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DECENT WORK COUNTRYPROGRAMME FOR LAO PDR

2017-2021

Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP)

2017–2021

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR)

May 2017

Memorandum of understandingWhereas the Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), the undersigned workers’ and employers’ organizations, and the International Labour Organization (ILO), represented by the International Labor Office (referred collectively as Parties), wish to collaborate in order to promote and advance decent work in Lao PDR.

Now therefore, the Parties hereby agree as follows:

1The Parties affirm their commitment to collaborate in the implementation of the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP).

The following are agreed as priorities of the DWCP:Priority 1: Promote employment and technical/vocational skills development in line with market demand;Priority 2: Promote ratification and implementation of international labour standards; Priority 3: Strengthen and expand social protection; Priority 4: Strengthen tripartite cooperation and social dialogue.

2The ILO agrees to assist in mobilization of resources and to provide technical cooperation in the implementation of the DWCP, subject to its rules, regulations, directives and procedures, the availability of funds and conditions to be agreed upon in writing.

3In relation to the DWCP and to any related activities of the ILO in the country, the Government will apply, to the Organization, its personnel and any person designated by the ILO to participate in the ILO activities, the provisions of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Agencies and its Annex I relating to the ILO, to which Lao PDR has acceded on 9 August 1960.

4This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) may be modified by agreement between the Parties.

5Nothing in or relating to this MOU shall be construed as a constituting a waiver of privileges and immunities enjoyed by the ILO.

For and on behalf of the Government

For and on behalf of Workers’ organization

H.E. Mme. Baykham KATTIYAVice Minister Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare30th May 2017

H.E. Dr. Kikeo CHANTHABOURYVice Minister of Ministry of Planning and Investment30th May 2017

H.E. Mr. Symoun OUNLASYVice President of Lao Federation of Trade Unions30th May 2017

Mr. Maurizio BUSSIDirector of Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia, and Lao PDR30th May 2017

Mr. Daovone PHACHANTHAVONGVice President Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry30th May 2017

For and on behalf of the International Labour Office

For and on behalf of Employers’ organization

6The DWCP is attached to this MOU. In the event that the terms contained in the DWCP document are incompatible with the terms of this MOU, including the provisions referenced in article 3, then the latter shall govern and prevail.

7 The original of the MOU has been written and signed in English. If this MOU is translated into another language, the English version shall govern and prevail.

This MOU, superseding all communications on this matter between the Parties, shall enter into force with effect from its signature by the authorized representatives of the Parties.

Decent Work Country Programme The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) 2017–2021IV

Table of contentsEndorsement of the DWCP VI

Executive summary VI

Lao PDR DWCP at a glance X

Acronyms and abbreviations XII

1. Status of Lao PDR ratification of international labour Conventions 1

2. National development framework 2

2.1. 8th National Social and Economic Development Plan 2016–2020 (NSEDP) 2

2.2. Key laws, strategies and national plans relevant to the DWCP 3

2.3. Development partnerships complement national efforts 4

2.4. Comparative ILO advantages 4

3. Advancing the Decent Work Agenda: Challenges and opportunities 5

3.1. Population dynamics provide basis for “democratic dividend” 5

3.2. Foundations for transition from least developed country status 6

3.3. Addressing poverty and inequality 7

3.4. Workforce profile shows majority are unpaid family or own-account workers 7

3.5. ASEAN integration brings challenges and opportunities 9

3.6. Workforce vulnerability levels high 9

3.7. International labour migrants face decent work challenges 10

3.8. Vocational skills development a cornerstone of socio-economic development 10

3.9. Progress with gender equality and empowering women and girls, but challenges remain 12

3.10. Social protection expansion and strengthening key to addressing poverty 13

3.11. Strengthening social dialogue mechanisms and capacities an underlying priority 13

4. Overall programme goal and strategy 16

5. Programme priorities, strategies, outcomes, indicators and targets 19

6. Cross-cutting programme drivers 41

7. Tripartite architecture in Lao PDR 42

8. Cross-DWCP synergies and linkages 43

9. Knowledge sharing 43

V

10. Resourcing DWCP implementation 44

11. Key DWCP partnerships 45

12. DWCP management and implementation framework 46

12.1. Collaboration between ILO and national constituents 46

12.2. Government-social partner coordination 46

12.3. Internal ILO oversight and coordination 46

13. Advocacy and communications 47

14. Monitoring, evaluation, learning and reporting 48

15. Risk analysis and management 49

References 51

Annexes: Key documents for implementation of the DWCP 2017–2021 53

Annex I: DWCP assumptions and risks framework 53

Annex II: Terms of reference 60

Annex III: Lessons learned from previous DWCP experience 63

Annex IV: DWCP results framework 65

Decent Work Country Programme The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) 2017–2021VI

Endorsement of the DWCPThe 2017–21 DWCP for the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) provides a five-year framework for cooperation between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the national constituents (the Lao PDR Government and employers’ and workers’ organizations). The document represents the outcome of consultations that culminated in a final tripartite endorsement in Vientiane on 3 March 2017. It reflects the priorities of the national constituents as well as findings of a review of the DWCP 2011–15 and an analysis of decent work trends, opportunities and challenges in Lao PDR.

Executive summaryLao PDR’s strategic development directions are set out in the 8th National Socio-Economic Development Plan 2016–20 (NSEDP), the overarching policy framework within which the ILO DWCP 2017–21 will be implemented. In turn, the NSEDP aligns to the Lao PDR Socio-Economic Development Strategy 2016–25, the Lao PDR Vision 2030 and the Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs).

A majority of the 8th NSEDP targets are closely linked to the SDGs.These reflect the Decent Work Agenda, in particular through SDG Goal 8 regarding the promotion of sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.

The Lao PDR-United Nations Partnership Framework (UNPF) 2017–2021 reflects these strategic directions and sets out the priorities for the UN system in Lao PDR as a whole, including with respect to implementation of the Decent Work Agenda within which the ILO plays a key role.

Underpinning the ILO engagement are relevant outcomes set out in its Programme and Budget 2018–191 as well as international labour Conventions, resolutions and recommendations adopted jointly by governments, employers’ organizations and workers’ organizations through the International Labour Conference (ILC) and other international forums. Prominent among these is the landmark ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization (2008). This affirms ILO values and the ILO’s key role in helping to achieve progress and social justice in the context of globalization. The Declaration promotes decent work through a coordinated approach to achieving four strategic objectives: employment, social protection, social dialogue, and fundamental principles and rights at work. As reaffirmed in the 2016 resolution on Advancing Social Justice through Decent Work, gender equality and non-discrimination

1. International Labour Organization, The Director-General’s Programme and Budget Proposals for 2018-19 (GB.329/PFA/1), Geneva, as presented to the 329th Session of the ILO Governing Body, Geneva, 9-24 March, 2017

VII

are crosscutting components of the ILO’s strategic objectives. These principles are also key to ensuring that no one is left behind in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

At the regional level, key policy frameworks supporting the ILO’s partnership with national constituents to promote decent work priorities in Lao PDR include the Vientiane Declaration on Transition from Informal Employment to Formal Employment towards Decent Work Promotion in ASEAN (2016) and the Bali Declaration adopted by the 16th ILO Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting, Bali, Indonesia, 6–9 December 2016.

Lao PDR has in recent years seen strong economic growth, which has contributed, albeit from a low base, to reduced poverty levels and improved living standards. This growth has been accompanied by an ongoing but still fragile development of labour market institutions. At the same time, significant decent work challenges remain, particularly those related to high levels of vulnerability and informality, as well as to low skill levels in an economy still dominated by the agricultural sector, despite recent (slow) expansion of the industrial and service sectors.

By implementing the current NSEDP, the Lao PDR Government aims to graduate from least developed country (LDC) status by 2020 and to consolidate regional and international integration in the context of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). Progress has been made in meeting the three criteria for LDC graduation, particularly with respect to income levels, but major areas remain to be addressed, particularly with respect to economic vulnerability, where expanding and strengthening social protection will be a key priority.

In the medium-term, a “demographic dividend” presents the country with a major opportunity in terms of a rapidly expanding, youthful working population. In 2015, the total dependency ratio was 57 persons for every 100 persons of working age, down from 77 in 20052. This long-term population dynamic offers the potential for savings from a reduced social services burden to pave the way for more investment in inclusive socio-economic development. However, the full benefits of the demographic dividend will only be realized if new jobs keep pace with the growth of the working age population and if young women and men are better equipped with the appropriate skills and knowledge.

Building on progress and lessons from the previous DWCP period, this DWCP targets strategic areas that will support Lao PDR in addressing its decent work challenges, while taking advantage of opportunities available through developments such as ASEAN integration and the demographic dividend. The major strategic deliverables of the programme between 2017 and 2021 will include the development and initial implementation of national strategies for rural employment and social protection.

Although the ILO is a non-resident agency in Lao PDR, since the late 1980s it has been engaged in supporting national development in a range of key areas related to the Decent Work Agenda. During the 2011–15 period, the ILO supported its tripartite constituents in achieving significant progress in the development of national policies, laws and decrees, strategies, action plans, institutional mechanisms and capacities for implementation of decent work commitments.

The DWCP 2017-2021 was developed through intensive consultations between the ILO and its national constituents during 2016 and early 2017. It represents the joint commitments of the

2 Lao Bureau of Statistics (2016). Lao PDR 4th national population and housing census, 2015, http://lsb.gov.la/en/index.php [accessed 4 May, 2017].

Decent Work Country Programme The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) 2017–2021VIII

ILO and the tripartite partners to support the implementation of targeted components of the above-listed international and national development frameworks. Among other things, the DWCP has benefited from the “My World of Work” survey (2015) involving ILO and national constituent identification of perceptions and aspirations related to the Decent Work Agenda among the Lao PDR population.

Implementation of the DWCP will be supported by a mix of financial and human resources from the national constituents, the ILO and development cooperation projects supported by international development partners. National constituents will continue to work together to strengthen local ownership of DWCP initiatives and outcomes and to ensure long-term sustainability and impact. The DWCP will be conducted and regularly updated in line with the Bali Declaration, constituent needs and progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

Decent Work Country Programme The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) 2017–2021X

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com

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1In

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Dece

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ull a

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for

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Targ

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Es.

Targ

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ull p

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limin

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bour

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Targ

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: Pro

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ng m

igra

nt

wor

kers

.

Out

com

e 1:

By

202

1, a

ll w

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and

men

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t liv

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and

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com

e 2:

M

ore

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.

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com

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uth

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incl

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asic

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n an

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.

Out

com

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Pe

ople

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oy im

prov

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f the

ir hu

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ts.

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com

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M

ore

and

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incl

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and

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Decent Work Country Programme The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) 2017–2021XII

Acronyms and abbreviationsABND Assessment-Based National Dialogue

ADB Asian Development Bank

AEC Asian Economic Community

AQRF ASEAN Qualifications Regional Framework

ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations

CBED Community-Based Enterprise Development

CEACR Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations

CO-BKK Country Office – Bangkok (ILO)

DTC DWCP Tripartite Committee

DWCP Decent Work Country Programme

DWCP MEWG DWCP M&E Working Group

DWT Decent Work Team

ESC employment services centre

ESJC employment services job centre

EVI economic vulnerability index

GDP gross domestic product

GMS Greater Mekong Subregion

GNI gross national income

HAI human assets index

HIV/AIDS human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome

ICT information and communications technology

ILC International Labour Conference

ILO International Labour Organization

IT information technology

KAB Know About Business

LAK Laotian currency (Lao kip)

LDC least developed country

LFS Labour Force Survey

LFTU Lao Federation of Trade Unions

XIII

LMI labour market information

LNCCI Lao Chamber of Commerce and Industry

LSCO Standard Classification of Occupations

LWU Lao Women’s Union

MDGs Millennium Development Goals

M&E monitoring and evaluation

MfDR Results-based Management

MoES Ministry of Education and Sports

MoLSW Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare

MOU memorandum of understanding

MPI Ministry of Planning and Investment

MoLSW Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare

MRC Migrant Resource Centre

MRS mutual recognition of skills

MSMEs micro, small and medium-sized enterprises

NCAW National Commission for Advancement of Women

NGO non-governmental organization

NHIB National Health Insurance Bureau

NPA National Plan of Action

NRES National Rural Employment Strategy

NSEDP National Socio-Economic Development Plan

NSPS National Social Protection Strategy

NSSF National Social Security Fund

NTC National Training Council

NTC National Tripartite Committee

PES public employment services

PPP purchasing power parity

OSH occupational safety and health

RBM Managing for Development Results

RBSA Regular Budget Supplementary Account

RBTC Regular Budget Technical Cooperation

ROAP Regional Office Asia-Pacific

SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Decent Work Country Programme The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) 2017–2021XIV

SDG Sustainable Development Goal

SMEs small and medium-sized enterprises

SSC South-South cooperation

SSO social security organization

TC technical cooperation

TRIANGLE Tripartite Action to Protect Migrants within and from the Greater Mekong Subregion from Labour Exploitation

TTC (IR) Technical Tripartite Committee on Industrial Relations

TVET technical and vocational education and training

UN-OHRLLS UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

UNPD United Nations Partnership Framework

UXO Unexploded ordnance

VZF Vision Zero Fund

WTO World Trade Organization

XB extra-budgetary (resources)

Decent Work Country Programme The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) 2017–20211

1. Status of Lao PDR ratification of international labour Conventions

Lao PDR has ratified the following international labour Conventions:

• Forced Labour, 1930 (No. 029), C029; ratified 23 January, 1964.• Night Work of Young Persons, 1919 (No. 6), C006; ratified 23 January, 1964.• White Lead (Painting), 1921 (No. 13), C013; ratified 26 January, 1964.• Worst Forms of Child Labour, 1999 (No. 182), C182; ratified 13 June, 2005.• Equal Remuneration, 1951 (No. 100), C100; ratified 13 June, 2008.• Discrimination (Employment and Occupation), 1958 (No. 111); C111; ratified 13

June, 2008.• Minimum Age, 1973 (No. 138), C138; ratified 13 June, 2008.• Tripartite Consultation, 1976 (No. 144), C144; ratified 29 October, 2010.• Night Work (Women): Denounced 2014, C004; ratified 23 January, 1964. Denounced

4 June, 2014.• Night Work, 1990 (No. 171), C171; ratified 4 June, 2014.

Sources: International Labour Organization, NORMLEX Information System on International Labour Standards, Available at http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:1:0::NO:RP:: [accessed 15 May. 2017].

2

2. National development framework

The DWCP represents the joint commitment of ILO and the national constituents of Lao PDR to implement the decent work-related elements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Lao PDR’s national development framework. There follow the core elements of the national development framework to which DWCP priorities and outcomes are directly linked.

2.1 8th National Social and Economic Development Plan 2016–2020 (NSEDP)

The 8th NSEDP provides the overarching policy framework within which the ILO DWCP 2017–21 will be implemented. In turn, the NSEDP aligns to the Lao PDR Socio-Economic Development Strategy 2016–25, the Lao PDR Vision 2030 and the Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs). Most 8th NSEDP targets are closely linked to the SDGs.

Central to the plan is a commitment to “facilitate eligibility for graduation from least developed country (LDC) status by 2020 and to consolidate regional and international integration in the context of launching of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.”

The NSEDP aims to achieve the following three core outcomes:

Economic. Establish a strong economic foundation and reduce economic vulnerability.

Social. Develop human resources; reduce poverty; improve access to quality education and health services; protect and develop the unique culture of the nation .

Environmental. Effectively protect the natural environment while using it in line with green and sustainable directions; prepare to cope effectively with natural disasters and climate change.


Outputs of direct relevance to the DWCP 2017–21 include the following:

• Outcome 1, Output 1. Ensure sustained and inclusive economic growth,• Outcome 1, Output 5. Improve public/private labour force capacity,• Outcome 1, Output 6. Local entrepreneurs are competitive in domestic and

international markets.3 • Outcome 2, Output 1. Improved living standards through poverty reduction

using Sam Sang-oriented directions (including the following Target: ‘To formulate a national rural employment strategy that concentrates on designing strategies, methods and programmes which create jobs and income in rural areas’).4

• Outcome 2, Output 5. Extended access to social protection.• Cross-cutting Output 8.21.2. Promote and develop gender equality, juveniles and

youth.

2.2 Key laws, strategies and national plans relevant to the DWCP

A number of Lao PDR laws, decrees, strategies and plans provide further key reference points for DWCP planning and implementation. These include the following:

• Labour Law (2014)• Law on Social Security (2013)• Women and Child Protection Law (2004)• Amended education law (with compulsory education until lower secondary education),

2016• Draft Prime Ministerial Decree on Occupational Safety and Health (2017)• Draft Prime Ministerial Decree on Labour Dispute Resolution (2017)• Prime Ministerial Decree on National Action Plan for Prevention and Elimination of Child

Labour (2015)• Ministerial Decision on Labour Inspection (2016)• Ministerial Decision on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and skills

development (2011) • TVET Law (2013)• 2020 Vision for Women’s Advancement• Strategic Plan for Gender Equality 2016–25 and Gender Equality Development Plan

2016–20• Agricultural Development Strategy 2025• 3rd SME Development Plan 2016–20• TVET Development Plan 2016–2020• 2nd National Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Programme, 2011–2015

3 Includes technical and vocational education and training (TVET)4 “The Sam Sang (“Three Builds”) directive proposes villages as the development unit, districts as the integration

unit, and provinces as the strategic unit. Subsequent guidance from the National Assembly, Prime Minister and the Guiding Committee for Sam Sang Pilot Projects suggest that Sam Sang is three things: (1) a political manifesto; (2) an approach to decentralized administration; and (3) a national targeted development program.” See http://ladlf.org/images/publications/141215_ladlf_samsang_study.pdf [accessed 29 Apr. 2017].

