Five-Year Review: State Party Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) was among the first 30 ratifications to trigger the convention’s entry into force on 1 August 2010. Lao PDR hosted and served as President of the convention’s First Meeting of States Parties in November 2010. It has participated in all of the convention’s subsequent meetings. Lao PDR served as the convention’s co-coordinator on clearance and risk education in 2012–2014. It works to promote universalization of the convention and has condemned new use of cluster munitions. Lao PDR has elaborated its views on several important issues relating to interpretation and implementation of the convention.

In its initial transparency report provided in 2011, Lao PDR confirmed it has never produced cluster munitions and has no stockpile, including for research or training. Lao PDR states that it has never used or transferred cluster munitions.

Policy

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 3 December 2008 and ratified on 18 March 2009. It was among the first 30 ratifications that triggered the entry into force of the convention on 1 August 2010.

Lao PDR has expressed its intent to enacting specific legislation for the convention. It has listed existing laws and decrees under national implementation measures in its transparency reports.[1] In 2013, Lao PDR informed States Parties that it intends to “establish laws which adequately and fully reflect the high standards achieved in this convention.”[2] In April 2014, it confirmed that “national legislation that covers our remaining legislative obligations under the Convention” will be drafted by the Ministry of Justice in consultation with relevant agencies.[3]

Lao PDR submitted its initial Article 7 transparency report for the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 25 January 2011 and has provided annual updates ever since, most recently on 6 May 2015.[4]

As the most heavily contaminated country in the world in terms of cluster munition remnants, Lao PDR’s support was a crucial element in the success of the Oslo Process that produced the Convention on Cluster Munitions.[5] Lao PDR participated extensively in the Oslo Process and advocated strongly against proposals to weaken the treaty text.[6] Lao PDR hosted a key regional conference on cluster munitions in Xiengkhuang in October 2008.

Lao PDR continued to play a leadership role in the work of the Convention on Cluster Munitions ever since. It hosted the convention’s historic First Meeting of States Parties in Vientiane in November 2010 and served as president. It has participated in all of the convention’s subsequent Meetings of States Parties, including the Fifth Meeting of States Parties in San José, Costa Rica in September 2014, where it made several statements.

Lao PDR has attended all of the convention’s intersessional meetings held in Geneva, most recently in June 2015. It has participated in regional workshops on cluster munitions. 

Lao PDR served as the convention’s co-coordinator on clearance and risk reduction education in  2012–2014.

Lao PDR has undertaken many efforts to promote the universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. At the Fifth Meeting of States Parties in September 2014, Lao PDR urged all nations that have not yet done so to join the Convention on Cluster Munitions and “send a strong message” against the use of cluster munitions.[7]

At the UN General Assembly (UNGA) First Committee on Disarmament in October 2014, Lao PDR spoke about the harmful and costly legacy caused by cluster munition use and stated “We therefore condemn the continued use of cluster munitions in some parts of the world and urge those countries who have not done so to ratify or accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions as soon as possible.”[8]

During the Fifth Meeting of States Parties, the CMC held a film screening for delegates of “On Cleared Ground,” a feature-length documentary film about soccer in one of Lao PDR’s most heavily unexploded ordinance (UXO) contaminated provinces.[9]

Lao PDR is not party to the Mine Ban Treaty. It is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons.

Interpretive issues

Lao PDR has elaborated its views on several important matters related to its interpretation and implementation of the convention. In June 2011, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official informed the Monitor, “With regard to your question on relations with states not party to this convention, we are aware of the different interpretations of the Article 21. For us it is clear that we strongly support the full prohibition of cluster munitions, including those activities during the joint military operations, transiting, foreign stockpiling and investment in the production of cluster munitions.”[10]

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

In its initial Article 7 report, Lao PDR declared that it “has no stockpiles” of cluster munitions and was not retaining any cluster munitions for training and research.[11]

Lao PDR reported that it has never produced cluster munitions.[12]

Lao PDR also has stated that it has never used or transferred cluster munitions.[13]

The United States (US) used air-delivered cluster munitions extensively between 1964 and 1973, dropping more than two million tons of ordnance, including more than 270 million submunitions. The 50th anniversary of the 1964 start of the US air campaign saw major US media outlets cover the legacy of cluster munition contamination in Lao PDR, but with few if any references to the Convention on Cluster Munitions and Lao PDR’s leadership role in creating it.[14]

