Vientiane – IOM and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic organized the country’s first National Workshop on Migration and Cooperation at the National Convention Centre in Vientiane on November 15th.

The event, designed to better understand the cross-cutting nature of migration and its impact on sustainable development in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, follows the Southeast Asian nation’s accession to IOM membership in June 2018, when it became the 171st member state of the UN Migration Agency.

The National Workshop brought together key ministries and stakeholders including development partners, UN agencies, civil society organizations and the private sector. It also featured a keynote presentation by the Lao National Institute for Economic Research.

In her opening remarks, Lao Deputy Foreign Minister Khamphao Ernthavanh said: “The Lao People’s Democratic Republic, as a full member of IOM, will fulfill its obligations by continuing to strengthen cooperation with IOM in addressing the comprehensive development needs and challenges related to migration management to bring about tangible benefits for both society and migrants.”

IOM Deputy Director General Laura Thompson recognized the efforts being made by the Lao government to optimize the overall benefits of migration for individuals and communities. “Only collective efforts can deliver results and ensure that the risks and vulnerabilities faced by migrants are significantly reduced…. A whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach is needed to address migration challenges and harness opportunities,” she said.

The workshop shared information on existing migration initiatives in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and addressed the migration impacts of the 8th National Socio-Economic Development Plan. It also examined the role of migration in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

Under the leadership of the Lao Government, IOM Lao People’s Democratic Republic and development partners have joined hands in providing technical support to contribute to safe, orderly and regular migration in areas including counter trafficking, protection, immigration and border management, migration health, labour migration and disaster response.

For more information please contact Misato Yuasa at IOM Vientiane. Tel. +856.21267730, Email: myuasa@iom.int