4

In addition, the Government of Lao PDR has adopted a number of laws and policies (including several of those above) which contain provisions pertaining to people with disabilities, including their right to decent and productive work and access to basic services.

2.3 Development partnerships complement national efforts

International development cooperation will make important contributions to Lao PDR’s socio-economic development investments during the period 2017–21. Key frameworks for development cooperation include the following:

• Vientiane Declaration on Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation, 2016–25; • Lao PDR – UN Partnership Framework, 2017–21; and• Lao PDR/Development Partners Round Table Process, including ten thematically-focused

Sector Working Groups.5

2.4 Comparative ILO advantages

The ILO brings the following comparative advantages as the core partner for the national constituents under the DWCP 2017–21:

• international norm setting and monitoring roles based on the international labour conventions and other resolutions and recommendations adopted by the International Labour Conference (ILC);

• policy support and technical expertise; • ability to draw on the relevant experience of diverse countries within the Association of

Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and worldwide; and• a tripartite membership base of governments, employers’ representatives and workers’

representatives.

Drawing on these comparative advantages in the context of DWCP design and implementation, the ILO is uniquely placed to provide support and advice in areas including policy/strategy support; legislative/decree drafting; research; institutional and technical capacity development; technical advice; development cooperation projects; and knowledge sharing, including access to other-country experience.

5 The priority focus for ILO engagement in the Round Table Process will be the Macroeconomic Sector Working Group.


3. Advancing the Decent Work Agenda: Challenges and opportunities

3.1 Population dynamics provide basis for “democratic dividend”

Lao PDR is a land-locked and mountainous country bordering on the Kingdom of Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Kingdom of Thailand and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. The country is an active member of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation Program, ASEAN, and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Lao PDR’s 2015 census indicated a total population of about 6.5 million, with an annual population growth rate of 1.45 per cent (2005–15), reduced from 2.08 per cent (1995–2005). The proportion of urban population increased by approximately 6 per cent during the same period, from 27 per cent in 2005 to 33 per cent in 2015. The rural population accounted for 67 per cent of the national total, of which 59 per cent lived in rural areas with road access and 8 per cent without road access.6

The nation’s population was the youngest in ASEAN, with 32 per cent of the population aged 14 years or younger. The working population aged 15–64 years accounted for 64 per cent of the total, with another 4 per cent of the total population aged 65 years and older. In 2015, the total dependency ratio for every 100 people of working age was 57 people, down from 77 in 2005. 7 At the same time, the population was projected to increase by 38 per cent from 6.4 million in 2010 to 7.8 million in 2030, with an estimated 96,000 young people joining the workforce annually in the following decade.8

As a result, Lao PDR is set to benefit in the medium-term from a “demographic dividend” to the economy as savings resulting from a reduced social services burden pave the way for more investment in economic development. However, the full benefits of the demographic dividend will be realized only if new jobs are able to keep pace with the growth of the working age population and young women and men are better equipped with the appropriate skills and knowledge. This issue will become all the more critical with the move towards regional integration.

6 Lao Statistics Bureau: Lao PDR 4th population and housing census, 2015 (Vientiane, 2016), http://lsb.gov.la/en/index.php [accessed 4 May, 2017].

7 Ibid.8 Lao Statistics Bureau; Labour force survey (Vientiane, 2010),

6

Lao PDR is an ethnically diverse country, with 49 officially recognized groups and hundreds of sub-groupings. Different socio-cultural traditions, higher poverty levels and low literacy levels characterize the groups living in remote mountainous areas.9

Among the population aged five years and older, according to the census, the overall prevalence of disability was 2.8 per cent,10 a statistic often linked to Lao PDR’s ongoing legacy of being one of the most heavily bombed nations in the world. More than 40 years after the end of the Second Indochina War, unexploded ordnance (UXO) still affected 15 of Lao PDR’s 18 provinces.11

3.2 Foundations for transition from least developed country status

Lao PDR aims to graduate beyond least developed country (LDC) status by 2020. The country has cleared the income threshold for LDC graduation, with gross national income (GNI) per capita reported as US$1,600 in 2014 according to the World Bank’s Atlas method.12 Analysis in the Lao PDR Human Development Report 201613 shows that, in 2015, the value of Lao PDR’s human assets index (HAI) was about 92 per cent of the LDC graduation threshold. The economic vulnerability index (EVI) required sustained attention, however, with progress towards universal social protection a key priority to protect human development gains from shocks and misfortunes.14

Strong economic growth in recent years has enabled Lao PDR to move from low-income to lower middle-income status. This development links back to reforms introduced in the late 1980s to a centrally planned economy, leading to the privatization of some productive assets and the introduction of free-market principles. The economy grew at an average rate of about 8 per cent in the period 2010–15, and is predicted to continue growing at a similar rate during the current DWCP period.15 From 2005 to 2013, the hydropower and mining sectors together generated about one-third of the country’s economic growth. The natural resources area was characterized by a high ratio of capital to labour, however, and in 2013, with only 22,000 workers, it was able to produce about 18 per cent of Lao PDR’s gross domestic product (GDP).16 To date, high levels of economic growth have so far been unable to generate a significant and sustained rise in shared growth and employment.

The agriculture and fishery sectors remained key to the country’s overall development, accounting for about 63 per cent of employed persons in 2013.17 Although the share of agriculture in GDP declined from 41 per cent to 27 per cent, its share in employment has not declined commensurately, still accounting for over 60 per cent of the economy’s total working hours.18 However, productivity levels in agriculture were four to ten times lower than non-agricultural sectors in 2010 (less than half those of Thailand).

9 UN Country Team; Lao PDR: Country analysis report: Analysis to inform the Lao PDR-UN Partnership Framework (2017–2021), 2015. PDF available online [accessed 4 May 2017].

10 Lao Statistics Bureau (2016), op. cit.11 UN Country Team, Lao PDR (2015), op. cit.12 Ibid.13 UNDP/Ministry of Planning and Investment: Graduation from least developed country status Lao PDR, 2017. The 5th

National Human Development Report (2017), PDF available online [accessed 4 May 2017].14 Ibid.15 Vientiane Times, 24 March, 201616 UN Country Team, Lao PDR (2015), op. cit.17 World Bank: Lao development report: Expanding productive employment for broad-based growth (2014). http://www.

worldbank.org/en/country/lao/publication/lao-pdr-development-report-2014 [accessed 4 May 2017].18 UNDP/Ministry of Planning and Investment, op. cit.


The need to improve rural livelihoods by increasing productivity and skills levels in the agricultural sector presents a key long-term structural challenge in addressing Lao PDR’s employment gaps. These measures would release a large “reserve labour pool” for employment in the manufacturing and service sectors, where labour shortages present a major concern.19 The range of complementary measures required to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth include the following: improvement of working conditions in all employment areas; reducing employment vulnerability; enhancing the environment for private sector (including SME) development; raising wage levels to match living costs; and lifting literacy levels.

3.3 Addressing poverty and inequality

Lao PDR achieved the poverty-related Millennium Development Goal (MDG) by halving its national poverty rate by 2015. However, poverty reduction and consumption growth lagged behind national GDP growth. The progress in poverty reduction varied by location, education, ethnicity, prevailing agricultural prices and the occupation of household heads. Despite a fall in the rural poverty headcount ratio from 51.8 to 28.6 over two decades,20 one-third of the population in upland areas remained below the poverty line, with the poverty rate in rural areas 2.9 times that of urban areas. At the same time, the growth in consumption benefited the richer quintiles more than the poorer segments of the population, and the rural-urban gap remained significant.21

The Gini coefficient increased slightly from 35.0 to 36.2 in the period 2007/8 to 2012/13. Although inequality decreased in rural areas during this five-year period (due to a slowdown of growth in incomes of the rural non-poor population), this was more than offset by rising inequality in urban areas.22

3.4 Workforce profile shows majority are unpaid family or own-account workers

Of the total population aged 10 years and older, the 2015 census showed that 68 per cent were “usually employed” and 29 per cent were outside the labour force. The overall unemployment rate was 2.1 per cent, with a higher rate (3.7 per cent) in urban areas. Most employed people in Lao PDR were either unpaid family workers (43 per cent) or own-account workers (38 per cent). Paid employees constituted 19 per cent of the country’s workforce in 2015, of which more than half worked as government employees or in state cooperatives. Less than one per cent of the total workforce were employers.23

Among women in the labour force, 61 per cent worked as unpaid family workers, compared to only 26 per cent of men. Only one in four working women were reported to be own-account workers, while one in two men had a similar status, indicating that women had less autonomy and control in the way they earned a living. There were also proportionately more male than female employees in formal paid jobs, particularly in public sector employment. Nearly 15

19 World Bank: Lao development report: Expanding productive employment for broad-based growth (2014), http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/lao/publication/lao-pdr-development-report-2014 [accessed 4 May 2017].

20 Ibid.21 Ibid.22 Ibid.23 Lao Statistics Bureau (2016), op. cit.

8

per cent of employed men worked in government jobs or in state cooperatives, compared with 7 per cent of employed women.24

Labour force participation was high for young people aged 15–19 years, at 48.9 per cent. Among 20- to 24-year-olds the rate was 83.7 per cent.25 Youth employment was dominated by low-skilled, low-paid, low-productivity and unremunerated work. Young people in rural areas in particular relied on subsistence farming, which did not allow them to escape the poverty cycle. This situation was compounded for young women from ethnic and poorer socio-economic backgrounds due to their lower secondary school completion levels.26

SMEs in Lao PDR were a major employer but their productivity was relatively low. In 2010, SMEs accounted for 81 per cent of the total employed by registered firms.27 However, they contributed only about 16 per cent to GDP, which was a relatively low share compared to several other ASEAN countries. It also reflected the low productivity of SMEs versus larger firms. Overall, in 2014, fewer than 20 per cent of SMEs had access to long-term credit, which made it difficult for them to grow and compete against other SMEs in ASEAN.28

A significant proportion of Lao children were working, with an estimated 15 per cent of all children aged 5–17 years classified as “working children.” Some 10 per cent of the same age group (or two-thirds of all working children) were further classified as “child labour”, meaning they worked under conditions hazardous to their health and well-being, even though this was illegal. Some 94 per cent of children in child labour had dropped out of school or college or had never attended school or college. Child labour was primarily a rural phenomenon. Some 89 per cent of all working children lived in rural areas and 90 per cent were employed in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors. Some 67 per cent were in unpaid family work.29

24 Ibid.25 United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Lao PDR: Lao PDR’s pathway to a demographic dividend (2015).26 Ibid.27 Department for Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Promotion, Government of Lao PDR, http://www.smepdo.

org/?lang=en [accessed 4 May 2017].28 WorldBank:“LaoPDR’ssmallandmedium-sizedenterprisestobenefitfromnewWorldBankfinancing”Mediarelease

(9 June, 2014), Available at: http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/06/09/lao-pdr-small-medium-enterprises-benefit-new-world-bank-financing[accessed4May2017].

29 UN Country Team, Lao PDR (2015), op. cit.


3.5 ASEAN integration brings challenges and opportunities

A key factor in the national context was the introduction of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) at the end of 2015. Under a modelled scenario of improved trade measures, the AEC may generate an additional 130,000 jobs by 2025, representing an additional 2.7 per cent of the 4.8 million people forecast to be employed in 2015. However, women are expected to be employed in only 36.2 per cent of these additional jobs. and over half of these new jobs may be in vulnerable work.30

Without appropriate policies (e.g. in infrastructure, education, wages, social protection and skills recognition), job growth arising from regional integration will not lead to quality employment and may perpetuate gender disparities. Key issues for Lao PDR in this context include the following: low levels of education and skills among its young population; low productivity levels, particularly in agriculture; and weak institutional capacities at the national, provincial and district levels.31 Furthermore, agriculture will remain the country’s largest employer, requiring investment in-off farm employment opportunities such as agro-processing. 32

Lao PDR has undertaken several initiatives in preparation for AEC entry. In particular, the Government is emphasizing entrepreneurship development; examining the implications for its labour force, including skills development under ASEAN mutual recognition of skills (MRS) arrangements; and establishing measures to better manage and ensure quality investment.33 In 2016, while under Lao PDR’s leadership, ASEAN adopted the Vientiane Declaration on Transition from Informal to Formal Employment towards Decent Work Promotion in ASEAN. This upholds the fundamental principles of decent work, encourages South-South cooperation and fosters intra-ASEAN learning on relevant issues regarding formalization, with special attention to rural employment.

3.6 Workforce vulnerability levels high

The share of vulnerable employment in Lao PDR remained high at 84 per cent of the workforce overall. Sectors with particularly high vulnerability levels included agriculture and fisheries (93 per cent) and sales workers (73 per cent). Vulnerable and informal employment was also widespread in other sectors, characterized by low pay, poor working conditions and no social protection.34 People outside the formal economy (such as own-account and unpaid family workers) were unable to contribute to the formal social security system, while many in the formal private sector (62 per cent) were not members.35 Movement out of agriculture rarely represented a pathway out of poverty, since it often led to equally low-paid informal economy jobs. Women in particular were moving out of agriculture at a faster rate than men, although given the large proportion of women working in the informal economy, this did not always equate to a transition out of vulnerable employment.

30 ILO and Asian Development Bank (ADB): ASEAN community 2015: Managing integration for better jobs and shared prosperity.Bangkok,ILOandADB,(2014),https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/42818/asean-community-2015-managing-integration.pdf [accessed 4 May 2017].

31 UN Country Team, Lao PDR (2015), op. cit.32 ILO-ADB: Will the AEC support Lao PDR’s goal to overcome least developed status? Lao PDR Country Brief (2015),

http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_357415.pdf [accessed 3 May 2017]. See also op. cit. ILO-ADB (2014).

33 Ibid.34 ILO: National Rural Employment Strategy in Lao PDR towards increasing opportunities for decent and productive

employment in rural areas (2017–2019). Project document (2016).35 Lao Statistics Bureau. (2010). Labour force survey, op. cit.

10

Periodic increases in the minimum wage have had little impact on the position of the more than a third of working people who did not earn sufficient income to lift themselves out of poverty. Some 36 per cent of employed people belonged to the two poorest quintiles of the household population. They were less likely to have various amenities and services (such as clean water and toilets), and were more likely to be negatively affected by droughts, disasters and catastrophic health expenditure.36 Vulnerability was reinforced by the fact that two-thirds of the population of Lao PDR lived on less than $2 purchasing power parity (PPP) per day, compared with the poorest 10 per cent in Thailand and Viet Nam. The per capita consumption of 60 per cent of those who moved out of poverty between 2007/2008 and 2012/2013 was no more than 50 per cent above the poverty line.37

3.7 International labour migrants face decent work challenges

International labour migration was an important feature of the employment landscape and provided a key source of income for families in southern Lao PDR, in particular.

Migrant labour made up around 8 per cent of the working population, mostly in low-paid, labour-intensive work in neighbouring Thailand. Remittances sent back home by Lao migrants in 2013 accounted for between 1.9 per cent and 2.5 per cent of national GDP.38 In 2014, 11.5 per cent of the adult population received international remittances, varying from nearly 20 per cent in the South to 2.7 per cent in the North.39

Migrants were disproportionately exposed to a range of decent work issues, including occupational injury or illness, weak representation and threats and extortion by police and other authorities. Migrants were also at greater risk of trafficking.40 The Government has been taking steps to protect Lao migrants by establishing mechanisms in receiving countries to extend legal and other services, while the Lao Trade Union Federation (LFTU) is setting up formal cooperation arrangements with counterpart union bodies in destination countries.

3.8 Vocational skills development a cornerstone of socio-economic development

Lao PDR suffers a severe shortage of skilled workers – a significant issue for ASEAN integration as well as for long-term socio-economic development. The demand for medium-skilled and high-skilled workers generated by AEC entry and Lao PDR’s own development requirements cannot be met without addressing the current mismatch between labour market needs and young people’s education and skills. The challenge lies in both demand and quality issues. Despite increased enrolment in TVET, only one-third of enrolment quotas for TVET are filled due to a tendency to undervalue technical and vocational training compared with university education.41 The quality of education and training provided in TVET institutions is further affected by a shortage of appropriately qualified and trained teachers, weaknesses in curricula and teaching/learning materials, and lack of facilities. The poor quality of basic education and

36 UN Country Team, Lao PDR (2015), op. cit.37 UNDP/Ministry of Planning and Investment: Graduation, op. cit.38 Ibid.39 UN Country Team, Lao PDR (2015), op. cit.40 Ibid.41 United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Lao PDR : Situation of youth in Lao PDR (2013).


resultant low literacy levels are also key factors contributing to low technical and vocational skill levels.42

Critical to addressing these issues will be the strengthening of existing efforts to upgrade public employment services (PES) and labour market information (LMI) systems, as well as the development of demand-driven training programmes linked to skills standards and certification in strategic sectors. Lao PDR is part of the ASEAN Mutual Recognition of Skills (MRS) arrangements, which provide guidelines for recognizing eight occupations among ASEAN members and for facilitating labour mobility. As of February 2017, MRS arrangements were in place for Lao PDR in two occupational areas: bricklaying and plastering. As of this writing, however, the overall impact of MRS arrangements on current employment trends in Lao PDR is likely to be limited, since the overall number of persons working in occupations that these guidelines cover is around 38,000, about 1.3 per cent of total employment in the country.43 A recent survey of ASEAN employers found that only one-third of respondents agreed that the skills of secondary graduates in Lao PDR matched enterprise needs.44

A further challenge to upgrading vocational skills is the existence of two parallel qualification systems – one under the Labour Law (2014) applying to the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MoLSW) programme, and the other under the TVET law. This is compounded by the lack of coordination between donor projects supporting the development of occupational and competency standards, curricula and training materials.

