in 2014 and 2015 (Partnerships, Gender and Inclusion, and Monitoring Evaluation and Research (MER). Step 3: Round Table with partner National Offices (NO): Plan Laos invited key partner NOs (Plan International National Offices) to a round table discussion on 5 September 2013. ANO (Australia National Organisation), BNO (Belgium NO), CNO (Canada NO) and GNO (Germany NO) participated and SNO (Sweden NO) and Brazil FCNO (Field Country National Organisation) joined as observers to the new process. In addition to soliciting of inputs to Plan Laos’ new CSP, the Round Table finalized a legally non-binding ‘Compact’ between the NOs, including BNO, and Plan Laos. Step 4: Participatory CSP development workshop with staff: The CO implemented a participatory process with key staff in two 4-day workshops in Vientiane in August and October 2013. With the primary purpose to solicit inputs from staff on the new CSP development, the process also focused on building greater understanding on Plan CCCD, and explores the new areas into which Plan intends to further develop in the new CSP, namely partnership with NPAs, targeting and participation, and advocacy. The workshop participants analysed root causes of poverty in Laos, provided input to the goal statement of the new CSP, and discussed approaches and strategies on partnership, participation and targeting. The root causes of poverty were compared to the CCCD operational standards, and clear co-relation was noted in our CCCD approach and the issues affecting children in Laos. Due to the highly controlled environment in which Plan is working in Laos, and the divergent analysis of poverty and child rights between Plan and our government partners, they did not join this workshop. Plan’s partnership work with civil society remains nascent in Laos, and they did not participate in this CSP. 80
However, in each of the five programme designs, highly participatory workshops are conducted with partners, and they contribute to key decisions in sectoral programme design. The results of these workshops were fed into the CSP development workshop.
Process Summary What type of consultation Interviews
Child Rights Situation Analysis Workshops
What type of actor was involved? Village authorities and community members, including children NGOs, UNICEF, Government officials, Plan Laos / Belgium / International staff, EU representative INGOs Plan staff (local and international) Government counterparts
How many people took part? 6 villages
35 respondents
4 INGOs 5 workshops for sectoral programme design, with 510 people per workshop
OXFAM SOLIDARITE 1. Joint Country Analysis and Strategy (2011-2015) This JCAS was jointly developed by the 5 Oxfam affiliates in Laos in 2011-12 and takes into account the 7th National Socio Economic Plan (2011-2015). It includes inputs from a consultation workshop with local stakeholders, including our local partners (NPAs and government agencies). 2. DGD Programme (2014-2016) The country context analysis is anchored in the above Laos’ Joint Country Analysis and Strategy, Input from the following stakeholders also informed the development of Oxfam-SolidaritéSolidariteit’s thematic programmes and of the DGD programme as follows:
Current partners ASDSP and PSADP as well as other Non Profit Associations (NPAs), who met on several occasions in 2012 to discuss future work. The 2011-2013 DGD programme’s practice of quarterly meetings with different stakeholders, including producer groups, provided inputs and insights into the nature of the support they need. These NPAs, Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Offices (PAFO), and the Department for Agriculture Extension and Cooperatives (DAEC) also shared views, on the occasion of Oxfam’s Round table during Oxfam’s Go Live in Laos in early 2012. These consultations provided insights on the role of farmers and producers groups, market access difficulties (inside and outside the country), the role of support organizations to producers, and modes of production.
Meetings with the Land Issue Working Group (an INGO network) and participation in a workshop on REDD contributed to our analysis of land issues in Laos. Consultations on Land and Forest Law revision organized by the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment (MONRE) in August 2012, provided data on the implications of the reform for small scale farmers. 81
Internal meetings (August 2012) with other Oxfam affiliates in Laos provided information on the role of the private sector and affiliates’ future work on market access, as well as the results of Oxfam Australia’s research on Land Finally, on-going dialogue and May-June 2013 meetings with Oxfam Wereldwinkels (OWW) were held to coordinate the contents of our respective DGD programmes and learn more on the importance of quality management along the value chains.