Country Summary

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has the world’s highest level of contamination by unexploded cluster munition remnants, resulting from aerial bombing raids carried out by the United States (US) from 1964–1973 amid the Second Indochina War.[1] To a lesser extent, Lao PDR is also contaminated by landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW).[2]

As of the end of 2022, Lao PDR had identified 1,745km² of confirmed hazardous area (CHA) via survey, in six of the 15 provinces known to be contaminated.[3] Lao PDR’s Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 4 clearance deadline is 1 August 2025.[4] Over the past five years, an average of 50–60km² of cluster munition contaminated land has been released annually.[5] Lao PDR’s Multi-Year Workplan for 2022–2026 aims to release 500km².[6] Due to the extent of cluster munition contamination, there is no prospect of completion of clearance before the Article 4 deadline.

Six operators provided risk education during 2022, covering cluster munition remnants and other ordnance. Men and boys are most at risk due to their participation in rural livelihood activities.[7]

Mine/ERW survivors in Lao PDR have access to medical care, rehabilitation, and socio-economic and psychosocial support.[8] Victim assistance is coordinated by the National Regulatory Authority for the UXO/Mine Action Sector (NRA) under the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.[9] The five-year Okard project assisting persons with disabilities, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), received a one-year extension to continue through October 2023.[10]

Assessing the Impact   

Contamination

     Extent of contamination[11]

Note: ERW=explosive remnants of war; CHA=confirmed hazardous area; SHA=suspected hazardous area; N/R=not reported.

*Landmine contamination is believed to be significantly less than cluster munition remnants contamination.

Landmine contamination

During the Indochina conflict in the 1960s and 1970s, all sides in the war laid antipersonnel mines, particularly around military installations and patrol bases. Mined areas also exist in some border regions of Lao PDR as a legacy of disputes or tensions with or within neighboring countries.[12]

The remote location of many of Lao PDR’s mine-contaminated areas means that landmines have had little impact and are not a clearance priority. However, the NRA has stated that antipersonnel and antivehicle mines were “used in abundance,” and has observed that “with a steady expansion of land use” mined areas will become “areas for growing concern.”[13]

Landmine types used in Lao PDR include US-manufactured M14 antipersonnel blast mines, M16 bounding fragmentation mines, M18 claymore mines, and M15 and M19 antivehicle mines. Soviet or Chinese origin PMN antipersonnel blast mines, POMZ fragmentation stake mines, and TM41, TM46, and TM57 antivehicle mines were also used in the country.[14]

Cluster munition remnants contamination     

Lao PDR has the world’s highest level of contamination from cluster munition remnants, resulting from the Second Indochina War. The US dropped more than two million tons of ordnance on Lao PDR in 1964–1973, including more than 270 million submunitions (known locally as bombies).[15]

Fifteen of Lao PDR’s 18 provinces are known to be contaminated with cluster munition remnants. Nine provinces—Attapeu, Champasak, Houaphanh, Khammouane, Luang Prabang, Salavan, Savannakhet, Sekong, and Xieng Khouang—are heavily contaminated.[16] Based on extrapolation of data from US bombing records, the estimated total contamination in Lao PDR is 8,470km².[17]

As of the end of 2022, in six out of the 15 provinces known to be contaminated, 1,745.37km² had been identified as CHA through systematic cluster munitions remnants survey (CMRS).[18]  

Systematic survey was still ongoing in the most contaminated province, Xieng Khouang, as of the end of 2022. In five other contaminated provinces, survey was also still being conducted, but not systematically. In the four remaining contaminated provinces, survey was not being conducted due to a lack of funding.[19]

There is still no clear picture of the total extent of cluster munition contamination in Lao PDR.

Other type of contamination

Extensive contamination from other ERW in Lao PDR includes both air-dropped and ground-fired munitions that failed to explode on impact, often referred to as unexploded ordnance (UXO).