42 UN Country Team, Lao PDR (2015), op. cit.43 Ibid.44 Ibid.

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3.9 Progress with gender equality and empowering women and girls, but challenges remain

The 2016 Global gender gap report of the World Economic Forum45 ranked Lao PDR overall at 43 out of 144 countries, second in ASEAN after the Philippines. Lao PDR’s highest score was in economic participation and opportunity, where it ranked second overall. The lowest ranking was 115th for educational attainment. This was despite a narrowing of the gender gap in education, with gender equity nearly achieved for primary education. However, girls still encountered considerable challenges in continuing with secondary education and improving literacy. In 2015, literacy levels for the population over the age of 15 showed a large gender gap, with female literacy at 79 per cent, in contrast to 90 per cent for males.46 Early marriage was one of many factors leading to high female dropout rates from secondary school, with Lao PDR having by far the highest rate of early marriage in ASEAN.47

In employment, women generally occupied the lower rungs of the labour market and predominated in more vulnerable sectors. As noted, 61 per cent of working women were unpaid family workers, compared to only 26 per cent of men, while only 25 per cent of working women were reported as own-account workers, compared with 50 per cent of men. Male employments rates in government jobs or in state cooperatives were more than double those of women.48 While they played a critical role in agriculture and played a primary role in ensuring their families’ food security, women were often pushed into the informal economy and marginal livelihood activities as a result of gender inequalities in access to assets and resources for income generation and education.49

At the same time, women accounted for more than half of the owners of newly registered SMEs. Around 31 per cent of formal enterprises with more than five employees were owned by females in Lao PDR, which compared favourably with many countries and regions, but was still lower than the average for East Asia.50 While the legal framework for doing business did not include gender-discriminatory elements, in practice enterprises owned and operated by women faced a number of barriers, including the fact that Laotian women on average spent 2.4 hours per day on unpaid care work, compared with 0.5 hours per day for men.51 Female entrepreneurs in Lao PDR were also less likely to have a bank account or credit line.52 Further affecting participation by women in economic and social life was the fact that one in seven women had experienced physical or sexual violence from their partners at least once in their lifetime, with most experiencing such violence many times.53

45 World Economic Forum: Global gender gap report (2016). Available at: http://reports.weforum.org/global-gender-gap-report-2016/ [accessed 4 May 2017].

46 Lao Statistics Bureau. (2016), op. cit.47 UNFPA (2015), op. cit.48 Lao Statistics Bureau (2016), op. cit.49 ILO: National rural employment strategy, op. cit.50 UN Country Team, Lao PDR (2015), op. cit.51 UNDESA Time Use Data Portal (data as of May 2016), http://unstats.un.org/unsd/gender/timeuse/ [accessed 30 Apr.

2017].52 UN Country Team, Lao PDR, op. cit.53 UNFPA: “Landmark report: Violence against women a ‘hidden scourge’ in Lao PDR”. Press release (10 March, 2016),

http://asiapacific.unfpa.org/news/landmark-report-violence-against-women-‘hidden-scourge’-lao-pdr [accessed 4 May2017].


3.10 Social protection expansion and strengthening key to addressing poverty

A large part of Lao PDR’s population lacked access to adequate protection from a variety of social and economic risks. This was especially true of people outside the formal economy and in poverty who were unable to contribute to formal social security arrangements. Particularly affected were children, women, people with disability and older persons. At the same time, continued economic growth meant that the government’s fiscal capacity was expected to improve over the medium to long term, enabling gradual creation and expansion of social welfare programmes for most vulnerable groups.54

Existing social protection provisions in Lao PDR comprised a range of schemes including contributory social security insurance for formal workers; voluntary health insurance for the informal sector; free health care for the poor; maternity and under-five child support; and a variety of schemes targeting vulnerable groups in areas such as disaster relief, education and livelihoods.55

However, these various initiatives were implemented by diverse line ministries and agencies – they were not yet part of an integrated strategic approach to social protection. Steps have been taken under the auspices of the Social Security Law (2013) and regulations (2014) to improve coordination and coherence through (1) the merger of private and public sector social security schemes under the National Social Security Fund and (2) integration of existing health-related schemes under the newly created National Health Insurance Bureau (NHIB) at the Ministry of Health. Long-term social protection priorities are under consideration through the multi-stakeholder assessment-based national dialogue (ABND) on social protection which is expected to provide the conceptual and analytical basis for the development of a National Social Protection Strategy.56

3.11 Strengthening social dialogue mechanisms and capacities an underlying priority

The key social dialogue parties in Lao PDR, the ILO’s national constituents, are the Ministry of the Labour and Social Welfare (MoLSW), the Lao National Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) and the Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU). The MoLSW is the ILO’s primary Lao PDR government focal point. The Ministry’s Master Plan 2007–20 provides a key foundation for cooperation, supplemented by various related strategic and other plans, decrees and regulations.

Established in 1989, the LNCCI is an independent body with more than 1000 members represented through chambers of commerce (CCIs) in 14 provinces as well as sector-based business associations and groups. As the primary nexus between the state and private enterprises, the LNCCI represents inter alia the concerns of its members to the Government and contributes to the formulation of policies and legislation relevant to the national business

54 Silas Theile and Michael Cichon: Definition and costing of a social protection floor in Lao PDR: Preliminary assessment report (unpublished, 2016).

55 Ibid.56 Ibid.

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environment.57 The LFTU is the sole national trade union centre in Lao PDR. Affiliated with the World Federation of Trade Unions, it is directly linked to the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and has staff and offices at provincial and district levels throughout the country. Migrant labour is a key LFTU priority, underpinned by a National Policy and Action Plan on Migration (2011–13) adopted at a joint LFTU-ILO workshop in 2011.58

While tripartite mechanisms, capacities and culture remain at a relatively early stage of development in Lao PDR, a number of formal tripartite mechanisms do exist and operate as vehicles for social dialogue with varying degrees of effectiveness at national, provincial, enterprise and specific project levels. At the time of this writing, discussion was underway in the latter stage of the previous DWCP on the establishment of a high-level National Tripartite Committee and associated sub-committees, drawing on the experience and approaches of other ASEAN countries. The primary focus of tripartite engagement in the meantime was the Technical Tripartite Committee on Industrial Relations, which was established in 2010. Inter alia it provides a mechanism for consideration of minimum wage adjustments, labour dispute settlements, industrial relations and Labour Law revisions. Fourteen tripartite committees function at the provincial level with varying degrees of regularity and effectiveness. This number was expected to increase as the LNCCI’s provincial representation expanded.59

A key element of the national social dialogue and tripartite architecture is the Labour Law, promulgated in 2014 to better comply with international labour Conventions. Among other things this covers labour protection, collective bargaining, occupational safety and health (OSH), labour inspection, skills development, disputes resolution, minimum wage setting, compliance with employment contracts, and equality and non-discrimination in the workplace. In this context, in 2015 Lao PDR drafted its first-ever labour dispute resolution measure through a Prime Ministerial Decree. The Labour Law now contains numerous important new provisions compared with its 2006 predecessor, for example in the areas of OSH, maternity benefits and protection, and protections with regard to discrimination and equal pay.60

A number of key issues remain to be addressed during the next DWCP period:61

• more effectively and consistently promotion and application of the Labour Law, including within Lao PDR’s informal economy and at provincial and district levels;

• addressing gaps in the Labour Law as it stands, including in areas such as a comprehensive definition of discrimination to cover both direct and indirect forms of discrimination and the need to strengthen provisions on sexual harassment in line with C111;

• improvement of social dialogue mechanisms, culture and related capacities of national constituents at the national, provincial, local and enterprise levels; and

• strengthening national constituent capacities and the workplace collective bargaining culture.

57 http://www.laocci.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22&Itemid=27&lang=en58 Clarke, Don,. Venevankham, Kolakot. (July 2016). Lao PDR Decent Work Country Programme (2011-2015): Review

Report59 Ibid.60 Ibid.61 Ibid.


“My World of Work” survey highlights young worker’s challenges and aspirations

The My World of Work survey was conducted in Lao PDR in 2015 through a joint exercise involving the ILO, MoLSW, (LNCCI) and LFTU.62 The survey gathered data and personal perspectives in Vientiane and Vang Vieng as well as in Savannakhet and Sekong provinces. Focus groups were conducted in Sekong Province and a questionnaire was distributed to around 1,900 respondents overall. Four main sectors were selected for feedback: agriculture (paddy, oranges and coffee), construction, hospitality and SMEs. Most respondents ranged between 18 and 30 years of age. Key findings from the survey included the following:

• Status of current employment. Nearly three-quarters (73.1per cent ) were employees and about one-quarter (25.4 per cent ) were contributing family workers.

• Social protection and OSH at the workplace. If accidents occurred, in the workplace or elsewhere, a majority of the costs involved were covered by “out-of-pocket” funding. More than one-third of the respondents (34.3 per cent ) financed the costs from their own savings while families bore the cost in 31.3 per cent of cases.

• Goals for the next five years for the respondents and their family. These goals included better pay (24.1 per cent ); better jobs (23.9 per cent ); improved skills for career advancement (20.1 per cent ); better education for the children (16 per cent); and improved health care for the family (16 per cent ).

• Expectations of the Government over the following five years. Respondents reported better wages (29.3 per cent ); opportunities for skills development (17.8 per cent ); better infrastructure (17.5 per cent ); safer working conditions (13.6 per cent ); job creation (12.3 per cent ); and access to labour market information (9.6 per cent ).

In addition to the survey, field work in Sekong Province with respect to agricultural employment reported the following:

• Regardless of the reduction in absolute poverty, most people remained poor.• Most worked in the primary sector, mainly in agriculture, forestry and fishing. • Subsistence farming with slash-and-burn cultivation remained most common, with

comparably few people engaged in commercial farming and non-farm activities.• Vulnerable work and under-employment were big challenges in the province, with 90

per cent of working people aged 15 and older either self-employed or employed as unpaid family workers.

• In 2015, the market price for coffee dropped severely (from LAK3,000 (Lao kip) in 2014 to LAK1,000), increasing poverty levels.

• In Sekong’s coffee plantations, the yields, technology levels, farming techniques and external investment were significantly lower than in neighbouring provinces.

• Workplace safety was a significant issue in the agricultural sector, particularly with the rise in health problems due to pest infestations and animal-related diseases.

62 Priyanjali Mitra: ‘My World of Work’ survey 2015, Lao PDR. Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) 2016 (2015).

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4. Overall programme goal and strategy

Overall programme goal

Increased decent work for inclusive and sustainable development in Lao PDR through employment creation, technical/vocational skills development, labour standards, social protection and social dialogue.

Overall programme strategy

The DWCP has been developed in the course of extensive consultations during 2016 and early 2017 between the ILO and its national constituents. It also reflects the findings and recommendations that emerged from the final review of the previous programme.63 All strategic aspects of related 2017–21 Lao PDR-ILO cooperation build on the achievements and lessons of its 2011–15 counterpart. In particular, the joint development process of the 2017–21 DWCP was designed to ensure the following considerations are taken into account:

• consolidating and building on the achievements of the Government and the social partners during the period of the previous DWCP;

• successfully completing and implementing value-added initiatives that remain underway;• ensuring that DWCP design is grounded in local realities and capacities and is realistic; and• sharpening programme focus, including through (1) including an overarching DWCP Goal,

(2) strengthening in-depth attention to the agreed priority areas, and (3) improving cross-programme synergies and efficiencies.

As elaborated in the DWCP Results Framework, the DWCP directly supports implementation of the following national and international development frameworks:

• Sustainable Development Goals (particularly SDGs 1, 4, 5 and 8); • Lao PDR’s 8th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) 2016–2020 (Outcomes

1, 2 and 3); • Lao PDR-UN Partnership Framework (UNPF) 2017–2021 (Outcomes 1, 2, 4 and 8);• Vientiane Declaration on Transition from Informal Employment to Formal Employment

towards Decent Work Promotion in ASEAN (2016);• Bali Declaration adopted by the 16th ILO Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting, 2016.

63 Don Clarke and Kolakot Venevankham: Lao PDR Decent Work Country Programme (2011–2015): Review report (7 July 2016).


DWCP annual reporting will be closely aligned to requirements under the these frameworks to ensure synergies and efficient use of resources.

The following interrelated and mutually reinforcing programme drivers underpin the DWCP and are reflected in the four DWCP priorities:

• promotion of decent employment (particularly in rural areas), through the development and implementation of a National Rural Employment Strategy; strengthening of employment services and labour market information; entrepreneurship promotion; improving labour migration policy frameworks; and technical/vocational skills development to meet the demands of a changing labour market;

• promotion of formalization of employment through implementation of the Vientiane Declaration on Transition from Informal Employment to Formal Employment towards Decent Work Promotion in ASEAN (2016), which in turn is closely linked to addressing vulnerability and increasing decent and productive employment opportunities, especially in rural areas;

• strengthening and expansion of social protection, including measures to ensure Lao PDR is able to meet the vulnerability criteria for Lao PDR to achieve eligibility for LDC graduation;

• strengthening of tripartite mechanisms as well as partner institutional and technical capacities to (1) work effectively with each other to achieve national development objectives and (2 ) promote and serve the interests of their respective constituencies; and

• ongoing ratification and implementation of international labour Conventions, which provide the cornerstones of all aspects of the programme, including implementation of the Labour Law (2014).

Each programme driver links to and mutually reinforces the others. For example, there are close linkages between improving the skills of the rural workforce, implementing the Labour Law at the local level and promoting small enterprise development – all of which are key aspects of the planned development and implementation of the national rural employment strategy. Likewise, the development and implementation of a National Social Protection Strategy is a critical element in addressing both high levels of employment vulnerability and meeting the economic vulnerability index (EVI) requirements of LDC graduation.

Several cross-cutting programme drivers apply across all aspects of the programme. These are elaborated in section 12. Local ownership and ensuring long-term sustainability and impact are further cornerstones of DWCP design and implementation.

By the end of the five-year DWCP period, the following overall results are expected to have been achieved:

• An increased number of relevant policy frameworks, strategies and regulations for creating decent jobs in rural areas of Lao PDR, particularly through the development, adoption and initial implementation of (1) a national rural employment strategy and (2) Lao PDR action plan for implementation of the Vientiane Declaration on Transition from Informal Employment to Formal Employment towards Decent Work Promotion in ASEAN, which inter alia prioritizes rural employment promotion.

• Increased numbers of Lao PDR citizens in decent and productive employment through (1) improved matching of jobseekers and labour market requirements; (2) entrepreneurship development for women, men and youth; (3) development of policy and legal instruments to support safe labour migration, increased; and (4) national policy capacity, as well as

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competency standards and certification and accreditation arrangements to support the promotion of technical/vocational skills for women, men and youth.

• Improved labour standards and protection through (1) more effective implementation of the Labour Law (2014), including in rural areas and the informal economy, and (2) more effective implementation of ratified international labour Conventions (with at least one additional ratification during the DWCP period).

• Expanded access to social protection through (1) the development, adoption and initial implementation of a National Social Protection Strategy; (2) the introduction of at least one new social transfer tax-funded programme; (3) revision and dissemination of the Social Security Law and (4) harmonization of social health insurance schemes and systems.

• Strengthened tripartite cooperation and social dialogue through (1) the development of a new National Tripartite Committee; (2) improvement of existing tripartite mechanisms and procedures, including with respect to minimum wage reviews; and (3) the further development of national constituent capacities for social dialogue.

Development cooperation projects funded by international development partners comprise a major component element of DWCP delivery, providing critical resources and skills to support activities that contribute to implementation of the overall programme goal and related outcomes. Whenever appropriate, national oversight of development cooperation projects under the DWCP will be exercised through a tripartite mechanism. Evaluation findings and learning from the implementation of such projects will be fed into wider DWCP review, evaluation and planning processes. Where development cooperation projects are already confirmed for the period 2017–21, or have a reasonable likelihood of eventuating, these are listed under the relevant outcome in the Result Framework.


5. Programme priorities, strategies, outcomes, indicators and targets

Priority 1: Promote employment and technical/vocational skills development in line with market demand.

Three inter-linked outcomes support implementation of this priority. These address challenges and gaps in the following areas:

• Availability of decent work opportunities and employment options in rural areas – particularly the need for greater strategic direction, focus and national coordination in targeting resources and efforts to address this challenge (Outcome 1.1).

• Matching available technical/vocational skills with labour market demand through improved public- employment services and labour market information (Outcome 1.2).

• Micro and small business and entrepreneurship skills development, including in rural areas (Outcome 1.2).