3. Oxfam Country Strategy (2015-2019) for Laos In 2014, Oxfam in Laos embarked on a process of reviewing its existing Joint Country Analysis and Strategy (see Point 1) and developing a new Oxfam Country Strategy (OCS) for 2015 to 2019. The OCS development process was consultative and inclusive and engaged key internal and external stakeholders. These stakeholders include in-country staff, relevant out-of-country Oxfam colleagues, key partners and non-partner entities (civil society organizations, networks and government organisations), donor representatives and academics. Three levels of consultations were organized:
With partners and staff indirectly, as this is grounded in Oxfam’s work and based on a series of learning events (see below) With external stakeholders who were identified for their contributions to specific areas of change With Oxfam affiliates that have stakes, a history and their own analysis of the country
In practice, the OCS development process involved a series of internal learning events structured around the three themes of Economic justice, Gender justice and the Right to be heard. Lessons from these learning events, along with focused analytical research work, informed Oxfam’s analysis of the Laos situation. Those lessons, supplemented by a meta-evaluation of Oxfam programmes, constituted the internal analysis. Strategic issues and general strategic direction were agreed in a strategic discussion workshop attended by all Oxfam staff in country and several regional staff of affiliates. A staff retreat on organizational identity formed the basis for the organizational perspectives in this document. Subsequently, a number of external and internal consultations were organized to gain feedback on the draft strategy document. Around 20 external actors participated. The OCS process has been intentionally and appropriately light and simple, building on existing knowledge / information, including those from the learning events, and keeping big face-to-face consultative platforms to the minimum. However, it was also the intention that the process:
be appreciative of the work done thus far, by Oxfam and partners; engage different stakeholders in a robust way; be appropriately disruptive of existing assumptions and habits to ensure critical interrogation and debates; inspire stakeholders and raise aspirations for what Oxfam and its partners can do in Laos.
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13 ANNEX 3: List of local actors involved 1)
Local consultation workshop participants (30 June 2015 – Vientiane, Lao PDR) Name
Organisation
Type of local actor
Expertise
1
Dr Kongsy Chounlamany
Vice-Head of Department National University of Lao PDR
Academia
Education
2
Sibounheuang Soukkasanh
Government
Education (TVET)
3 4 5
Bouaphan Rathida Nouson Sreng Ninpaseuth Xayaphonesy
TVET Department; Ministry of Education and Sports Head of Division, MOES Country Director, APEFE Deputy Director General, Lao Women Union
Government ANGC local office Mass organization
Education Education Gender
6
Mona Girgis
Country Director, Plan International
ANGC local office
Children’s Rights, Health; Support to civil society
7
Thonglith Shaboudith
Government
Health
8
Phonekeo
Deputy Director, Centre for Medical Rehabilitation Lao Disabled People Association
Civil society organization
Disability
9
Chomyeang Phengthonsawat
Government
10
Anne Rouve-Khiev
ANGC local office
Social Welfare, social protection and disability Disability; support to civil society
11
Mark Morrison
ANGC local office
Disability; support to civil society
12
Thongdam Phongphichith
Deputy Director General, Dept of Planning and Cooperation, MoLSW Country Director, Handicap International Operations Coordinator, Handicap International SAEDA
Civil society organisation
13
Sisomphet Souvanthalisith
Government
14
Vilaiphong Sisomvane
Head of Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Deputy Director General, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare
Member of the Agro-Ecology Network at regional level Agriculture
Government
Disaster Risk Reduction; Climate change adaptation
83
15
François Guéguan
16 17
Victor Cowling Thibaut Hanquet
18
Syviengkeo Bounlutay
19
Marleen Steenbrugghe
20 21 2)
Programme Manager, WWF Laos Technical Advisor, WWF Country Director, OxfaSolidarity
ANGC local office
Environment
ANGC local office ANGC local office
ANGC local office
Audrey Maillot
Information Officer, Oxfam-Solidarity First Secretary, Embassy of Belgium (Bangkok) Attachée, EU Delegation
Environment (regional) Capacity building of civil society and local actors; active citizenship; sustainable development; resilience; gender justice Disaster Risk Reduction
Julie Reynier
Intern, EU Delegation
Development partner
Development partner Development partner
Development issues; knowledge of development actors Development issues; knowledge of development actors Development issues
Key informants on the role and strengthening of civil society and government in Laos (Individual interviews)
1 2 3 4 5 3)
Name
Title
Organisation
Type of local actor
Boutsady Khounnouvong Andrew Bartlett Agnieszka Kroskowski Rio Pals Ignacio Oliver-Cruz
Advisor Advisor Country Representative Country Director Attaché (Cooperation)
Gender Development Association Helvetas Helvetas (Myanmar) Cord EU
Civil society network INGO INGO INGO EU Delegation
Respondents to Decent Work questionnaire Organisation
Type of local actor
ANGC partner
1
Lao Federation of Trade Unions
Mass organization (Trade Union)
Oxfam-Solidarity
2
Asia Monitor Resource Centre
Regional NGO
Oxfam-Solidarity
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14 ANNEX 4: Executive summary I
METHODE UTILISEE
1.