This includes at least 186 different types of munitions, ranging from 20lb fragmentation bombs to 2,000lb general-purpose bombs and larger items, in addition to artillery shells, grenades, mortars, and rockets. The exact extent of ERW contamination is not known.[20]

Casualties

The Monitor recorded a total of 50,919 mine/ERW casualties in Lao PDR between 1964 and 2022.[21]

5-year casualties total: 2018–2022[22]

     Casualties in 2022[23]

Casualty demographics in 2022[24]

Casualties by device type in 2022[25]

Note: APM=antipersonnel mine; AVM=antivehicle mine; CMR=cluster munition remnant; ERW=explosive remnant of war.

In 2022, 16 incidents were recorded in Lao PDR, causing a total of 20 casualties.[26] This represents a significant decrease from 2021, which saw 63 casualties. Men accounted for the highest number of casualties at 11, while six of the casualties were boys and three were women. All casualties in Lao PDR in 2022 were civilians.

Nine of the casualties in 2022 occurred while the victim was carrying out subsistence activities. A man was killed and a boy was injured when handling an explosive item. The cause was unclear for the remaining nine incidents.[27]  

In 2022, cluster munition remnants and ERW each caused nine casualties, while the remaining two casualties resulted from unknown mine/ERW types.[28]

Cluster munition casualties

The nine casualties caused by cluster munition remnants in Lao PDR in 2022 were all adults (eight men and one woman). This represented a significant fall from 30 casualties (including 16 children) that resulted from cluster munition remnants in 2021. There were eight such casualties in 2020.[29] Cluster munition remnants were reported to have caused 7,802 casualties in the period 1964–2022.[30]  

Coordination

     Summary table[31]

Addressing the Impact

Clearance

Highlights from 2022

With the CMRS completed in five provinces (Attapeu, Champasak, Salavan, Savannakhet, and Xekong), 2022 marked a significant milestone towards more efficient clearance of the remaining cluster munition remnants contamination.[32]

In 2022, Lao PDR released 54.37km² of cluster munition contaminated land; all through clearance. This surpassed the 45.57km² released in 2021.[33] Yet the total for 2022 was still below the required 100km² per year, over ten years, to achieve Lao PDR’s target to clear 1,000km² by 2030. This is outlined in the 2021–2030 national strategy (Safe Path Forward III), the Multi-Year Workplan for 2022–2026, and the National Social-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) for 2021–2025.[34] 

In support of more efficient progress toward its fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and obligations under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and to advance the country’s socio-economic development, Lao PDR adopted Prime Ministerial Decree No. 210 on regulations for UXO/Mine Actionon 29 July 2022.^[35]

Management and coordination

The NRA was established in 2005 under the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MoLSW). It is responsible for coordinating all aspects of mine action in Lao PDR including survey, clearance, risk education, and victim assistance.[36] The NRA coordinates with all mine action stakeholders in conjunction with provincial and district authorities, and village networks on UXO/mine action.[37]

A UXO Sector Working Group meets annually, bringing together key stakeholders and donors to enhance coordination and resource mobilization.[38] Key mine action stakeholders and government agencies gather in quarterly Technical Working Group (TWG) meetings. These meetings cover survey and clearance, risk education, information management, and victim assistance. The TWG is also tasked with implementing plans that emerge from UXO Sector Working Group meetings.[39]

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has supported the UXO sector in Lao PDR since 1996.[40] From 2022–2026, with funding from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and other donors, UNDP will support the NRA and UXO Lao (the national program on unexploded ordnance) to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the mine action sector.[41]

The NRA, UXO Lao, and humanitarian teams of the Lao People’s Army (Unit 58) receive further capacity development from Tetra Tech, via funding from the US Department of State’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, under the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA).[42] 

Legislation and standards

Following Prime Ministerial Order No. 39 (28 September 2016) on risk education and clearance, and Decree No. 67 on the organization and operations of the NRA (12 February 2018), Lao PDR approved a new decree in 2022 on regulations for UXO/mine action. The decree defines principles and measures to make the management, monitoring, and inspection of mine action activities more efficient and effective (Prime Ministerial Decree No. 210, 29 July 2022).[43]

Lao PDR has 24 chapters in its National Mine Action Standards (NMAS), published in both Lao and English.[44] The standard on information management was reviewed in 2019 and is expected to be approved in 2023.[45]