• Ensuring safe labour migration that brings national development benefits to Lao PDR in terms of skills development and incoming overseas remittances (Outcome 1.2).

• Raising technical and vocational skill levels within the national workforce to meet the requirements of both Lao PDR’s national development priorities and ASEAN economic integration over the coming years as the balance shifts between the agricultural, industrial and service sectors of the economy (Outcome 1.3).

A national rural employment strategy will be one significant output in this context. This strategy will draw on the experience and lessons of integrated approaches to rural employment creation which will be piloted in selected communities of Sekong and Savannakhet provinces.

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Outcome 1.1: Increased number of relevant policy frameworks, strategies and regulations for creating decent jobs in rural areas.

Supported by development cooperation project: National Rural Employment Strategy in Lao PDR towards Increasing Opportunities for Decent and Productive Employment in Rural Areas. Funding contributed by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), 2017–20.

This outcome links to NSEDP Outcome 2 (Output 1) and Cross-cutting Output 8.21.2; Lao PDR-UNPF Outcome 1; SDGs 1, 4, 5 and 8; and ILO P&B Outcomes 4, 5 and 6.

The need to create decent and productive employment opportunities in rural areas is high on the agenda of the Lao PDR Government. The NSEDP accordingly prioritizes rural employment creation and identifies the development of a national rural employment strategy as a key means to achieve this (Outcome 2, Output 1: To formulate a national rural employment strategy that concentrates on designing strategies, methods and programmes which create jobs and income in rural areas). Such a strategy will provide a national framework to focus and coordinate government, international development partner, and civil society organization efforts to create decent jobs in rural areas.

The Government of Lao PDR has requested the ILO’s support to develop the strategy, building on the ILO’s previous engagement in piloting integrated approaches to rural employment generation in selected communities of Sekong province (2015-16). Drawing on lessons and progress in the previous work, ongoing ILO technical and capacity development support under the DWCP will pursue the following measures: (i) continued piloting of integrated rural employment creation approaches in Sekong, expanded to Savannakhet province in 2017; (ii) drawing upon the lessons of this pilot activity to provide an evidence base for development of the national strategy; (iii) conducting additional strategic research to inform drafting of the strategy; (iv) supporting the facilitation of inclusive national consultations to inform the strategy development process; (v) supporting the costing of implementation; and (vi) supporting the initial phase of implementation (Indicator 1.1.1).

Complementing and contributing to the development of the national strategy under this outcome, ILO technical and capacity development support will further target:

• The development, improvement and extension of relevant rural employment policies and services in the two selected provinces (Indicator 1.1.2). As well as contributing to decent work promotion in the provinces concerned, the lessons learned in this respect will also inform the development of the national strategy.

• The formulation and selective implementation of a five-year action plan to implement the Vientiane Declaration on Transition from Informal Employment to Formal Employment towards Decent Work Promotion in ASEAN, which inter alia prioritizes rural employment promotion. Priority in this context will be placed on the delivery of outputs which will provide opportunities for Lao PDR national constituents to learn from and apply lessons and experience from other ASEAN countries with respect to the promotion of decent rural employment (Indicator 1.1.3).


Indicators of achievement Targets

Indicator 1.1.1Availability of gender, ethnicity, disability and environmentally sensitive national rural employment strategy (NRES), action plan and associated costings.

Target 1.1.1NRES and action plan developed, adopted and costed through an inclusive national process, drawing on lessons from pilot activities in two provinces, with (i) initial implementation underway by 2021 and (ii) reflection of gender, ethnicity, disability and environmental sustainability considerations.

Indicator 1.1.2Number of new or improved policies and services related to rural employment introduced and implemented as extension of existing laws and strategies in Sekong and Savannakhet provinces.

Target 1.1.2At least one gender-responsive measure taken to address identified policy or service gaps in each province by 2019.

Indicator 1.1.3Number of South-South cooperation (SSC) initiatives conducted as part of implementation of Vientiane Declaration on Transition from Informal Employment to Formal Employment towards Decent Work Promotion in ASEAN.

Target 1.1.3 (a)Five-year action plan adopted to implement Vientiane Declaration by 2018; includes focus on rural jobs and taking account of gender, ethnic community and disability considerations.

Target 1.1.3 (b)At least three SSC activities related to rural employment elements of the Vientiane Declaration implemented by Lao PDR and ASEAN counterparts by 2019.

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Outcome 1.2: Increased decent and productive employment through (i) improved matching of jobseekers and labour market requirements; (ii) entrepreneurship development for women, men and youth; and (iii) development of policy and legal instruments to support safe labour migration.

Supported by development cooperation project(s): Development of phase 2 of ILO/China South-South Cooperation Project on employment services and labour market information in Cambodia and Lao PDR (timeframe and arrangements to be indicated in 2017).

Tripartite Action to Enhance the Contribution of Labour Migration to Growth and Development in ASEAN Project (TRIANGLE II): funded by Government of Australia 2015–25.

This outcome links to NSEDP Outcome 1 (Output 1); Lao PDR-UNPF Outcome 1; SDGs 1, 4, 5 and 8; and ILO P&B Outcomes 1, 4 and 9.

Drawing on lessons and progress under the previous DWCP, key priorities identified by the national constituents to increase opportunities for decent work in Lao PDR over the next five-year period include the following:

• improve matching of available technical/vocational skills with labour market demand through improved Public Employment Services (PES) and Labour Market Information (LMI);

• MSME development and growth, including the improvement of entrepreneurship skills; and

• ensure safe labour migration and enhance its national development benefits to Lao PDR, including in terms of skill development and remittances.

In line with these identified priorities, the ILO will provide technical and capacity development support in the following selected areas:

• Strengthening PES and LMI via the development of an integrated national strategy led by the MoLSW. This will include, inter alia, measures for (i) the establishment of a legal basis for PES in line with C88; (ii) an enhanced MoLSW role in regulating and monitoring standards for employment services (public and private) in line with C181; and (iii) greater integration between services provided by employment service job centres (ESJCs) and Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs) (Indicator 1.2.1).

• Related to the above, increasing the availability of LMI through more regular Labour Force Surveys in order to inform national policy and service development (Indicator 1.2.2).

• Increasing the number of jobseeker registrations and placements (Indicator 1.2.3).• Enhancing the policy and legal frameworks governing safe labour migration. This will be

achieved through technical support by the TRIANGLE Project for the adoption or revision of at least one piece of legislation, policy and/or MOU to better reflect international standards (Indicator 1.2.4).


• Increasing the number of provinces in which public employment and labour migration services are operating collaboratively (Indicator 1.2.5).

• Promoting entrepreneurship skills and leadership development for women, men and youth, including through building the capacity of LNCCI, business development services (BDS) providers and LFTU to sustainably deliver training in this regard, with a focus on outreach to women and the informal economy (Indicator 1.2.6).


Indicator 1.2.1Availability of national strategy and action plan for development of public employment services (PES) and labour market information (LMI).64

Target 1.2.1 (a)National strategy and action plan for development of PES and LMI developed and adopted by 2018, including the following: (i) establishment of legal bases for public employment services in line with C88; (ii) enhanced MoLSW role in regulating and monitoring standards for employment services (public and private) within Lao PDR in line with C181; and (iii) greater integration of services provided by employment service job centres (ESJCs) and Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs).

Target 1.2.1 (b)MOUs developed between MoLSW and the LNCCI and the LFTU respectively for cooperation in implementing PES/LMI strategy by 2018.

Target 1.2.2 (c)Employer skills need surveys conducted annually from 2018 (with pilot project initiated by 2018 to gather such data on a sector and/or specific geographic basis).

Indicator 1.2.2More regular Labour Force Surveys conducted,

Target 1.2.2At least three Labour Force Surveys conducted by 2021.

Indicator 1.2.3Number of jobseeker registrations and job placements, disaggregated by sex, at central and provincial ESJCs.

Target 1.2.3By 2021, 60% of registered jobseekers per annum placed in formal employment, at least 50% of whom are women and 2.8% are people with disabilities in line with national disability statistics.

64 All engagement in employment services and LMI is conducted in coordination and synergy with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Capacity Development Technical Assistance Project: Lao PDR. ADB: Strengthening capacity to develop the employment service system: Technical assistance report, https://www.adb.org/projects/documents/lao-capacity-dev-employment-service-system-tar [accessed 30 Apr. 2016]. This project includes a focus on (1) the establishment and improvement of PES ICT and communication systems at national and provincial levels and (2) improving outreach to jobseekers at district and local levels.

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Indicator 1.2.4Legislation, policies and MOUs linked to labour migration adopted or amended in line with international standards and good practices.

Target 1.2.4 At least one piece of legislation, policy and/or MOU adopted or revised to better reflect international standards by 2021.

Indicator 1.2.5Number of provinces in which migrant labour services are available through MRCs working in liaison with ESJCs.

Target 1.2.5MRCs operational and working in liaison with ESJCs in at least five provinces by 2021, including at least two MRCs managed by the LFTU.

Indicator 1.2.6Number of employers’ organizations, workers’ organizations and business service providers with increased technical capacity to provide entrepreneurship training to women, men and youth.

Target 1.2.6By 2021, at least two employers’ organizations, workers’ organizations or business service providers have received training and other support to increase their technical capacity to deliver entrepreneurship leadership and skills training to women, men and youth, including in the informal economy.


Outcome 1.3: Increased policy capacity, competency standards, and certification and accreditation arrangements to support promotion of technical/vocational skills for women, men and youth.

A core priority under the NSEDP is raising technical and vocational skill levels within the national workforce to meet the requirements of both Lao PDR’s national development priorities and ASEAN economic integration, especially as the balance between the agricultural, industrial and service sectors of the economy shifts over coming years.

This outcome links to NSEDP Outcome 1 (Output 5), Outcome 1 (Output 6), and Cross-cutting output 8.21.2; Lao PDR-UNPF Outcome 4; SDGs 1, 4, 5 and 8; and ILO P&B Outcome 1.

Building on progress under the previous DWCP, and alongside other initiatives supported by international development partners, the ILO will provide technical and capacity development support to these measures:

• Strengthening the capacity of the National Training Council (NTC) and MoLSW to develop national policy and systems to promote technical/vocational skills, complementing wider efforts by the Lao PDR Government and international partners to develop a National Qualifications Framework (Indicator 1.3.1).

• Developing and promulgating technical/vocational skill/competency standards as well as certification and institutional accreditation arrangements in occupations prioritized by the NTC and MoLSW (Indicators 1.3.2 and 1.3.3).

• Developing at least three new technical/vocational skills areas under the ASEAN mutual recognition of skills (MRS), in line with the ASEAN Qualifications Regional Framework (AQRF) (Indicator 1.3.4).

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Indicator 1.3.1Number of initiatives to strengthen the capacity of national mechanisms for the development of technical/vocational skills policy and systems.

Target 1.3.1At least two initiatives to strengthen National Training Council and MoLSW technical capacity for national technical/vocational skills policy and systems development by 2021.

Indicator 1.3.2Number of technical/vocational skills/competency standards promulgated at national level.

Target 1.3.2 At least five new technical/vocational skills/competency standards promulgated at national level by 2021, with special attention to addressing skills/competency standards in non-traditional occupations for women.

Indicator 1.3.3Number of additional technical/vocational skill areas developed for standards, certification and accreditation.

Target 1.3.3 (a)At least two additional technical/vocational skills areas developed/completed for standards, certification and accreditation of institutions by 2021, with special attention to female-dominated occupational areas.

Target 1.3.3 (b)At least 50% of trainees in the additional technical/vocational skill areas are assessed and certified by 2021.

Indicator 1.3.4Number of new technical/vocational skill areas developed under the ASEAN mutual recognition of skills (MRS) in line with the ASEAN Qualifications Regional Framework (AQRF).

Target 1.3.4 At least three new technical/vocational skills areas developed under ASEAN MRS by 2021.


Priority 2: Promote ratification and implementation of international labour standards.

The ratification and implementation of international labour Conventions is fundamental to achieving the DWCP goals for 2017–21. The Conventions are reflected in the Lao PDR Labour Law (2014) as well as in a range of government decrees and decisions. They underpin all aspects of DWCP design and implementation.

Two inter-linked outcomes support the implementation of this priority. They address existing challenges and gaps in the following areas:

• The need to strengthen awareness and national implementation of the Labour Law, which inter alia covers labour protection, collective bargaining, OSH, labour inspection, skills development, disputes resolution, minimum wage setting, compliance with employment contracts and equality/non-discrimination in the workplace (Outcome 2.1).

• The need to prioritize ratifications that remain under consideration and improve implementation, monitoring and reporting (Outcome 2.2).

Special priority will be given in the period 2017–21 to extending awareness and implementation of the Labour Law to district and local levels, as well as to Lao PDR’s extensive and diverse informal economy. Relevant technical and capacity development support for social partners will be prioritized under DWCP Priority 4.

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Outcome 2.1: Increased quality of labour standards and protection through Labour Law implementation.

Supported by development cooperation project: Completion of labour inspection project in the garment sector (LAO/13/01/IDA) and possible new project with MoLSW on labour inspection and OSH, submitted for funding by the Vision Zero Fund (VZF).65

This outcome links to NSEDP Outcome 1 (Output 2); Outcome 1 (Output 5), Outcome 2 (Output 5) and Cross-cutting output 8.21.2; Lao PDR-UNPF Outcome 8; SDGs 1, 4, 5 and 8; ILO P&B Outcomes 1 and 7; and the Bali Declaration.

The Labour Law was revised and promulgated in 2014 to improve, inter alia, compliance with international labour standards. The review of the 2011–15 DWCP highlighted issues in coverage by the law (particularly in the informal economy and rural areas), implementation and compliance. In this context, ILO technical and capacity development support provided in the period until 2021 will focus on addressing the identified gaps in the following ways:

• strengthening the regulatory environment underpinning enforcement of the law, with a particular focus on informal outreach and gender dimensions With respect to the latter, the comments of the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) respecting gender equality—in particular the comments concerning Convention Nos. 100 and 111—will to addressed to the extent possible in the elaboration of regulations under the Labour Law (Indicator 2.1.1)

• developing an action plan for implementation of a recently adopted ministerial decision on labour inspection (covered under the Labour Law), Indicator 2.1.2;

• finalizing and implementing a prime ministerial decree on OSH, including specific action to establish a national mechanism and associated capacity for the sex-disaggregated reporting of workplace accidents (Indicator 2.1.3); and

• maintaining momentum with the implementation of the National Plan of Action (NPA) on the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labour adopted under the previous DWCP by requiring annual reporting by national constituents on actions taken (Indicator 2.1.4).

This Outcome directly links those under DWCP Priority 4 on strengthening the capacity of the LNCCI and LFTU to (i) serve their respective memberships and (ii) improve tripartite cooperation and social dialogue.

65 The G7-initiated Vision Zero Fund initiative (VZF) aims to prevent work-related deaths, injuries and disease in global supply chains. http://www.ilo.org/safework/projects/WCMS_517539/lang--en/index.htm [accessed 22 May 2017]



Indicator 2.1.1Number of gender-sensitive regulations prepared in consultation with the social partners and promulgated by 2019 to strengthen implementation of the 2014 Labour Code.

Target 2.1.1 At least two gender-sensitive regulations prepared in consultation with the social partners and promulgated by 2019 to strengthen implementation of the 2014 Labour Code, with the principles enshrined in C100 and C111, and the outstanding comments of the CEACR respecting those Conventions, taken into consideration as appropriate.

Indicator 2.1.2Number of actions taken to implement annual action plans for Ministerial Decision 4277 (2016) on labour inspection.

Target 2.1.2By 2018 annual action plans for labour inspection developed and implemented in line with international labour standards, e.g. C81, including OSH components and measures to increase number of female inspectors; at least two actions taken annually to implement action plans.

Indicator 2.1.3Number of actions taken annually to implement Prime Ministerial Decree (2017) on OSH.

Target 2.1.3Action plan for implementation of Prime Ministerial Decree on OSH by National Constituents developed by 2018, with at least two actions taken annually to implement the plan by 2021.

Indicator 2.1.4National baseline established by Lao PDR Government for monitoring of workplace accidents.

Target 2.1.4National mechanism established and related capacity developed for sex-disaggregated reporting of workplace accidents by 2018.

Indicator 2.1.5Number of reports by national constituents on actions taken annually to implement National Plan of Action (NPA) on the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labour.

Target 2.1.5By 2018 annual reports by national constituents developed and disseminated on implementation of the NPA in their respective areas of responsibility.

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Outcome 2.2: Increased ratification and application of international labour Conventions.

This outcome links to NSEDP Outcomes 1 and 2; Lao PDR-UNPF Outcomes 1, 2, 4, 7 and 8; SDGs 1, 4, 5 and 8; P&B Outcome 2; and the Bali Declaration .

The review of the 2011-15 DWCP identified these key gaps with respect to the ongoing ratification and identification of international labour Conventions:

• the need for prioritization of ratifications that remain under consideration • improvement of implementation, monitoring and reporting, including through strengthening

the necessary institutional and technical capacities. In this regard, the CEACR has noted Lao PDR’s failure to respect its standards-related reporting obligations, in particular the obligation to provide reports on ratified Conventions and reports on the submission, to the competent authorities, of instruments adopted by the ILC. Indicator 2.2.3 is intended to address this gap in standards-related reporting.