Douze ACNG ainsi que le Groupe « travail décent » régional sur l'Asie ont participé à l’ACC Laos. Oxfam Solidarité a été désigné comme Lead. De nombreuses ACNG n’étant pas représentées au Laos, le processus ACC a été coordonné à partir de la Belgique avec une forte implication des représentations locales et des parties prenantes locales au Laos.
2.
Trois grands groupes thématiques ont été identifiés : i) Agriculture, Secteur rural, Environnement, Commerce, Résilience ; ii) Santé ; iii) Education. L’ACC Laos couvre également le thème «travail décent» tel que discuté dans l’ACC thématique régional sur l'Asie, mais avec un accent particulier sur la protection sociale et l'emploi vulnérable.
3.
Un chef de groupe a été nommé pour chacun des 3 groupes thématiques, sur base de son expertise thématique. Ce chef de groupe a rassemblé et synthétisé les apports d'autres ACNG impliquées dans ces groupes, assurant qualité et cohérence. Le Chef du Sous-Groupe Environnement et le Lead ont veillé à l’intégration des questions transversale «Environnement» et «Genre» dans l'analyse. Afin de faire le lien et garantir la complémentarité entre les analyses communes régionale et nationale, un représentant du groupe thématique « travail décent » régional a agi comme point focal pour l’ACC Laos.
4.
Les partenaires et acteurs locaux ont participé à l’ACC via des mécanismes de consultation spécifiques et dans le cadre d'un processus d'engagement plus large et continu des ACNG avec les acteurs locaux. Ainsi, les analyses de contexte et points de vue des partenaires ont été pris en compte dans les documents stratégiques de plusieurs ACNG et lors du développement des programmes DGD 2014-2016. L’ACC s’inspire largement de ces documents. Des organisations de la société civile, des universitaires et des représentants du gouvernement ont aussi participé à un atelier de consultation au Laos en juin 2015 où elles se sont prononcées sur des éléments clés d’un projet d’ACC et ont enrichi son analyse. L'Ambassade de Belgique à Bangkok et la délégation de l'UE au Laos ont participé à cet atelier.
5.
Ces contributions ont été complétées par des questionnaires et entretiens thématiques individuels administrés à des experts de la délégation de l'UE au Laos, des ONGI, et le «Gender and Development Association" pour solliciter leurs points de vue sur les questions de développement au Laos, notamment sur le rôle et le renforcement de la société civile et du gouvernement. A noter qu’aucune Feuille de Route de l'UE pour l'engagement avec la société civile au Laos n’était disponible au moment de la rédaction de l’ACC.
II
CONTEXTE ET DOMAINES D’INTERVENTION
6.
Avec un revenu per capita de 1460 USD en 2013, le Laos est le pays le plus pauvre de l'ASEAN. Le gouvernement entend hisser le pays hors de la catégorie des Pays les Moins Avancés d'ici 2020 et s’intégrer pleinement dans la communauté et les marchés régionaux et internationaux. Il poursuit donc une politique de libéralisation commerciale et des investissements. La croissance provient surtout des exportations de ressources naturelles, principalement par le biais d’investissements étrangers directs chinois, thaïlandais et vietnamiens dans l'hydroélectricité, les mines et les grandes plantations. La croissance économique annuelle a atteint 7% en moyenne au cours de la dernière décennie, et d'importants progrès socio-économique ont été accomplis.
7.
Aujourd’hui moins de 30% de la population vit sous le seuil de pauvreté. L’éducation primaire universelle est en bonne voie et l'accès aux services de santé a augmenté de façon constante. La parité des sexes s’améliore à tous les niveaux d'enseignement.
8.
Cependant, la pauvreté reste élevée en zones rurales et au sein des groupes vulnérables (femmes, minorités ethniques, personnes handicapées, travailleurs informels ...). Et les inégalités augmentent en l'absence de politiques de redistribution et de systèmes de protection sociale.
9.