Strategies and policies

Lao PDR’s national mine action strategy, Safe Path Forward III, covers 2021–2030. The strategy was endorsed in July 2022.[46] The NRA also developed the Multi-Year Workplan for 2022–2026.[47] Its key priorities include clearance for the release of 500km² of land; technical survey to identify CHAs totaling 2,500km²; and non-technical survey.[48] The NSEDP for 2021–2025 lists clearance as an enabler of development, with a target to clear an average of 100km² of land per year.[49]

Lao PDR adopted UXO clearance as a ninth Millennium Development Goal (MDG) in 2010. The MDG targeted the removal of UXO from priority agricultural land by 2020.[50] In September 2016, Lao PDR launched Sustainable Development Goal 18 (SDG-18) which targets by 2030 to reduce the number of annual casualties to zero; to clear UXO contamination from high-priority areas and villages; to improve the healthcare and livelihoods of victims; and to ensure government funding for mine action activities.[51]  

Information management

The NRA operates a national-level Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA) database. Humanitarian operators in Lao PDR submit data to IMSMA.[52] In 2022, the humanitarian teams of the Lao People’s Army (Unit 58) were trained in the use of IMSMA.[53]

In a meeting in December 2022, the NRA concluded sharing data on socio-economic development and CHAs was important for prioritizing clearance. It indicated that cooperation within the UXO sector and with other ministries and departments required strengthening. The NRA also stated that capacity-building in information management at the provincial and district levels must continue.[54]

Gender and diversity

The NRA adopted a Gender Equality Strategy in 2011, while in 2014 a decree on the establishment of the NRA board reserved a position on the board for the Lao Women’s Union (LWU).[55]

In 2018–2019, the LWU was a partner alongside United Nations (UN) Women and the NRA on gender training, which led to the publication of a manual on gender mainstreaming in Lao PDR.[56]

Of the NRA’s 53 operational and administration staff, 26% are women. They work in information management, risk education, victim assistance, international cooperation and treaty compliance, public relations, finance, administration, and facility management.[57]           

Clearance operators

Four international non-governmental organizations (NGOs)—the HALO Trust, Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), and Humanity & Inclusion (HI)—conducted clearance in Lao PDR in 2022, along with two national operators: UXO Lao and the humanitarian teams of the Lao People’s Army (Unit 58).

In addition, 23 national commercial companies and two international commercial companies are accredited as UXO clearance operators.[58]

Lao PDR, together with a call for more sustainable funding, has cited a need to expand the capacity of both its national clearance operators.[59]

Land release: antipersonnel landmines

The extent of landmine contamination in Lao PDR is unknown. In 2019, Humanity & Inclusion (HI) reported that it had identified more than 40 minefields in Houaphanh province. No systematic landmine clearance was conducted in Lao PDR in 2022 or in previous years.[60]

According to the NRA, responsibility for clearance of mined areas predominantly falls under the remit of the Lao People’s Armed Forces, and if mines are discovered, the army is called to destroy them.[61] International mine action operators are not accredited to clear mines in Lao PDR but can remove individual mines if found during operations. In 2022, a total of 54 mines were found and destroyed.[62]

Five-year landmine clearance: 2018­–2022[63]

                                                       Note: APM=antipersonnel mines.

Mine Ban Treaty Article 5 clearance deadline

Lao PDR is not party to the Mine Ban Treaty.

Land release: cluster munition remnants

2022 land release overview: CMR[64]

 Note: CMR=cluster munition remnants; N/A=not applicable.

Lao PDR reported that it had surveyed 255.03km² in 2022, of which 211.15km² had been identified as contaminated with cluster munition remnants.

In 2022, Lao PDR cleared 54.37km² of land contaminated with cluster munition remnants. This included 49.84km² of agricultural land and 4.53km² of land for development.[65] Through all land release activities, including explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) spot tasks, a total of 64,570 cluster munition remnants were cleared and destroyed in 2022.[66] Lao PDR reported that 23 different types of cluster munition remnants were found in 2022 with BLU26, BLU59, and BLU18 submunitions accounting for the highest number of destroyed remnants.[67]  

Five-year cluster munition remnant clearance[68]

*Includes cluster munition remnants destroyed during clearance, technical survey, and EOD spot tasks.