Accordingly, ILO technical and capacity development support in the period 2017–21 will prioritize these measures:

• further ratifications in line with national priorities and capacities (Indicator 2.2.1);• a more systematic approach to planning and monitoring implementation of each ratified

Convention, with particular attention to C100 and C111 (Indicator 2.2.2) • improving the timeliness and quality of reporting (Indicator 2.2.3).


Indicator 2.2.1Number of international labour Conventions ratified by Lao PDR.

Target 2.2.1Lao PDR has ratified at least one additional international labour Convention by 2021.

Indicator 2.2.2Number of actions taken annually to implement international labour Conventions.

Target 2.2.2 (a)By 2021, at least five actions taken to implement international labour Conventions, with particular attention to C100 and C111.

Target 2.2.2 (b)At least one initiative by 2019 to strengthen national constituent capacity to implement, monitor and report on ratified Conventions.

Indicator 2.2.3Lao PDR’s constitutional obligations to submit reports on ratified Conventions and other standards-related matters satisfied in a timely manner.

Target 2.2.3All reports requested by the ILO supervisory bodies, pursuant to Articles 19 and 22 of the ILO Constitution, are submitted by 2021.


Priority 3: Strengthen and expand social protection.

The strengthening and expansion of social protection is critical to Lao PDR’s ability to meet the economic vulnerability index (EVI) requirements for graduation from LDC status as well as to reducing the country’s high levels of vulnerable employment.

Two inter-linked outcomes support the implementation of this priority. The outcomes address identified needs in the following areas:

• need for strategic direction, focus and national coordination in targeting resources and effort for social protection (Outcome 3.1);

• sustainability of social protection schemes and coverage (Outcome 3.1);

• increased awareness of and access to social protection services, particularly for workers outside formal employment (Outcome 3.2);

• Social Security Law implementation (Outcome 3.2); and• coordinated implementation of the health insurance

reforms supported under the previous DWCP, building on progress to date (Outcome 3.2).

A significant output in this context will be a National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS). This will draw on recommendations of the assessment-based national dialogue (ABND) initiated under the previous DWCP.

Special priority will also be given to extending awareness and implementation of the Social Security Law, as well as social protection policies and services more generally, to district and local levels as well as to Lao PDR’s extensive and diverse informal economy.

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Outcome 3.1: National Social Protection Strategy and new social transfer tax-funded programme(s) developed, adopted and implemented.

Supported by development cooperation projects: Development of regional social protection facility involving Lao PDR, Cambodia and Myanmar. The facility will make technical expertise and third-country experience available to the development of Lao PDR’s social protection policy and system.

Potential Phase 2 of ILO/China South-South Cooperation Project, expanded to include social protection as a priority focus.

This outcome links to NSEDP Outcome2 (Output 5) and Cross-cutting output 8.21.2; Lao PDR-UNPF Outcome 2; SDGs 1 (Outcome 1.3), 5 and 8; and P&B Outcome 3.

Building on previous engagement to improve and harmonize social protection policy, institutional arrangements and delivery, the ILO will provide strategically targeted technical and capacity development support to Lao PDR partners in the following areas:

• development of a National Social Protection Strategy, as recommended by the ABND process. This will provide an essential framework for the prioritization, coherence and coordination of national efforts and resources to ensure that (i) social protection is available over time to all Lao PDR citizens; (ii) is resourced on a sustainable basis; and (iii) is of high quality (Indicator 3.1.1); and

• introduction of at least one new social transfer tax-funded programme based on ABND recommendations (Indicator 3.1.2).

This will include close cooperation with other international development partners in the context of the UNCT joint working group on employment creation and social protection.



Indicator 3.1.1 Availability of gender, disability and ethnicity-sensitive National Social Protection Strategy, action plan and associated costings.

Target 3.1.1 (a)ABND on social protection completed by 2017 as basis for formulation of NSPS and prioritizing government social protection initiatives, with active engagement by national constituents and including gender, ethnicity and disability considerations.

Target 3.1.1 (b)NSPS including gender, ethnicity and disability considerations developed, adopted and costed by 2020 through an inclusive national process involving national constituents that (i) draws on outcomes of ABND process and (ii) uses costings from the rapid assessment basic protocol developed under the ABND.

Indicator 3.1.2Number of new social transfer tax-funded programmes established as result of ABND recommendations.

Target 3.1.2At least one new social transfer tax-funded programme designed based on the ABND recommendations and (i) implemented by 2021 and (ii) at least 50% funded by domestic resources.

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Outcome 3.2: Increased access for workers and families to social protection benefits, including social health protection.

In order to reinforce coordinated UNCT action on social protection, this outcome directly relates to Outcome 2 and related Targets of the Lao PDR-UN Partnership Framework 2017–2021: More people have access to social protection benefits, including social health protection.

This outcome links to NSEDP Outcome 2 (Output 5) and Cross-cutting output 8.21.2; Lao PDR-UNPF Outcome 2; SDGs 1 (Outcome 1.3), 5 and 8; and P&B Outcome 3.

Along with the need for a more strategic and coherent national approach to the long-term development of social protection in Lao PDR, pressing immediate gaps in coverage require urgent attention, particularly for workers and families outside the public sector and formal economy.

To this end, ILO technical and capacity development support in the period 2017–21 will strengthen and expand the following efforts:

• social protection coverage in line with ABND recommendations (Indicators 3.2.1 and 3.2.2);

• harmonized social health arrangements, building on progress under the previous DWCP (Indicator 3.2.3); and

• dissemination and implementation of the revised law in active cooperation with national constituents (Indicator 3.2.4).



Indicator 3.2.1Number of formally employed women and men enrolled in National Social Security Fund (NSSF), excluding armed forces and police officials.

Target 3.2.1At least 300,000 formally employed women and men workers (excluding armed forces and police officials) enrolled in NSSF by 2021.65

Indicator 3.2.2Percentage of poor women and men covered by social protection schemes.

Target 3.2.2 At least 95% of poor women and men covered by social protection schemes by 2021,66 with people with disabilities comprising at least 2.8% of social protection beneficiaries.67

Indicator 3.2.3Number of initiatives to harmonize social health arrangements and institutional systems.

Target 3.2.3At least two initiatives to complete harmonization of social health insurance benefits and information technology (IT) systems by 2020.

Indicator 3.2.4Existence of revised Social Security Law and regulations in alignment with international standards, with focus on informal economy access.

Target 3.2.4Social Security Law revised, approved and disseminated by end of 2018, with active engagement of national constituents and input of ILO-produced actuarial valuations.

66 Linked to Lao PDR-UNPF Target 2.1.67 Linked to Lao PDR UNPF Target 2.2.68 Thistargetreflectsthenationwideprevalenceofdisability(LaoPDR4thPopulationandHousingCensus,2015).

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Cross-cutting priority 4: Strengthen tripartite cooperation and social dialogue.

Effective tripartite cooperation and social dialogue between national constituents is the foundation upon which implementation of the DWCP ultimately rests across all outcomes.

Given the early stage of development of the necessary mechanisms, capacities and approaches in Lao PDR, this additional cross-cutting priority has been included in the DWCP 2017–21 to continue and build on relevant activities initiated in the period 2011–15. Outcomes under this cross-cutting priority are designed to strengthen tripartite cooperation and social dialogue by targeting the following priority areas for development identified in the review of the previous DWCP:

• appropriate and effective institutional mechanisms and procedures for cooperation and dialogue at national, provincial, district and enterprise levels (Outcome 4.1); and

• strengthening of relevant institutional and technical capacities of the social partners (Outcomes 4.2 and 4.3).

The review of the 2011–15 DWCP further identified a need to bring a stronger strategic focus and clear longer-term priorities to ILO partnerships with both the LNCCI and the LFTU. Accordingly, implementation of this priority will be underpinned by the development of multi-year cooperation frameworks with each organization, backed up by an annual review and planning process.

The cooperation frameworks will be explicitly linked to implementation of the DWCP as a whole and will include joint commitments to practical steps in areas including these: (i) promoting social dialogue and tripartite cooperation; (ii) gender mainstreaming and strengthening women’s role in leadership and decision-making; (iii) implementation of the NPA on child labour; (iv) strengthening employment services and LMI; (v) ensuring safe labour migration; (vi) technical/vocational skills development; (vii) strengthening collective bargaining; (viii) promotion of the Labour Law, Social Security Law and Trade Union Law; and (ix) ratification and implementation of international labour Conventions.


Outcome 4.1: Increased quality of mechanisms and procedures for tripartite cooperation and social dialogue.

This outcome links to NSEDP Outcome 1 (Output 1), Outcome 1 (Output 5) and Cross-cutting output 8.21.2; SDGs 5 and 8; ILO P&B Outcome 10; and the Bali Declaration.

The development of Lao PDR’s tripartite cooperation and social dialogue architecture remains at a relatively early stage. In line with national constituent priorities, ILO technical and capacity development support under the DWCP focus on the following inter-linked areas:

• establishment of a high-level National Tripartite Committee (currently under discussion among tripartite partners, arising out of the previous DWCP), helping to raise the profile, visibility and level of engagement in tripartite cooperation and dialogue (Indicator 4.1.1);

• increasing the regularity and evidence-base of tripartite minimum wage processes (Indicator 4.1.2);

• strengthening collective bargaining culture and capacities at enterprise and sector levels (Indicator 4.1.3); and

• more rigorous oversight and monitoring of the resolution of industrial disputes, beginning at a modest level during the coming five-year period (Indicator 4.1.4).


Indicator 4.1.1Establishment of National Tripartite Committee and associated sub-committees.68

Target 4.1.1 National Tripartite Committee and at least two associated sub-committees established by end of 2018; subcommittees include one on gender equality and non-discrimination at work, with at least 30% female members.

Indicator 4.1.2Number of evidence-based and gender-sensitive tripartite minimum wage reviews.

Target 4.1.2 National constituents (i) agree on procedures and criteria for more regular minimum wage reviews; (ii) agree on measures to ensure that gender considerations are addressed in this context and (iii) hold at least two reviews under revised approach by 2021.

Indicator 4.1.3 Increase in number of collective bargaining agreements at enterprise or sectoral level.

Target 4.1.3 Ten per cent increase in number of collective bargaining agreements negotiated between employers and workers by 2021.

Indicator 4.1.4Percentage of recorded industrial disputes which are resolved before reaching the courts

Target 4.1.4 Thirty per cent of recorded industrial disputes resolved though social dialogue or statutory procedures by 2021.

69 Potential establishment of national tripartite committees and sub-committees under consideration by the national constituents in 2016–17, including the study of other country examples within ASEAN.

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Outcome 4.2: Increased capacity of employers to advance Decent Work Agenda and social dialogue.

The outcome links to NSEDP Outcome 1 (Output 1), Outcome 1 (Output 5) and Cross-cutting output 8.21.2, SDGs 5 and 8; ILO P&B Outcome 10; and the Bali Declaration.

Lao PDR employers have a critical role to play in implementing the NSEDP and in Lao PDR’s longer-term development agenda, including the provision of decent and productive work and the mobilization of resources. Key to the success of long-term employer engagement is the role and effectiveness of the LNCCI, particularly its ability to: (i) promote and serve member interests; (ii) represent the diversity of the country’s employers in national policy, programmatic and budgetary decision-making processes; and (iii) cooperate successfully with both government counterparts and workers, represented by the LFTU.

To this end, priority ILO technical and capacity development support during the 2017–21 period will enhance the following LNCCI capacities:

• contributions to national legislative, policy, strategy and planning processes (Indicator 4.2.1);

• promoting member interests and engaging in tripartite cooperation and social dialogue (Indicator 4.2.2);

• expanding membership, with a focus on MSME membership (Indicator 4.2.3); and• addressing internal gender disparities and providing a role model by increasing the number

of women in leadership and senior decision-making roles (Indicator 4.2.4).


Indicator 4.2.1Number of LNCCI initiatives annually to influence national laws, policies, strategies and plans.

Target 4.2.1 At least two LNCCI initiatives annually to influence national laws, policies, laws, strategies and plans.

Indicator 4.2.2Number of LNCCI capacity development initiatives annually aiming to (i) engage in tripartite cooperation and/or (ii) serve member interests.

Target 4.2.2 At least two initiatives annually (averaged over five years) to strengthen member capacity to (i) engage in tripartite cooperation and/or (ii) serve member interests in line with the LNCCI National Strategic Policy Framework.

Indicator 4.2.3 Percentage increase in MSME membership of LNCCI.

Target 4.2.3Twenty per cent increase in MSME membership of LNCCI by 2021.

Indicator 4.2.4Percentage increase in number of women in LNCCI leadership and management positions.

Target 4.2.4At least 30% of leadership and management positions held by women by 2021.


Outcome 4.3: Increased capacity of workers to advance Decent Work Agenda and social dialogue.

The outcome links to NSEDP Outcome 1 (Output 1), Outcome 1 (Output 5) and Cross-cutting output 8.21.2, SDGs 5 and 8; ILO P&B Outcome 10; and the Bali Declaration.

Alongside Lao PDR employers, the country’s workers have a critical role to play in implementing the NSEDP and Lao PDR’s longer-term development agenda, among other things ensuring the protection and advancement of worker rights and access to decent and productive work. Key to the long-term impact of workers’ engagement is the role and effectiveness of the LFTU, particularly its ability to (i) promote and serve member interests; (ii) represent the interests of women and men workers in national policy, programmatic and budgetary decision-making processes; and (iii) cooperate successfully around shared priorities with both government counterparts and, represented by the LNCCI, employers.

To this end, targeted ILO technical and capacity development support during the 2017–21 period aims to enhance the LFTU’s capacity to pursue the following measures:

• contribute to national legislative, policy, strategy and planning processes, including revision of the Trade Union Law (Indicator 4.3.1);

• serve member interests and engage in tripartite cooperation and social dialogue, including implementation of the LFTU action plan on protection of migrant workers (Indicator 4.3.2);

• expand membership, with a focus on expanding both formal private sector and informal sector membership (Indicator 4.3.3); and

• address internal gender disparities and provide a role model by increasing the number of women in leadership and senior decision-making roles (Indicator 4.3.4).

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Indicator 4.3.1Number of LFTU initiatives annually to influence national laws, policies, laws, strategies and plans.

Target 4.3.1At least two LFTU initiatives annually to influence national laws, policies, laws, strategies and plans, including revision of Trade Union Law in 2017.

Indicator 4.3.2Number of capacity development initiatives annually to strengthen capacity to (i) engage in tripartite cooperation and/or (ii) serve member interests.

Target 4.3.2 At least two initiatives annually (averaged over five years) to strengthen member capacity to (i) engage in tripartite cooperation and/or (ii) serve member interests in line with LFTU priorities, including in implementation of the Trade Union Law and LFTU action plan on protection of migrant workers.

Indicator 4.3.3Percentage increase in number, disaggregated by sex, of formal and informal workers covered by unions.

Target 4.3.3At least 50% increase in number of private sector formal workers and 100% increase in the number of informal workers (disaggregated by sex) covered by unions by 2021.

Indicator 4.3.4Percentage increase in number of women in LFTU leadership and management positions.

Target 4.3.4At least 30% of leadership and management positions held by women by 2021.


6. Cross-cutting programme drivers

The following cross-cutting programme drivers will underpin DWCP programme and project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation:

• the ongoing ratification and implementation of international labour standards;• social dialogue and tripartite cooperation, with active participation and commitment by

all national constituents key to the achievement of programme outcomes;• mainstreaming of gender equality and women’s empowerment, including (i) at senior

leadership, decision-making and management levels within national constituent organizational structures and processes and (ii) through the promotion of women’s leadership, voice, representation and skills development in areas including policy development and entrepreneurship;

• non-discrimination in all respects, including on the bases of ethnicity or disability;• promotion of an environmentally sustainable world of work, particularly within the rural

employment component of the DWCP (linked to implementation within the Lao PDR DWCP context of the ILO Green Initiative);

• extension of national laws, policies, strategies and services to district and local levels, as well as to Lao PDR’s extensive and diverse informal economy;

• institutional and technical capacity development at all levels; and• development of effective partnerships between (i) the ILO and national constituents; (ii)

the constituents themselves; and (iii) the ILO and other international partners, including within the context of the Lao PDR-UN Partnership Framework (UNPF).

These key cross-cutting programme drivers will be reflected in meetings of the Tripartite DWCP Committee and Tripartite Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Working Group. They will require attention by all stakeholders, supported by ILO technical advice, to ensure that relevant data is disaggregated, to the extent possible, by sex, ethnicity and disability.

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7. Tripartite architecture in Lao PDR

The key social dialogue parties in Lao PDR are the MoLSW, the LNCCI and the LFTU. Along with the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), each party is a signatory to the DWCP 2017–21.

A number of tripartite mechanisms exist at national, provincial, enterprise and specific project levels as vehicles for social dialogue and tripartite cooperation. These are outlined below. Discussion was underway at the outset of the current DWCP period regarding the potential establishment of a high-level National Tripartite Committee and associated sub-committees.

National Tripartite Committee (proposed)• National-level policy recommendations to Government • Wider overview encompassing other ministries, including MoES, MCI, MPI

and others • At Ministerial and Presidential level

Technical and project tripartite committees

Technical Tripartite Committee on Industrial Relations TTC (IR)

DWCP Tripartite Committee (DTC)

Provincial tripartite committees (14 in 2016)

Set up according to need at different levels (e.g. OSH national and local tripartite committees; oversight of specific ILO projects).