Le marché du travail est rural et agraire. L'emploi informel domine. Au niveau macro-économique, la croissance économique récente ne s’est pas accompagnée de taux suffisants de création
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d'emplois décents. Les relations industrielles sont dominées par un syndicat en situation de monopole et une organisation d’employeurs. Les arrêts de travail et des grèves sont illégaux. 10. L’émancipation économique des femmes est faible malgré le taux élevé de femmes dans la population active. Beaucoup de jeunes femmes migrent vers les villes ou les pays voisins en quête de travail. Mais la majorité d’entre elles n’a ni la formation ni les compétences formelles et se retrouve dans des emplois dangereux et faiblement rémunérés. Les personnes handicapées, et plus encore les femmes souffrant de handicap ou issues de groupes ethniques, ont un accès limité aux services tels la santé et l'éducation. La plupart n’ont pas d’activités économiques. 11. Le secteur agricole emploie plus de 70% de la population. La plupart des agriculteurs pratiquent l’agriculture de subsistance. Leur accès aux ressources permettant une production alimentaire et la génération de revenus s’érode en raison de l'utilisation non durable des ressources naturelles et de pratiques agricoles nuisibles, une vulnérabilité aux catastrophes et au changement climatique et le passage d'une économie locale de subsistance à un système monétisés avec des liens vers des chaînes régionales et mondiales de valeur, où ils s’insèrent mal. Les femmes et les personnes handicapées sont doublement pénalisées à cet égard. 12. La croissance démographique, l'expansion agricole, le développement des infrastructures, l'extraction non durable et illégale des ressources, et un développement mal planifié et coordonné érodent le capital naturel du Laos et de la région. Le changement climatique exacerbe ces facteurs et entraine des effets directs supplémentaires. La région souffre déjà du réchauffement et connaît des inondations, sécheresses et tempête plus extrêmes. 13. Malgré des progrès, le système de santé reste faible. Il y a des structures de santé de base, mais sous-équipées et inégalement réparties. Les installations d'eau et d'assainissement sont peu nombreuses, de mauvaise qualité et risquent de contaminer les sources d’approvisionnement en eau potable. Le nombre croissant de véhicules sur les routes a conduit à une augmentation rapide du nombre de blessés et d’accidents routiers mortels. Mais les services de réadaptation sont rares. Manque d'hygiène et d’approvisionnement en eau, malnutrition, faible connaissances en matière de santé et manque de bonnes habitudes d'hygiène, le tout dans le contexte d’accès insuffisant aux soins de santé de qualité, facilitent la propagation de maladies transmissibles. La formation du grand public aux premiers secours peut jouer un rôle clé dans l'augmentation de la résilience de la population à ces situations d'urgence. 14. Le système éducatif doit composer avec des professeurs mal formés et mal payés, un sousfinancement, une pénurie d’infrastructure, et l'allocation souvent inefficace des ressources disponibles limitées. Il y a d'importantes disparités géographique, ethnique, et de genre dans la répartition des services éducatifs. Les inégalités sont visibles à tous les niveaux du système. L'enseignement est caractérisé par l'apprentissage par cœur et centré sur l’enseignant. 15. La société civile est embryonnaire. Les associations à but non lucratif (NPA) ne sont officiellement autorisée que depuis 2009 et il n'y a aucune compréhension des institutions sur la façon dont la société civile devrait fonctionner dans la pratique, ni sur la manière dont elle devrait interagir avec le gouvernement. L'espace laissé à la société civile est limité. Il lui est donc difficile d’interagir avec le gouvernement et le secteur privé sur les questions qui affectent les citoyens d’autant que les modes de redevabilité des autorités vis-à-vis de la population sont quasi inexistants. Les NPA sont la plupart du temps des organisations de prestation de service. Elles ont des problèmes de capacité interne (par ex en gestion financière et de projets, en ressources humaines, développement organisationnel et gouvernance interne). Les organisations dirigées par des femmes ou représentant les intérêts des enfants et autres groupes vulnérables sont peu nombreuses. L'absence d'une masse critique de NPA les rend difficilement mobilisables. 16. Les structures gouvernementales présentent les mêmes faiblesses que la société civile. Inexpérimentées dans le soutien au développement des organisations de la société civile, elles ont aussi des problèmes de capacité (humaine, institutionnelle et financière) pour assurer une plus grande participation de la société civile à la politique et à la planification. Les autorités locales, en particulier, sont sous-financées. Associé à faibles capacités de planification, cela se traduit par une incapacité à répondre adéquatement aux besoins locaux. 17. Sur base de l'analyse du contexte, les ACNG ont identifié comme futurs domaines d'intervention :