Note: CMR=cluster munition remnants; N/A=not applicable.

Since 2015, Lao PDR has adopted CMRS, an evidenced-based survey methodology.[69] The survey began in three provinces in 2015 and was expanded to another three provinces from 2017 with US funding.[70]

As of the end of 2022, Lao PDR had completed systematic CMRS in five provinces (Attapeu, Champasak, Salavan, Savannakhet, and Xekong), while it was still ongoing in the most heavily contaminated province, Xieng Khouang.

CMRS is being undertaken in five other provinces (Bolikhamxai, Houaphanh, Khammouanne, Luang Prabang, and Vientiane), although not systematically and depending on the availability of funding. Oudomxai, Phongsaly, and Xaisomboun provinces are known to have significant contamination but there is currently no funding available for systematic CMRS.[71]

The 54.37km² cleared by Lao PDR in 2022 represented an increase of 8.8km² on the 45.57km² cleared during 2021. The 2022 clearance total was similar to the 54.32km² cleared in 2020, but significantly lower than in 2019 and 2018, when more than 65km² was cleared annually.           

Convention on Cluster Munitions Article 4 clearance deadline

Summary of Article 4 clearance deadline extension request(s)

Lao PDR became a State Party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions on 1 August 2010.[72]

Lao PDR’s initial Article 4 clearance deadline was in August 2020, but it submitted an extension request for five additional years in January 2019. The extension request was approved at the Ninth Meeting of States Parties, confirming a new Article 4 clearance deadline of 1 August 2025.[73]

Lao PDR’s 2019 extension request included a workplan for survey of the 2,873 villages known to be contaminated.[74] This workplan provided a timeframe for the completion of non-technical survey in 1,463 villages, at a rate of 292 villages per year, from August 2020 to July 2025. In 2022, Lao PDR conducted non-technical survey in 274 villages. As of the end of 2022, CMRS had been completed in a total of 1,802 villages.[75]

At the time of Lao PDR’s Article 4 extension request submitted in 2019, its clearance capacity was reported to be around 50km² per year.[76] Despite an increase in the number of clearance teams since 2019, clearance output has remained at a similar level.[77]

LV3 – Land release: other ordnance

In 2022, the NRA reported the destruction of 89 “big bombs” and 20,473 other UXOs during technical survey, clearance, and EOD spot tasks.[78]

Risk education

Highlights from 2022

In 2022, World Education Laos (WEL) and the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) began implementing a three-year risk education project targeting out-of-school children, youths, agricultural workers, and ethnic minorities. The project uses youth volunteers to deliver risk education through non-formal education centers and via media platforms.[79]

The Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR) began a project in 2021 to identify best practices and improve monitoring and evaluation of risk education implementing partners.[80]

Lao PDR enhanced risk education provision during 2022 by updating the content of materials and focusing messaging on behavior change for specific at-risk groups.[81] The NRA plans to review NMAS Chapter 13 on UXO and Mine Risk Education and develop a training program for risk education stakeholders.[82]

HI piloted a human-centered design approach in 2022, to create explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) materials with an at-risk group in Houaphanh province.[83]

To further improve the effectiveness of risk education, the NRA, with support from UNDP, conducted a Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) survey in three districts of Xieng Khouang province in 2022.[84]

Management and coordination

The NRA is responsible for the planning, monitoring, and coordination of risk education activities in accordance with Safe Path Forward III 2021–2030 and the Multi-Year Workplan 2022–2026.[85] It regularly convenes a Technical Reference Group on Risk Education, attended by representatives from all risk education stakeholders in Lao PDR. In 2022, the group held four meetings to report on progress in implementing the workplan and to exchange views and lessons learned.[86] The NSEDP, covering 2021–2025, also includes targets for risk education. [87] 

The NRA also cooperates with the Youth Union, which trains village youth volunteers.The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (MoICT) runs a radio program that disseminates risk education messages in five provinces.^[88]

The MoES oversees the integration of risk education into the school curriculum.