Chaired at DG level, rotated between MoLSW, LFTU and LNCCI.

Chaired at Vice-Ministerial/ Vice-President level.

Serviced by provincial DLSW.

Will extend to further provinces as LNCCI expands at provincial level.

Chairing and secretariat responsibilities vary.

Meets at least quarterly to consider industrial relations matters, including minimum wage adjustments.

Meets at least annually to oversee monitor and manage DWCP.

Serviced by DWCP M&E Working Group (DWCP MEWG) consisting of M&E focal points of MoLSW, MPI, LFTU, LNCCI and ILO.

Meets at least quarterly. Chairing role shared.


8. Cross-DWCP synergies and linkages

A key finding of the review of the 2011–15 DWCP was that the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of DWCP implementation was multiplied by synergies and linkages between the various parts of the overall programme. A key focus of implementation for the period 2017–2021 will thus include strengthening of such synergies by way of the following:

• regular review of this factor by the DWCP Tripartite Committee and the DWCP Tripartite MEWG;

• inclusion of this factor in the terms of reference for DWCP reviews and project evaluations; and

• active interaction between the relevant staff in the ILO Regional and Country Offices.

9. Knowledge sharingThe generation and sharing of knowledge related to decent work in Lao PDR comprises a core DWCP component. This occurs in various ways, including these:

• in the course of interaction between (i) the national constituents and (ii) between ILO specialists and Lao PDR counterparts;

• in the context of research, studies, reviews, evaluations and production of knowledge products;

• as part of training processes, seminars and workshops;• among ILO staff engaged in supporting Lao PDR initiatives under the DWCP; and • drawing on other country knowledge.

Ensuring the quality and effectiveness of knowledge sharing will be a priority focus in DWCP planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation during 2017–21.

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10. Resourcing DWCP implementation

In line with its internationally mandated role and comparative advantages, the ILO is not a funding agency.

DWCP implementation will be resourced by a combination of national constituent, ILO regular budget and extra-budgetary sources. Extra-budgetary resources that have already been confirmed in the context of development cooperation projects are listed in the results framework. Where there are funding gaps, the ILO will work with national constituents to identify, prioritize and follow-up potential financing sources.

In this context, key resourcing priorities during implementation of the 2017–21 DWCP will include the following:

• Strengthened ILO collaboration with other international development partners active in DWCP priority areas to (i) enhance long-term joint planning based on shared priorities; (ii) maximize efficiencies in the use of available resources; (iii) deepen relations with potential donors; and (iv) enhance programme impact.

• Further development of South-South cooperation modalities as a key source of resources, knowledge and skills.

• Strengthened linkages between the various components of the DWCP to improve internal programme synergies and efficiencies.


11. Key DWCP partnershipsThe core partnerships underpinning the DWCP are those between the ILO, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MoLSW), the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), the Lao National Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI) and the Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU).

This core is supplemented by partnerships developed with these actors:

• other international development agencies, including under the auspices of the Lao PDR-UNPF;

• other government ministries and mass organizations; and • international and local civil society organizations and other actors active in DWCP priority

areas.

The ILO will further participate to the extent possible in UNCT joint mechanisms as part of its commitment to the “UN Delivering as One” and to benefit from access to the wider resources of the UN Country Team (UNCT) in Lao PDR. This will include participation in the following:

• multi-agency working groups under relevant Lao PDR-UNPF outcomes, with priority on the joint UNCT working group on employment creation and social protection;

• UN Operations Management Team (under the auspices of the UN Business Operations Strategy), which will strengthen day-to-day working relations; and

• UN Monitoring and Evaluation Working Group, which will share good M&E practices and learning.

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12. DWCP management and implementation framework

12.1 Collaboration between ILO and national constituents

The Government of Lao PDR and the social partners will collaborate with the ILO in the implementation and regular review of the DWCP within the framework of tripartite architecture described in section 12. All partners will participate fully at all stages of the DWCP cycle, including an annual tripartite meeting to review implementation. The ILO will also cooperate with other key stakeholders in the country, including UN system programmes, funds, and agencies through the Lao PDR-UNPF. Such cooperation will be based on a shared commitment to support national development priorities and a mutual respect for the respective mandates, expertise and resources of each partner.

12.2 Government-social partner coordination

Effective development, implementation and review of the DWCP depends on close coordination among ministries and other government agencies, and between the Government and the social partners. The body that ensured this coordination during the 2011–15 DWCP, the DWCP Tripartite Committee (supported by the tripartite DWCP MEWG), will continue to ensure coordination and ownership throughout the period of the current DWCP. ILO commitments to, and alignment with, the Lao PDR-UNPF will be assessed under the annual UNCT review process and reporting obligations to the Lao PDR Government.

12.3 Internal ILO oversight and coordination

Within the ILO, DWCP implementation is led and coordinated by the Country Office for Thailand, Cambodia and Lao PDR, with active support from the Decent Work Team for East and South-East Asia and the Pacific, the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, and ILO Headquarters in Geneva. Within this framework, the ILO National Coordinator based in Vientiane provides the primary focal point for DWCP implementation and relations at country level.


13. Advocacy and communications

Evidence-based advocacy for decent work is an important part of the ILO role at the country level. Such advocacy is conducted in the context of dialogue and cooperation with national constituents and other partners. It is informed by relevant research, other country experience and the findings of programme reviews and evaluations.

Key messages in ILO advocacy and communications include:

• the role of International Labour Conventions and SDG 8 in promoting inclusive and sustainable development in Lao PDR

• the importance of effective partnerships to address Lao PDR’s decent work challenges, implement the SDGs and achieve domestic development priorities

• success stories emerging from initiatives under the DWCP and their contribution to achieving Lao PDR’s development agenda

The ILO and the national constituents will draw upon the above messages to develop targeted materials and approaches for resource mobilization purposes, including through the website maintained by the ILO Country Office for Cambodia, Lao PDR and Thailand. To supplement these efforts, the ILO will participate in the Lao PDR UN Communications Group (under the auspices of the UNCT Communications Strategy), which will provide opportunities to increase the public profile of the DWCP.

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14. Monitoring, evaluation, learning and reporting

Critical to the successful implementation of the DWCP are effective monitoring and evaluation, linked to continuous learning and reporting. To this end, the following measures will be taken:

• mid-term and end-of-term and DWCP reviews, linked to similar processes under the Lao PDR-UNPF;

• evaluation of development cooperation projects to be linked to their contribution to the achievement of overall DWCP outcomes; and

• development and regular updating (at least quarterly) of the DWCP Monitoring Plan.

The DWCP M&E Working Group will met at least quarterly to ensure oversight and coordination of the above measures. Its agenda will include the following:

• review of the updated DWCP Monitoring Plan;• review of findings of recent programme and project reviews and evaluations;• developing links with the UNCT Evaluation Working Group;• maintaining an overview of other relevant ILO thematic and multi-country evaluations; and• based on the above, recommendations to the annual review meeting of the DWCP Tripartite

Committee on adjustments required to ensure continued relevance, effectiveness and impact of DWCP implementation.

Adjustments made to the DWCP as part of the annual review process will particularly apply at Output, Indicator and Target levels.

The DWCP Tripartite Committee will prepare an annual report on DWCP implementation and develop a draft work plan for the following year, with support of the ILO Coordinator in Lao PDR. These documents will be considered at the annual DWCP Tripartite Committee review meeting, which includes the MPI.

The finalised report will feed into both the UNPF annual report to the Lao PDR Government and the Government’s annual NSEDP report. The ILO will report internally on implementation under its own requirements and procedures.

Strengthening the M&E capacities of Lao PDR National Constituents will be a priority of capacity development support provided under the DWCP.

The increase in regularity of the Labour Force Survey supported by the DWCP will be an important source of data against which DWCP implementation can be assessed and adjusted as necessary.


15. Risk analysis and management

Achieving the DWCP outcomes will depend on the availability of the necessary financial and human resources from both Lao PDR and ILO sources. This includes delivery by the ILO of timely technical support and efficient fund transfers. Accordingly, the DWCP results framework takes account of both the availability of resources and the potential risks that may need to be addressed during programme implementation.

A detailed description of assumptions and risks is set out in annex I. The major issues identified concern the following: (i) availability of the necessary resources for implementation, and (ii) timely ILO provision of the necessary technical, capacity development and financial support.

The DWCP Tripartite Committee, supported by the tripartite DWCP MEWG provides the main mechanism for monitoring these and other risks, and for adjusting the DWCP as necessary.


ReferencesAsian Development Bank (ADB). 2016. Strengthening capacity to develop the employment service system: Technical assistance report. Available at: https://www.adb.org/projects/documents/lao-capacity-dev-employment-service-system-tar [30 Apr. 2016].

Clarke, Don; Venevankham, Kolakot. 2016. Lao PDR Decent Work Country Programme (2011–2015). Review report (7 July).

Department for Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion, Government of Lao PDR. Website at: http://www.smepdo.org/?lang=en [4 May 2017].

International Labour Organization (ILO). No date. NORMLEX Information System on International Labour Standards. Available at: http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:1:0::NO:RP:: [29 Apr. 2017].

—. 2016. National Rural Employment Strategy in Lao PDR towards increasing opportunities for decent and productive employment in rural areas (2017–2019) Project document.

—; Asian Development Bank (ADB). 2015. Will the AEC support Lao PDR’s goal to overcome least developed status? Lao PDR Country Brief. Available at: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_357415.pdf [4 May 2017].

—. 2014. ASEAN Community 2015: Managing integration for better jobs and shared prosperity (Bangkok, ILO and ADB). Available at: https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/42818/asean-community-2015-managing-integration.pdf [4 May 2017].

Laos-Australia Development Learning Facility. 2015. Sam Sang in practice: Early lessons from pilot implementation. Available at http://ladlf.org/images/publications/141215_ladlf_samsang_study.pdf [29 Apr. 2017].

Lao Statistics Bureau. 2016. Lao PDR 4th population and housing census, 2015 (Vientiane). Available at http://lsb.gov.la/en/index.php [4 May, 2017].

—. 2010. Labour force survey (Vientiane). Available at: http://www.ilo.org/surveydata/index.php/catalog/1352 [4 May 2017].

Mitra, Priyanjali. 2015. “My World of Work” survey 2015: Lao PDR – Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) 2016.

Theile, Silas; Cichon, Dr Michael. 2016. Definition and costing of a social protection floor in Lao PDR: Preliminary assessment report. Unpublished.

UN Country Team, Lao PDR. 2015. Country analysis report: Analysis to inform the Lao PDR-UN Partnership Framework (2017–2021), Vientiane. PDF available online [4 May 2017].

UNDESA. 2016. Time Use Data Portal (data as of May 2016), Available at: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/gender/timeuse/ [30 Apr. 2017].

52

UNDP/Ministry of Planning and Investment. 2017. Graduation from least developed country status Lao PDR, 2017. The 5th National Human Development Report (Vientiane). PDF available online [4 May 2017].

UNFPA. 2016. “Landmark report: Violence against women a ‘hidden scourge’ in Lao PDR” (10 March). Press release. Available at: http://asiapacific.unfpa.org/news/landmark-report-violence-against-women-‘hidden-scourge’-lao-pdr [4 May 2017].

—. 2015. Lao PDR’s pathway to a demographic dividend.

—. 2013. Situation of youth in Lao PDR (2013).

World Bank. 2014. Lao development report: Expanding productive employment for broad-based growth. Available at: http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/lao/publication/lao-pdr-development-report-2014 [4 May 2017].

—. 2014. “Lao PDR’s small and medium-sized enterprises to benefit from new World Bank financing”. Media release (9 June). Available at: http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/06/09/lao-pdr-small-medium-enterprises-benefit-new-world-bank-financing [4 May 2017].

World Economic Forum. 2016. Global gender gap report. Available at: http://reports.weforum.org/global-gender-gap-report-2016/ [4 May 2017].


Annexes: Key documents for implementation of the DWCP 2017–2021The following documents support DWCP implementation, monitoring, review, evaluation and learning:

I DWCP assumptions and risks frameworkII Terms of reference: National Decent Work Tripartite Committee, DWCP 2017–2021III Lessons learned from previous DWCP experienceIV DWCP results framework

Annex I: DWCP assumptions and risks framework

Priority 1: Promote employment and skills development in line with market demand.

Outcome 1.1

Increased number of relevant policy frameworks, strategies and regulations for creating decent jobs in rural areas

Assumptions Risks Level of risk Mitigation measures

Adequate financial and human resources available to support strategy development, including for rural infrastructure and services.

Insufficient financial and human resources undermines development and implementation of NRES.

Rural employment plans and initiatives set back by factors related to climate change.

Delays in the provision of agreed technical, financial and capacity development support.

Medium. Maintain regular dialogue between relevant parties on resourcing requirements.

Climate change risks and mitigating factors built into (i) the design of the rural employment development cooperation project and (ii) the formulation of the NRES.

ILO to involve IDPs actively in development of the NRES and planning for implementation.

54

Outcome 1.2

Increased decent and productive employment through (i) improved matching of jobseekers and labour market requirements; (ii) entrepreneurship development for women, men and youth; and (iii) development of policy and legal instruments to support safe labour migration.


Adequate financial and human resources available for (i) effective and expanded PES and LMI; (ii) implementation of the Vientiane Declaration on Transition from Informal Employment to Formal Employment towards Decent Work Promotion in ASEAN; (iii) implementation of the 3rd SME Development Plan 2016–2020; and (iv) closer integration of public employment and labour migration services.

Insufficient financial and human resources at national and provincial levels lead to sub-optimal implementation of the NSEDP commitments in these areas.

Lack of coordination between (i) key government ministries and (ii) between IDPs leads to inefficiencies in the use of existing human and financial resources.



ILO to explore alternative funding sources, including South-South cooperation.

ILO to support improved coordination within Government and among IDPs. In case of PES and LMI, collaborate closely with ADB project in these areas.

Outcome 1.3

Increased policy capacity, competency standards, and certification and accreditation arrangements to support promotion of technical/vocational skills for women, men and youth


Stronger linkages developed between labour market requirements, improved LMI and TVET planning.

Improved use of available resources due to better coordination among relevant ministries, particularly MoLSW and MoES.

IDPs improve coordination of their efforts in support of TVET.

Current skill/market mismatches continue as result of insufficient improvement of PES and LMI, undermining NSEDP and AEC implementation.



Explore alternative funding sources, including South-South cooperation.

ILO to support improved coordination within Government and among IDPs.


Priority 2: Promote ratification and implementation of international labour standards.

Outcome 2.1

Increased quality of labour standards and protection through Labour Law implementation.


National constituents committed to ensuring that the Labour Law is visible, widely understood and applied at all levels and in all sectors of Lao society.

In the context of a rapidly developing economy and expanding labour market, the need to address occupational safety and health concerns will increase.

Implementation of Labour Law (including OSH components) undermined by (i) lack of awareness of the law, particularly among informal workers and in rural areas and (ii) insufficient resources.



ILO to pursue the proposed Development Cooperation Project (Outcome 2.1) to support implementation of the PM’s Decree and other measures on OSH.

Outcome 2.2

Increased ratification and application of international labour Conventions.


Priorities agreed for future ratifications and the necessary technical and capacity support available from the ILO.

Future ratifications as well as implementation of currently ratified and unratified Conventions held back by (i) insufficient local capacity and (ii) insufficient ILO technical and capacity development support.


Medium. Develop realistic priorities and plans for (i) future ratifications and (ii) implementation of current relevant Conventions (both ratified and unratified), with ILO technical and capacity development support.

56

Priority 3: Strengthen and expand social protection.

Outcome 3.1

National Social Protection Strategy and new social transfer tax-funded programme(s) developed, adopted and implemented.


ABDN process produces clear priorities, including with respect to development of a National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS).

The necessary financial and human resources available to support implementation of ABND recommendations which are accepted by the Lao PDR Government.

Coordination improved among (i) the various ministries and (ii) IDPs involved in social protection delivery and development.

Development of NSPS delayed by lack of resources.

Lack of fiscal space affects (i) sustainable implementation of tax payer-funded programmes under the NSPS and (ii) establishment of the national infrastructure and staffing arrangements required for nationwide delivery.

Effective and efficient development of integrated social protection approaches held back by lack of (i) cross-government and (ii) IDP coordination.


High. Maintain regular dialogue between relevant parties on resourcing requirements.

ILO to provide technical and capacity development support for development, costing and implementation of NSPS.

ILO to explore transitional funding options, including South-South cooperation.

ILO to support/facilitate coordinated approaches among relevant government agencies and IDPs.


Outcome 3.2

Increased access for workers and families to social protection benefits, including social health protection.


Long-term financial implications of moving towards tax payer-funded options fully costed and a long-term financing plan developed.

Revised Social Welfare Law (i) in line with international standards, including with respect to gender and disability, and (ii) widely disseminated at all levels.

Coordination between the relevant ministries and agencies, particularly MoLSW and MOH, is strengthened.

Lack of fiscal space affects ability to move towards tax payer funded options.

Access by informal workers remains problematical due to lack of financial and financial resources.

Lack of coordination between government ministries/agencies affects progress towards full integration of social protection policy and services.


High. Maintain regular dialogue between relevant parties on resourcing requirements.