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o l'agriculture (production agricole durable, accès aux ressources naturelles…), l'environnement (y compris l'eau), le commerce (accès aux marchés –équitable-, chaînes de valeur), Résilience o la santé (ex : réhabilitation, formation aux premiers secours, soins de santé sexuelle et reproductive, eau et assainissement, banques de sang…) o l'éducation, avec un accent sur l'EFTP, protection de l'enfance et éducation de l’enfance, l'éducation à la résilience en cas de catastrophe… o Le travail décent, la protection sociale et l'emploi vulnérable Comme fil rouge dans de nombreux domaines, on notera le renforcement des capacités des parties prenantes (ex la société civile et le gouvernement à différents niveaux (du niveau central au local)) et la réalisation des droits humains. Avec une attention particulière pour les droits des plus vulnérables : personnes handicapées, enfants, femmes, minorités ethniques... 18. Les interventions devraient contribuer à des changements à long terme tels que: o Autonomisation des communautés et des organisations représentatives, qui sont capables d'exiger la transparence, le respect des droits et responsabilités du gouvernement envers les pauvres, et le respect des droits humains et la primauté du droit; o Les femmes et les hommes marginalisés prennent le contrôle sur les décisions affectant leur vie en exerçant leur droit, prennent part à la politique publique et aux processus de développement économique et social à la fois dans leurs communautés et à l'échelle nationale o Des moyen de subsistance durables pour les petits agriculteurs, en mesure d’assumer leur rôle dans la réduction de la pauvreté rurale, capable de nourrir une population mondiale croissante tout en diminuant la pression sur la planète. o Les populations pauvres, en particulier les femmes, qui vivent dans les zones vulnérables aux catastrophes sont moins affectés par les chocs o Tous les enfants au Laos, y compris les plus marginalisés, ont un accès égal à au moins 9 ans d’enseignement primaire et secondaire de qualité, ainsi que d'au moins quelques années de l'éducation préscolaire et de la participation à des programmes ECCD o Les autorités niveau nationales en mesure de développer et mettre en œuvre des stratégies, des politiques et des directives sur les questions de santé. o L’éducation à la santé, l’accès amélioré à l’eau et l’assainissement contribuent à diminuer le fardeau des maladies évitables o l'empreinte humaine reste dans les limites permettant au pays de maintenir l'éventail complet de la diversité biologique et des écosystèmes et les services essentiels qu'ils fournissent, pour améliorer les moyens de subsistance de la résilience des populations, et de contribuer à la conservation durable de l'intégrité écologique globale de la région du Mékong III
POSSIBILITES DE SYNERGIES ET COMPLEMENTARITES
19. Les ACNG participantes se sont réunies en septembre 2015 pour identifier des possibilités de synergies et complémentarités entre ACNG, avec les ONGI et/ou la coopération belge. Ces possibilités existent aussi bien au niveau informatif, opérationnel qu’organisationnel (ex : partager des bureaux avec des ACNG voulant s’implanter au Laos, ou faciliter leur enregistrement au Laos). Pour illustrer l'éventail des opportunités qui peuvent être explorées, citons celles :
20. D'ordre général : partage d'informations sur notre travail respectif et celui de nos partenaires afin d’identifier des liens et alliances potentiels entre partenaires, y compris au niveau régional, éviter les doublons et accroître l'impact du programme ; d’ordre intersectoriel, notamment la mise en commun des ressources de formation dans divers secteurs pour apporter une expertise complémentaire, construire des formations plus complètes et aboutir à l'amélioration des capacités des partenaires locaux tout en réduisant potentiellement les coûts. Parmi les pistes prometteuses : former les ACNG et le gouvernement sur les droits des personnes handicapées pour améliorer l'inclusion des personnes handicapées dans la société dans divers secteurs ; idem pour le droit du travail. Sur le plan sectoriel : documenter les meilleures pratiques (chaînes de valeur, santé, lien entre DRR et développement à long terme,…) pour élaborer des lignes directrices communes, augmenter l'expertise des ANGC et de leurs partenaires et donc l’impact des programmes ; ou encore mener des actions d’influence politique afin d’atteindre une masse critique de voix et un renfort mutuel des actions de plaidoyer réalisé par les ACNG belges, ONGI et le cas échéant la coopération gouvernementale sur des sujets pertinents.
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