Risk education operators

The Lao People’s Army (Unit 58) and UXO Lao conduct risk education as part of their land release activities and also as a standalone activity. UXO Lao also supports a network of village volunteers and works with community focal points to provide basic risk education and report ordnance.[89]

HI, Mines Advisory Group (MAG), the HALO Trust, and Terra Renaissance are the international operators for which the NRA reported risk education beneficiary data in 2022.[90]

Beneficiary data

Beneficiary data in 2022[91]

*Two other operators reported risk education beneficiaries in 2022, but did not disaggregate their data by age. Terra Renaissance reported 700 male and 798 female beneficiaries. The Lao People’s Army (Unit 58) reported 9,763 male and 8,679 female beneficiaries.

Note: N/R=not reported.

In 2022, Lao PDR reported that EORE delivered through mobile teams reached 247,962 people in 873 villages. In 54 villages, risk education was delivered by village volunteers.[92]

Persons with disabilities received risk education in Lao PDR but specific data was not recorded by most operators. In 2022, HI reported reaching 100 persons with disabilities (46 women, 37 men, six girls, and 11 boys).[93]

Target groups

To prioritize areas for risk education in 2022, operators in Lao PDR used data on incidents, victims, the level of contamination, ordnance found, and previous beneficiaries. The results of monitoring and evaluation also influenced prioritization decisions.[94]

Men and boys are at high risk due to their participation in livelihood activities such as cultivation, the collection of forest products, hunting, and fishing. Familiarity with contamination means that men in Lao PDR often move UXO when encountering it. Women were reported to have a higher level of fear of UXO and were therefore at lesser risk. In 2022, Lao PDR and HI reported that boys were specifically targeted for risk education due to their prevalence in casualty statistics.[95]

Despite Prime Ministerial Order No. 39 (28 September 2016) prohibiting the trade of scrap metal from UXO, the collection of scrap metal and explosives is still common practice in some areas of Lao PDR, particularly in the north. The HALO Trust reported that an increase in the price of scrap during 2021 led more people in Lao PDR to search for scrap metal.[96]

Village volunteers in four provinces (Bolikhamxay, Khammouane, Salavan, and Xieng Khouang) targeted children who had left school, and delivered taped presentations in the local languages of ethnic minority communities.[97] Terra Renaissance also provided risk education to schoolchildren in different languages in five villages.[98]

It is expected that the results of the KAP survey conducted by the NRA, with support from UNDP, in 2022 will help to better characterize at-risk groups and inform prioritization of target groups.[99]

Delivery methods

Risk education in Lao PDR is integrated with survey, clearance, and EOD operations. It is also delivered as a standalone activity via specialized risk education and community liaison teams.[100] UXO Lao has a network of community volunteers that provide risk education.[101]

With support from WEL, risk education has also been integrated into the school curriculum. WEL has produced a handbook to train teachers throughout Lao PDR on risk education messaging.[102]

HI launched a pilot initiative in 2022 to better target its materials through outreach to youth. Based on data collected, HI developed a series of short risk education films aimed at young people.[103]

National radio in Lao PDR broadcast messages in 2022 to educate people on the dangers of UXO, while the Technical Working Group on Risk Education discussed producing documentaries on the risks from ordnance.[104]

MAG provided risk education sessions in communities, and conducted emergency risk education alongside EOD spot tasks.[105] Several operators used songs, games, and puppets to disseminate risk education messages, while YouTube was used as an online risk education platform.[106]

The NRA supported the MoICT, provincial authorities, and mine action operators with posters and handbooks, and produced three educational songs which were released to the public. Storybooks and t-shirts with risk education messages were disseminated, targeting boys in particular.[107] Spirit of Soccer provided sports clothes, soccer balls, and storybooks.[108]

Victim assistance

Highlights from 2022

The five-year Okard project—jointly funded by USAID, the Leahy War Victims Fund, the Victims of Torture Program, and the US Department of State—covers healthcare, economic empowerment, and stakeholder engagement in Savannakhet, Vientiane, and Xieng Khouang provinces.[109]

The Okard project is managed by WEL, and its partners include the Ministry of Health, MoLSW, HI, the Center for Medical Rehabilitation, the National Committee for Disabled and Elderly People (NCDEP), Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise (COPE), the Quality of Life Association (QLA), and the Lao Disabled People’s Association (LDPA). The Okard project was due to end on 30 September 2022, but has been extended at no extra cost, through October 2023.[110]