ILO to explore transitional funding options, including South-South cooperation.

ILO to support/facilitate coordinated approaches among ( i) relevant government agencies and (ii) international development partners, including World Bank.

58

Cross-cutting Priority 4: Strengthen tripartite cooperation and social dialogue.

Outcome 4.1

Increased quality of tripartite cooperation and social dialogue through improved mechanisms.


National Tripartite Committee and sub-committees established.

Agreement among national constituents on moving to a more regular minimum wage review process.

Resources available to support improvements in tripartite cooperation and social dialogue, including collective bargaining.

Roles and benefits of tripartite bodies and processes not well understood, particularly at provincial and district levels, undermining their value in supporting NSEDP implementation.

Insufficient resources available to support tripartite processes, affecting their effectiveness and sustainability.


Medium. ILO technical and capacity development assistance as necessary to (i) support the new Tripartite Committee; (ii) develop criteria and procedures for minimum wage setting; and (iii) improve LNCCI and LFTU capacity for tripartite cooperation and social dialogue, including collective bargaining.

ILO to facilitate joint resource mobilization efforts.

Outcome 4.2

Increased capacity of employers to advance Decent Work Agenda and social dialogue.


In the context of its National Strategic Policy Framework, the LNCCI commits the necessary staff and financial resources to effective social dialogue; strengthening services to members; and expanding membership, including SMEs and provincial coverage.

A lack of (i) comprehensive coverage of employers nationally and (ii) active membership participation undermines LNCCI contribution to NSEDP implementation.


Low. ILO technical and capacity development support to improve LFTU ability to expand and serve membership.



Outcome 4.3

Increased capacity of workers to advance Decent Work Agenda and social dialogue.


The LFTU commits the necessary staff and financial resources to effective social dialogue, strengthening its services to members and expanding membership, including among informal workers.

A lack of comprehensive coverage of workers across all sectors nationally affects (i) LFTU contribution to NSEDP implementation and (ii) ability to protect workers’ rights and conditions in context of rapid economic change.


Medium. ILO technical and capacity development support to improve LFTU ability to expand and serve membership.


Cross-cutting theme

Effective application of laws for gender equality and strengthening of tripartite gender mainstreaming capacities.


The key national gender equality institutions – National Commission for Advancement of Women, Mother and Child (NCAWMC) and Lao Women’s Union (LWU) can play active advocacy roles in areas relevant to DCWP priorities.

Gender considerations given the necessary attention in NSEDP implementation and monitoring.

LNCCI and LFTU gender equality commitments reflected in increased numbers of women in leadership and senior management.

Progress in implementing the NSEDP on an inclusive and equitable basis undermined by insufficient resourcing of gender equality aspects.

Medium. Engage the NCAWMC and the LWU in planning and implementation of DWCP activities where-ever possible.

ILO to include specific markers in all DWCP interventions and projects to keep focus on gender considerations in planning, implementation and review/evaluation.

ILO to seek specific resourcing for implementation of gender commitments within DWCP.

60

Annex II: Terms of reference

National Tripartite Decent Work Committee Decent Work Country Programme for Lao PDR 2017–2021

I. Background

The Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) for Lao PDR 2017–2021 was developed through a series of consultations with tripartite organizations in Lao PDR, namely the Government, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and contains the strategy for planned interventions.

Within the overarching theme of Decent Work for All, the DWCP will concentrate on the following four priorities for the period 2017–2021;

• Priority 1: Promote employment and technical/vocational skills development in line with market demand.

• Priority 2: Promote ratification of international labour standards and improve implementation of the Labour Law.

• Priority 3: Develop National Social Protection Strategy and improve social protection policy and mechanisms.

• Priority 4: Strengthen tripartite cooperation and social dialogue.

To realize the DWCP objectives, the Government, workers’ and employers’ organizations decided to set up a Steering Committee for the DWCP 2017–2021.

ILO development cooperation activities in Lao PDR, in particular the Decent Work Country Programme 2017–2021, are undertaken within the framework of the national development policies. The DWCP contributes to the UN Partnership Programme for Lao PDR 2017–2021 and supports the implementation of the 8th National Social and Economic Development (8th NSEDP) and the achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The ILO development cooperation programme in Lao PDR consists of programmes, projects, and other technical assistance activities funded by a mix of ILO funding as well as national contributions.

While the SDGs are universal and inter-related, each country will draw up its own strategy on how to achieve them and will report on results. It is therefore important for the tripartite constituents to increase their influence in this process. In addition, development cooperation must increasingly be driven by constituents’ needs and more from the bottom up. Eventually, the promotion of decent work is a cooperative effort that involves a range of national development partners as well as international development partners.

The tripartite organizations’ active participation in the design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, as well as in the coordination and oversight of ILO development cooperation activities is important. The overall aim of the National Decent Work Tripartite Committee is to contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of the ILO development cooperation through interaction with national and in-country partners. The Committee provides a space to promote the sustainability of ILO development cooperation interventions, seeking alignment with national policy frameworks and budgets.


II. Composition and membership

The Committee shall be composed of a minimum of seven persons nominated as follows: the Government (two), LNCCI (two), LFTU (2) and ILO (one). The Committee is encouraged to invite the organizations (national or international) that play an active role in the ILO development cooperation and the promotion of decent work to meetings. In this way the Committee can build a multi stakeholder platform for decent work in support to the implementation of the national Sustainable Development Agenda.

III. Roles and responsibilities

Under the chair responsibility of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, in cooperation with Lao Federation of Trade Unions (LFTU) and Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LNCCI), with the support of the M&E working group and the ILO National Coordinator in Lao PDR, the Committee will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Promote the DWCP and ILO development cooperation under the DWCP to all government ministers; members of the National Assembly; various government departments, agencies, and institutions; members of employers’ and workers’ organizations; other stakeholders and the public at large in order to create greater awareness, understanding and visibility of the programme, ensuring as effective and wide ranging an impact as possible, aiming to ground the most efficient, impactful and synergetic development cooperation activities possible.

• Provide policy guidance to the ILO office, national constituents, other national partners and development partners to ensure that both new and ongoing DWCP development cooperation initiatives remain aligned with national priorities.

• Ensure that DWCP priorities and outcomes, including those implemented through development cooperation programmes/projects, are integrated with other national efforts, including the implementation plan of the 8th NSEDP, the Labour and Social Welfare Strategy, and the UN Partnership Framework.

• Regularly monitor DWCP implementation as per the monitoring plan and accompanying results and monitoring framework, taking into account development cooperation interventions in support of the DWCP.

• Ensure the active participation of all key stakeholders in the promotion of decent work, including through social dialogue initiatives.

• Advise on new or adjusted areas of work in support to national decent work priorities, aiming to ensure continuing alignment with the evolving national development context.

• Participate in the periodic DWCP review and evaluation, regularly assessing their impacts on the country-level SDGs.

IV. Frequency of meetings

The committee shall meet on a regular basis – annually, at least – to review the progress of the implementation and discuss the annual work plan. The Minister of Labour and Social Welfare may also convene meetings of the Committee on an ad hoc basis to address issues of major concern at the request of the majority of the Committee members.

62

V. Principles

• The Committee takes a Managing for Development Results (MfDR)/Results-based Management (RBM) approach, as per the 2016 Vientiane Declaration on Aid Effectiveness as well as the MfDR/RBM polices of UN/ILO.

• Also in light of the Vientiane Declaration, the work of the Committee shall be guided by the principles of national ownership, national capacity development, alignment with the national system, and mutual accountability.

• The work of the DWCP Committee shall therefore be treated as part of the core work of the constituents, and not as “additionality”.

• Committee decisions shall be consensual.

VI. Meetings

• The DWCP MEWG may meet as often as necessary, but a minimum of once every quarter, to carry out the aforementioned responsibilities.

• The Lead Chair shall be responsible for convening a MEWG meeting, including sending out invitations, securing the venue, preparing a minutes, etc.


Annex III: Lessons learned from previous DWCP experience

The final review of the 2011–15 DWCP highlighted the following key lessons to be taken into account in future DWCP planning and implementation:70

• need to carefully tailor the DWCP to the Lao PDR context, including national political processes and partner capacities;

• need to focus on ownership and sustainability through regular partner dialogue;• need to maintain focus on extending policies and programmes to (i) district and local levels

and (ii) the informal economy; • more focus needed in all gender equality and disability issue areas to ensure that (i) rights

are promoted and protected and (ii) programme results are maximized; • a joint focus on improving data is vital to strengthen policy and programme development; • effective implementation of DWCP requires greater coordination (i) with other

development partners and (ii) between government ministries;• capacity development is a long-term process that must be owned and driven by the

national partners; • the quality and balance of partnerships at all levels is vital to DWCP impact – hence these

need regular review; • effective coordination and synergies between different parts of the DWCP helps to

strengthen overall DWCP impact; • effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) at all levels is vital to DWCP success – and to

this end it is important to support partner capacity;• good practices identified by project evaluations need to be followed up with the application

of lessons learned;• joint development of DWCP indicators and targets is needed to reinforce national

ownership.

70 Clarke and Venevankham (2016), op. cit.


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usiv

e na

tiona

l pro

cess

, dra

win

g on

less

ons

from

pilo

t acti

vitie

s in

two

prov

ince

s, w

ith (i

) ini

tial

impl

emen

tatio

n un

derw

ay b

y 20

21 a

nd (i

i) re

flecti

on o

f ge

nder

, eth

nici

ty a

nd d

isabi

lity

cons

ider

ation

s.

72

8th N

atio

nal S

ocia

l and

Eco

nom

ic D

evel

opm

ent P

lan

73

Lao

PD

R-U

N P

artn

ersh

ip F

ram

ewor

k 20

17–2

021

74

Pro

gram

me

and

Bud

get p

ropo

sals

for 2

018–

2019

: ILO

Gov

erni

ng B

ody

328t

h S

essi

on, 2

7 O

ctob

er –

10

Nov

embe

r 201

675

W

orld

Ban

k. (2

016)

. Lao

Eco

nom

ic M

onito

r 201

5–20

1676

Ib

id.

77

Lao

Sta

tistic

s B

urea

u (2

016)

. Lao

PD

R 4

th P

opul

atio

n an

d H

ousi

ng C

ensu

s, 2

015


Link

s to

NSE

DPLi

nks t

o La

o PD

R-U

NPF

Link

s to

SDG

sLi

nks t

o IL

O P

&B

outc

omes

Indi

cato

r 1.1

.2N

umbe

r of n

ew o

r im

prov

ed p

olic

ies a

nd se

rvic

es re

late

d to

rura

l em

ploy

men

t int

rodu

ced

and

impl

emen

ted

as e

xten

sion

of e

xisti

ng

law

s and

stra

tegi

es in

Sek

ong

and

Sava

nnak

het p

rovi

nces

.

Base

line

Impl

emen

tatio

n of

exi

sting

pol

icie

s and

se

rvic

es re

late

d to

rura

l em

ploy

men

t at

prov

inci

al a

nd d

istric

t lev

els i

s ham

pere

d by

la

ck o

f hum

an a

nd fi

nanc

ial c

apac

ity.

Targ

et 1

.1.2

At le

ast o

ne g

ende

r-res

pons

ive

mea

sure

take

n to

add

ress

id

entifi

ed p

olic

y or

serv

ice

gaps

in e

ach

prov

ince

by

2019

.

Indi

cato

r 1.1

.3N

umbe

r of S

outh

-Sou

th c

oope

ratio

n (S

SC) i

nitia

tives

con

duct

ed a

s pa

rt o

f im

plem

enta

tion

of V

ienti

ane

Decl

arati

on o

n Tr

ansiti

on fr

om

Info

rmal

Em

ploy

men

t to

Form

al E

mpl

oym

ent t

owar

ds D

ecen

t Wor

k Pr

omoti

on in

ASE

AN.

Base

line

The

Vien

tiane

Dec

lara

tion

was

ado

pted

in

Sept

embe

r 201

6.

Targ

et 1

.1.3

(a)

Five

-yea

r acti

on p

lan

adop

ted

to im

plem

ent V

ienti

ane

Decl

arati

on b

y 20

18; i

nclu

des f

ocus

on

rura

l job

s and

in

clus

ion

of g

ende

r, et

hnic

com

mun

ity a

nd d

isabi

lity

aspe

cts.

Targ

et 1

.1.3

(b)

At le

ast t

hree

SSC

acti

vitie

s rel

ated

to ru

ral e

mpl

oym

ent

elem

ents

of V

ienti

ane

Decl

arati

on im

plem

ente

d w

ith

ASEA

N c

ount

erpa

rts b

y 20

19.

68

DWCP

Out

com

e 1.

2 M

eans

of v

erifi

catio

nPa

rtne

rsIn

tegr

ated

reso

urce

requ

irem

ents

Estim

ated

as a

vaila

ble

(US$

)To

be

mob

ilize

d (U

S$)

Incr

ease

d de

cent

and

pr

oduc

tive

empl

oym

ent

thro

ugh

(i) im

prov

ed m

atch

ing

of jo

bsee

kers

and

labo

ur

mar

ket r

equi

rem

ents

; (ii)

en

trep

rene

ursh

ip d

evel

opm

ent

for w

omen

, men

and

you

th;

and

(iii)

deve

lopm

ent o

f pol

icy

and

lega

l ins

trum

ents

to

supp

ort s

afe

labo

ur m

igra

tion.

Supp

orte

d by

dev

elop

men

t co

oper

ation

pro

ject

(s):

Deve

lopm

ent o

f pha

se 2

of

ILO

/Chi

na S

outh

-Sou

th

Coop

erati

on P

roje

ct o

n em

ploy

men

t ser

vice

s and

la

bour

mar

ket i

nfor

mati

on

in C

ambo

dia

and

Lao

PDR

(tim

efra

me

and

arra

ngem

ents

to

be

indi

cate

d in

201

7).

Trip

artit

e Ac

tion

to E

nhan

ce

the

Cont

ributi

on o

f Lab

our

Mig

ratio

n to

Gro

wth

and

De

velo

pmen

t in

ASEA

N

Proj

ect (

TRIA

NGL

E II)

: fun

ded

by G

over

nmen

t of A

ustr

alia

20

15–2

5.

Third

Lao

PDR

Lab

our F

orce

Su

rvey

.

Fifth

Lao

PDR

Pop

ulati

on a

nd

Hous

ing

Cens

us.

Annu

al M

oLSW

repo

rts o

n pu

blic

em

ploy

men

t ser

vice

s.

Annu

al re

port

s of L

NCC

I and

LF

TU o

n en

trep

rene

ursh

ip

trai

ning

for m

embe

rs.

Annu

al p

rogr

ess r

epor

ts o

n im

plem

enta

tion

of 8

th N

SEDP

.

Annu

al M

oLSW

dat

a on

labo

ur

mig

ratio

n.

TRIA

NGL

E pr

ojec

t ann

ual

repo

rting

and

mid

-ter

m

eval

uatio

n fin

ding

s.

• M

oLSW

• La

o Bu

reau

of S

tatis

tics

• M

CI S

ME

Deve

lopm

ent D

epar

tmen

t •

UN

CT•

LNCC

I•

LFTU

• As

ian

Deve

lopm

ent B

ank

$700

,000

for s

afe

labo

ur

mig

ratio

n pr

ojec

t (es

timat

ed)

$30,

000

for e

mpl

oym

ent

serv

ice

in 2

017

$500

,000


Link

s to

NSE

DPLi

nks t

o La

o PD

R-U

NPF

Link

s to

SDG

sLi

nks t

o IL

O P

&B

outc

omes

Out

com

e 1,

Out

put 1

: En

surin

g su

stai

ned

and

incl

usiv

e ec

onom

ic g

row

th.

Out

com

e 1,

Out

put 6

: Lo

cal e

ntre

pren

eurs

co

mpe

titive

in d

omes

tic a

nd

inte

rnati

onal

mar

kets

(inc

lude

s sk

ills u

pgra

ding

and

TVE

T).

Cros

s-cu

tting

Out

put 8

.21.

2:Pr

omot

e an

d de

velo

p ge

nder

eq

ualit

y, ju

veni

les a

nd y

outh

.

Out

com

e 1:

Al

l wom

en a

nd m

en h

ave

incr

ease

d op

port

uniti

es fo

r de

cent

live

lihoo

ds a

nd jo

bs.

Goa

l 1: E

nd p

over

ty, r

educ

e in

equa

lity.

Goa

l 4: E

nsur

e qu

ality

edu

catio

n,

prom

ote

lifel

ong

lear

ning

.

Goa

l 5: A

chie

ve g

ende

r equ

ality

, em

pow

er w

omen

and

girl

s.

Goa

l 8: P

rom

ote

full

and

prod

uctiv

e em

ploy

men

t and

dec

ent w

ork

for a

ll.

Out

com

e 1:

M

ore

and

bette

r job

s for

incl

usiv

e gr

owth

and

impr

oved

you

th

empl

oym

ent p

rosp

ects

, par

ticul

arly

Indi

cato

r 1.6

.

Out

com

e 4:

Pr

omoti

ng su

stai

nabl

e en

terp

rises

, spe

cific

ally

Indi

cato

r 4.2

.

Out

com

e 9:

Pr

omoti

ng fa

ir an

d eff

ectiv

e la

bour

mig

ratio

n po

licie

s, p

artic

ular

ly

Indi

cato

r 9.1

.