In 2019, South Korea committed to contributing US$2.5 million for victim assistance in Lao PDR, focusing on Houaphanh and Xieng Khouang provinces.[111] Projects with support from KOICA and the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives were implemented in 2022. The projects focused on medical support, vocational training, and economic assistance.[112]

Management and coordination

The MoLSW holds primary responsibility for the needs of, and services provided to, persons with disabilities, via NCDEP. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) enter into agreements and must sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the ministry to operate in Lao PDR.[113]

The NRA cooperates with NCDEP and the MoLSW on employment access for victims and persons with disabilities; and with the Ministry of Health on physical and psychological support.[114]

A Disability Inclusive Development Technical Working Group, consisting of several international organizations, promotes mine/ERW victim assistance, integrated into the wider disability sector.[115] The NRA coordinates a Technical Working Group on Victim Assistance which meets quarterly.[116]

The National Policy, Strategy and Action Plan on Persons with Disabilities, for 2021–2030, covers public awareness; the collection of data and statistics; healthcare; accessibility to information and services; the provision of vocational training and employment; social protection; cultural, sporting, and leisure activities; and disability governance. UXO victims are not specifically mentioned.[117]

The Victim Assistance Framework for 2022–2026 was being drafted as of November 2022.[118] The NSEDP, covering 2021–2025, also includes targets for victim assistance.[119] 

Lao PDR was reported in 2021 to be looking to update its national victim assistance standards, to bring them in line with International Mine Action Standard (IMAS) 13.10 on Victim Assistance.[120]

Victim assistance providers

At the government level, the Ministry of Health and the Center for Medical Rehabilitation provide medical care and rehabilitation. The LDPA and the Lao Disabled Women’s Development Center (LDWDC) promote the rights of persons with disabilities. The LWU, QLA, and the Association for Rural Mobilization and Improvement (ARMI) provide socio-economic inclusion services.[121]

International organizations providing victim assistance services in Lao PDR include WEL, Terra Renaissance, HI, and COPE. [122]

Needs assessment

Under the Okard project, a disability needs assessment tool and database for case management in Lao PDR has been developed. This demonstrates that comprehensive data on the needs of persons with disabilities can be collected, even in a resource constrained context.[123]            

Medical care and rehabilitation

In the case of a UXO incident, the NRA’s victim assistance unit provided follow-up and linked to operators to ensure the delivery of essential support.[124] The Ministry of Health, supported by WEL and the QLA, provided medical treatment to 37 survivors in 2022.[125]

WEL partnered with the NRA to administer the War Victims Medical Fund, to provide emergency assistance to UXO survivors and their families.[126]

During 2022, the Center for Medical Rehabilitation, operated jointly by the Ministry of Health and COPE, provided physical rehabilitation to 135 survivors in Lao PDR.[127] This marked a significant increase from 43 survivors that received services in 2021 and just six in 2020.[128]

Under the second phase of the KOICA project, from 2019–2022, support provided to survivors in Houaphanh and Xieng Khouang was channeled through operators in cooperation with the NRA.[129]

There remains a significant need for rehabilitation in Lao PDR. In 2022, NRA and COPE signed an agreement to provide mobile rehabilitation services in Houaphanh and Xieng Khouang.[130]HI supported the Ministry of Health in monitoring the National Rehabilitation Action Plan.[131] The Okard project opened a training facility for health professionals in 2022, which aims to improve the capacity of doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists at the Center for Medical Rehabilitation.[132]

Socio-economic and psychosocial inclusion

Psychological support for survivors is limited, with only three psychologists known to be active in Lao PDR. HI uses a non-discriminatory approach to ensure that patients whose needs are greatest can access the required services.

WEL provided psychosocial rehabilitation to 26 survivors in Lao PDR in 2022, while 28 survivors received vocational training and economic support from the QLA and Terra Renaissance.[133]

As part of the Okard project, WEL worked with the government and civil society organizations to implement a Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID) model in Savannakhet and Xieng Khouang provinces.[134] This project aims to remove barriers to inclusion and enhance independent living and functional capabilities of persons with disabilities, including UXO survivors.

Recent developments and key points 

In 2022, the NRA’s victim assistance program did not achieve its pre-set annual targets. However, victim assistance activities are increasingly mainstreamed within the broader disability sector. This positive development is aided by collaboration with the MoLSW and the Ministry of Health.[135]

The NRA plans to hold a data collection and information management training workshop in 2023 for relevant ministries and victim assistance operators. It is also expected that the Victim Framework 2022–2026 will be approved in 2023.[136]

Legal frameworks or policies on disability inclusion

The National Health Sector Reform Strategy, for 2013–2025, aims to ensure universal healthcare coverage in Lao PDR by 2025.[137]

The Decree on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Decree No. 137 of 2014), which adheres to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), was approved in January 2019.

Lao PDR also has a national Rehabilitation Medicine Strategy, supporting persons with disabilities to access support, services, and benefits.[138]

Lao PDR’s National Social Protection Strategy links to the SDG-18 target, to ensure that by 2030, all identified UXO survivors and victims have had their health needs met, and that survivors most at risk of poverty are provided with livelihood and employment support.[139]

Policy

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty.

Lao PDR officials have stated on many occasions that the government made a decision in 2004 to accede but that the country needs time to prepare to meet the treaty’s obligations. In May 2019, Lao PDR stated that it has “always supported the spirit and humanitarian objective” of the convention, it has “increased [its] effort to implement certain clauses” of the convention, and “with continued supported from the international community, the Lao PDR would be able to accede to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention in the future.”[1]

Previously, in December 2012, Lao PDR reiterated that it would work toward accession but did not provide any timeline.[2]

In July 2011, Lao PDR provided a voluntary Article 7 transparency report. The report notes that landmines may be used, possessed, or traded, if sanctioned. It states that there has been no survey regarding mined areas and that there are no specific warnings posted for mined areas, only warnings for areas with unexploded ordnance (UXO). It does not provide any information regarding its stockpile but does state that a small quantity of antipersonnel mines is held for training in mine detection.[3] Lao PDR had previously said that its voluntary Article 7 report, when submitted, would allow the international community to “understand the facts and reality on the ground.”[4] Lao PDR has not submitted an updated Article 7 report since.

The Lao government has cited the treaty’s mine clearance obligation and deadline under Article 5 as an obstacle to accession. Lao PDR also expressed concern regarding the possible diversion of resources from UXO clearance activities to a focus on antipersonnel mines.[5]

Lao PDR occasionally attends meetings of the treaty as an observer state, most recently the intersessional meetings in May 2019 and the Sixteenth Meeting of States Parties in November 2017. Lao PDR did not attend the Third Review Conference in Maputo in June 2014.

On 5 December 2018, Lao PDR voted in favor of UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution 73/61 calling for universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty. This was the twelfth consecutive year it has voted in favor of the annual resolution, after abstaining in all previous years.

Lao PDR is party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), but not Amended Protocol II on landmines. It is party to Protocol V on explosive remnants, and is also party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Use, stockpiling, production, and transfer

In 2008, Lao PDR acknowledged that it has used mines in the past “to protect its borders.” It also said that the government does not export antipersonnel mines although it holds a small stockpile.[6] Lao PDR’s voluntary Article 7 report states that it has not used antipersonnel mines for more than two decades and that the country has no production facilities.[7]

In 2022, six donors contributed some US$51.4 million to mine action activities in Lao PDR. This represents a $2.4 million (or 4%) decrease from the $53.8 million contributed in 2021.[1]

The United States (US) is by far the largest donor to Lao PDR, primarily for the clearance of unexploded ordnance (UXO) including cluster munition remnants.[2] In 2022, the US provided $45 million, representing 88% of the total contribution by international donors.

International contributions: 2022[3]

Note: N/A=not applicable.

In 2022, the government of Lao PDR reported a contribution of some $17,000 to its own mine action program, mainly to cover rent for the National Regulatory Authority for UXO and Mine Action (NRA) building, as well as training costs for deminers working for the national operator UXO Lao.[4]

Five-year support to mine action

In the five-year period from 2018–2022, international contributions to mine action in Lao PDR totaled more than $240 million, averaging some $48 million per year. Lao PDR was the fifth largest recipient of international support during the period.

Summary of international contributions: 2018–2022[5]

         Note: N/A=not applicable.