Indi

cato

r 1.2

.1Av

aila

bilit

y of

nati

onal

stra

tegy

and

acti

on p

lan

for d

evel

opm

ent

of p

ublic

em

ploy

men

t ser

vice

s (PE

S) a

nd la

bour

mar

ket

info

rmati

on (L

MI).

77

Base

lines

N

ine

prov

inci

al e

mpl

oym

ent s

ervi

ces

job

cent

res (

ESJC

s) a

nd o

ne n

ation

al

empl

oym

ent s

ervi

ce c

entr

e (E

SC)

exist

ed a

s of F

ebru

ary

2017

.

Firs

t sur

vey

of e

mpl

oyer

skill

s nee

ds

cond

ucte

d by

LN

CCI i

n 20

15–1

6.

Lao

Stan

dard

Cla

ssifi

catio

n of

O

ccup

ation

s (LS

CO) t

o six

-dig

it le

vel

final

ized

in 2

016.

Targ

et 1

.2.1

Nati

onal

stra

tegy

and

acti

on p

lan

for d

evel

opm

ent o

f PES

and

LM

I dev

elop

ed a

nd a

dopt

ed b

y 20

18, i

nclu

ding

the

follo

win

g: (i

) es

tabl

ishm

ent o

f leg

al b

asis

for p

ublic

em

ploy

men

t ser

vice

s in

line

with

C88

; (ii)

enh

ance

d M

oLSW

role

in re

gula

ting

and

mon

itorin

g st

anda

rds f

or e

mpl

oym

ent s

ervi

ces (

publ

ic a

nd p

rivat

e) in

line

with

C1

81; a

nd (i

ii) g

reat

er in

tegr

ation

of s

ervi

ces p

rovi

ded

by E

SJCs

) and

M

RCs.

Targ

et 1

.2.1

(b)

MO

Us d

evel

oped

bet

wee

n M

oLSW

and

the

LNCC

I and

the

LFTU

re

spec

tivel

y fo

r coo

pera

tion

in im

plem

entin

g PE

S/LM

I str

ateg

y by

20

18.

Targ

et 1

.1.2

(c)

Empl

oyer

skill

s nee

ds su

rvey

s con

duct

ed a

nnua

lly fr

om 2

018

(with

pi

lot p

roje

ct in

itiat

ed b

y 20

18 to

gat

her s

uch

data

on

a se

ctor

al a

nd/

or sp

ecifi

c ge

ogra

phic

bas

is).

78

In c

olla

bora

tion

with

the

Asi

an D

evel

opm

ent B

ank

(AD

B) C

apac

ity D

evel

opm

ent T

echn

ical

Ass

ista

nce

Pro

ject

: Lao

PD

R-S

treng

then

ing

Cap

acity

to D

evel

op th

e E

mpl

oym

ent S

ervi

ce S

yste

m

70

Link

s to

NSE

DPLi

nks t

o La

o PD

R-U

NPF

Link

s to

SDG

sLi

nks t

o IL

O P

&B

outc

omes

Indi

cato

r 1.2

.2M

ore

regu

lar L

abou

r For

ce S

urve

ys c

ondu

cted

.Ba

selin

esLa

bour

forc

e su

rvey

s con

duct

ed to

dat

e in

201

0 an

d 20

16.

Targ

et 1

.2.2

At le

ast t

hree

Lab

our F

orce

Sur

veys

con

duct

ed b

y 20

21.

Indi

cato

r 1.2

.3N

umbe

r of j

obse

eker

regi

stra

tions

and

job

plac

emen

ts, d

isagg

rega

ted

by se

x, a

t cen

tral

and

pr

ovin

cial

ESJ

Cs.78

Base

lines

13,0

00 v

acan

cies

reco

rded

and

2,3

00 jo

b pl

acem

ents

m

ade

by th

e ES

JCs i

n th

e pe

riod

2014

–15.

Num

ber o

f new

ly e

mpl

oyed

per

sons

nati

onw

ide

in 2

015:

74

,824

.79

Eigh

th N

SEDP

targ

et fo

r new

ly e

mpl

oyed

eac

h ye

ar:

716,

193.

Targ

et 1

.2.3

By 2

021,

60%

of r

egist

ered

jobs

eeke

rs p

er a

nnum

pla

ced

in

empl

oym

ent,

at le

ast 5

0% o

f who

m a

re w

omen

and

2.8

%

are

peop

le w

ith d

isabi

lities

in li

ne w

ith n

ation

al p

reva

lenc

e st

atisti

cs.

Indi

cato

r 1.2

.4Le

gisla

tion,

pol

icie

s and

MO

Us l

inke

d to

labo

ur

mig

ratio

n ad

opte

d or

am

ende

d in

line

with

in

tern

ation

al st

anda

rds a

nd g

ood

prac

tices

.

Base

lines

Mai

n le

gisla

tive

cove

r for

inte

rnati

onal

labo

ur m

igra

tion

is pr

ovid

ed b

y th

e La

bour

Law

(201

4).

Labo

ur m

igra

tion

MO

Us i

n pl

ace

with

the

Repu

blic

of

Kore

a, T

haila

nd a

nd S

inga

pore

.

Appr

oxim

atel

y 60

0,00

0 La

o m

igra

nts w

ork

abro

ad, 5

0% o

f th

em in

Tha

iland

.80

Targ

et 1

.2.4

At le

ast o

ne p

iece

of l

egisl

ation

, pol

icy

and/

or M

OU

has

bee

n ad

opte

d or

revi

sed

to b

etter

refle

ct in

tern

ation

al st

anda

rds

by 2

021.

Indi

cato

r 1.2

.5N

umbe

r of p

rovi

nces

in w

hich

mig

rant

labo

ur

serv

ices

ava

ilabl

e th

roug

h M

RCs w

orki

ng in

liai

son

with

ESJ

Cs.

Base

lines

Thre

e M

RCs u

nder

ILO

TRI

ANGL

E pr

ojec

t ope

ratio

nal

at p

rovi

ncia

l lev

el a

s of F

ebru

ary

2017

, one

of w

hich

op

erat

ed b

y th

e LF

TU.

Targ

et 1

.2.5

MRC

s ope

ratio

nal a

nd w

orki

ng in

liai

son

with

ESJ

Cs in

at l

east

fiv

e pr

ovin

ces b

y 20

21, i

nclu

ding

at l

east

two

MRC

s man

aged

by

the

LFTU

.

Indi

cato

r 1.2

.6N

umbe

r of e

mpl

oyer

s’ o

rgan

izatio

ns, w

orke

rs’

orga

niza

tions

and

bus

ines

s ser

vice

pro

vide

rs

with

incr

ease

d te

chni

cal c

apac

ity to

pro

vide

en

trep

rene

ursh

ip tr

aini

ng to

wom

en, m

en a

nd y

outh

Base

lines

Nati

onal

roll-

out o

f KAB

into

seco

ndar

y sc

hool

cur

ricul

um

unde

rway

in 2

016–

17.

Lim

ited

capa

city

ava

ilabl

e in

LN

CCI,

LFTU

and

bus

ines

s se

rvic

e pr

ovid

ers f

or e

ntre

pren

eurs

hip

trai

ning

Targ

et 1

.2.6

By 2

021,

at l

east

two

empl

oyer

s’ o

rgan

izatio

ns, w

orke

rs’

orga

niza

tions

or b

usin

ess s

ervi

ce p

rovi

ders

hav

e re

ceiv

ed

trai

ning

and

oth

er su

ppor

t to

incr

ease

thei

r tec

hnic

al c

apac

ity

to d

eliv

er e

ntre

pren

eurs

hip

lead

ersh

ip a

nd sk

ills t

rain

ing

to

wom

en, m

en a

nd y

outh

, inc

ludi

ng in

the

info

rmal

eco

nom

y.

79

MoL

SW

adm

inis

trativ

e da

ta, 2

016

80

MoL

SW

adm

inis

trativ

e da

ta, 2

015–

2016

81

Sou

thic

hack

, Man

a. (2

014)

. Lao

Lab

our M

igra

tion

and

Rem

ittan

ces:

Tre

nds

and

Live

lihoo

d Im

plic

atio

ns


DWCP

Out

com

e 1.

3 M

eans

of v

erifi

catio

nPa

rtne

rsIn

tegr

ated

reso

urce

requ

irem

ents

Estim

ated

as a

vaila

ble

(US$

)To

be

mob

ilize

d (U

S$)

Incr

ease

d po

licy

capa

city

, com

pete

ncy

stan

dard

s, a

nd c

ertifi

catio

n an

d ac

cred

itatio

n ar

rang

emen

ts to

supp

ort

prom

otion

of t

echn

ical

/voc

ation

al sk

ills f

or

wom

en, m

en a

nd y

outh

.

Annu

al d

ata

of M

oES

Educ

ation

Man

agem

ent

Syst

em.

Annu

al p

rogr

ess r

epor

ts

on im

plem

enta

tion

of 8

th

NSE

DP.

Annu

al M

oLSW

repo

rts.

LNCC

I em

ploy

er sk

ills n

eeds

su

rvey

s.

• M

oLSW

• N

ation

al S

kills

Cou

ncil

• LN

CCI

• LF

TU•

UN

CT•

Lao-

Kore

a Sk

ills D

evel

opm

ent

Insti

tute

$40,

000

for 2

017–

18 fr

om IL

O-

Repu

blic

of K

orea

par

tner

ship

pr

ogra

mm

e.

$500

,000

.

Link

s to

NSE

DPLi

nks t

o La

o PD

R-U

NPF

Link

s to

SDG

sLi

nks t

o IL

O P

&B

outc

omes

Out

com

e 1,

Out

put 5

: Im

prov

ed p

ublic

/priv

ate

labo

ur fo

rce

capa

city

(inc

ludi

ng th

e fo

llow

ing

Targ

et):

Test

and

issu

e st

anda

rd sk

ill c

ertifi

cate

s fo

r ten

con

stru

ction

-rel

ated

pro

fess

ions

, se

ven

car m

echa

nic-

rela

ted

prof

essio

ns,

six in

form

ation

and

com

mun

icati

ons

tech

nolo

gy (I

CT)-r

elat

ed p

rofe

ssio

ns a

nd

four

pro

fess

ions

in to

urism

.

Out

com

e 1,

Out

put 6

: Lo

cal e

ntre

pren

eurs

com

petiti

ve in

do

mes

tic a

nd in

tern

ation

al m

arke

ts

(incl

udes

TVE

T).

Cros

s-cu

tting

Out

put 8

.21.

2:

Prom

ote

and

deve

lop

gend

er e

qual

ity,

juve

nile

s and

you

th.

Out

com

e 4:

Ch

ildre

n an

d yo

uth

enjo

y be

tter a

cces

s to

incl

usiv

e an

d eq

uita

ble

qual

ity b

asic

ed

ucati

on a

nd v

ocati

onal

sk

ills.

Goa

l 1: E

nd p

over

ty, r

educ

e in

equa

lity.

Goa

l 4: E

nsur

e qu

ality

edu

catio

n,

prom

ote

lifel

ong

lear

ning

.

Goa

l 5: A

chie

ve g

ende

r equ

ality

, em

pow

er w

omen

and

girl

s.

Goa

l 8: P

rom

ote

full

and

prod

uctiv

e em

ploy

men

t and

dec

ent w

ork

for

all.

Out

com

e 1:

M

ore

and

bette

r job

s for

incl

usiv

e gr

owth

and

impr

oved

yo

uth

empl

oym

ent p

rosp

ects

, par

ticul

arly

Indi

cato

r 1.3

(o

n sk

ills d

evel

opm

ent)

.

72

DWCP

Out

com

e 1.

3 M

eans

of v

erifi

catio

nPa

rtne

rsIn

tegr

ated

reso

urce

requ

irem

ents

Estim

ated

as a

vaila

ble

(US$

)To

be

mob

ilize

d (U

S$)

Incr

ease

d po

licy

capa

city

, com

pete

ncy

stan

dard

s, a

nd c

ertifi

catio

n an

d ac

cred

itatio

n ar

rang

emen

ts to

supp

ort

prom

otion

of t

echn

ical

/voc

ation

al sk

ills f

or

wom

en, m

en a

nd y

outh

.

Annu

al d

ata

of M

oES

Educ

ation

Man

agem

ent

Syst

em.

Annu

al p

rogr

ess r

epor

ts

on im

plem

enta

tion

of 8

th

NSE

DP.

Annu

al M

oLSW

repo

rts.

LNCC

I em

ploy

er sk

ills n

eeds

su

rvey

s.

• M

oLSW

• N

ation

al S

kills

Cou

ncil

• LN

CCI

• LF

TU•

UN

CT•

Lao-

Kore

a Sk

ills D

evel

opm

ent

Insti

tute

$40,

000

for 2

017–

18 fr

om IL

O-

Repu

blic

of K

orea

par

tner

ship

pr

ogra

mm

e.

$500

,000

.

Link

s to

NSE

DPLi

nks t

o La

o PD

R-U

NPF

Link

s to

SDG

sLi

nks t

o IL

O P

&B

outc

omes

Out

com

e 1,

Out

put 5

: Im

prov

ed p

ublic

/priv

ate

labo

ur fo

rce

capa

city

(inc

ludi

ng th

e fo

llow

ing

Targ

et):

Test

and

issu

e st

anda

rd sk

ill c

ertifi

cate

s fo

r ten

con

stru

ction

-rel

ated

pro

fess

ions

, se

ven

car m

echa

nic-

rela

ted

prof

essio

ns,

six in

form

ation

and

com

mun

icati

ons

tech

nolo

gy (I

CT)-r

elat

ed p

rofe

ssio

ns a

nd

four

pro

fess

ions

in to

urism

.

Out

com

e 1,

Out

put 6

: Lo

cal e

ntre

pren

eurs

com

petiti

ve in

do

mes

tic a

nd in

tern

ation

al m

arke

ts

(incl

udes

TVE

T).

Cros

s-cu

tting

Out

put 8

.21.

2:

Prom

ote

and

deve

lop

gend

er e

qual

ity,

juve

nile

s and

you

th.

Out

com

e 4:

Ch

ildre

n an

d yo

uth

enjo

y be

tter a

cces

s to

incl

usiv

e an

d eq

uita

ble

qual

ity b

asic

ed

ucati

on a

nd v

ocati

onal

sk

ills.

Goa

l 1: E

nd p

over

ty, r

educ

e in

equa

lity.

Goa

l 4: E

nsur

e qu

ality

edu

catio

n,

prom

ote

lifel

ong

lear

ning

.

Goa

l 5: A

chie

ve g

ende

r equ

ality

, em

pow

er w

omen

and

girl

s.

Goa

l 8: P

rom

ote

full

and

prod

uctiv

e em

ploy

men

t and

dec

ent w

ork

for

all.

Out

com

e 1:

M

ore

and

bette

r job

s for

incl

usiv

e gr

owth

and

impr

oved

yo

uth

empl

oym

ent p

rosp

ects

, par

ticul

arly

Indi

cato

r 1.3

(o

n sk

ills d

evel

opm

ent)

.

Link

s to

NSE

DPLi

nks t

o La

o PD

R-U

NPF

Link

s to

SDG

sLi

nks t

o IL

O P

&B

outc

omes

Indi

cato

r 1.3

.1N

umbe

r of i

nitia

tives

to st

reng

then

cap

acity

of

nati

onal

mec

hani

sms f

or d

evel

opm

ent o

f te

chni

cal/v

ocati

onal

skill

s pol

icy

and

syst

ems.

Base

lines

Adop

tion

of T

VET

Law

(201

3) a

nd T

VET

Deve

lopm

ent P

lan

2016

–20.

Nati

onal

Qua

lifica

tions

Fra

mew

ork

not y

et in

pla

ce.

New

MoL

SW sk

ills d

evel

opm

ent d

epar

tmen

t to

be se

t up.

Thirt

y pe

r cen

t of y

outh

(fem

ale/

mal

e) e

mpl

oyed

thro

ugh

TVET

20

15).81

Num

ber o

f stu

dent

s enr

olle

d in

TVE

T in

201

5: 6

5,00

0.82

NSE

DP

targ

et: 1

05,0

00.

Targ

et 1

.3.1

At le

ast t

wo

initi

ative

s to

stre

ngth

en N

ation

al

Trai

ning

Cou

ncil

and

MoL

SW te

chni

cal c

apac

ity fo

r na

tiona

l tec

hnic

al/v

ocati

onal

skill

s pol

icy

and

syst

ems

deve

lopm

ent b

y 20

21.

Indi

cato

r 1.3

.2

Num

ber o

f new

tech

nica

l/voc

ation

al sk

ills a

nd

com

pete

ncy

stan

dard

s pro

mul

gate

d at

nati

onal

le

vel.

Base

lines

Nati

onal

skill

s sta

ndar

ds e

stab

lishe

d in

ICT,

tour

ism, a

utom

otive

an

d co

nstr

uctio

n fo

r cer

tifica

tion

and

accr

edita

tion.

In 2

014,

50

wor

kers

wer

e ce

rtifie

d by

the

Lao-

Kore

an S

kills

De

velo

pmen

t Cen

tre

usin

g th

e na

tiona

l ski

lls st

anda

rd d

evel

oped

fo

r the

aut

omoti

ve se

ctor

.

Targ

et 1

.3.2

At

leas

t five

new

tech

nica

l/voc

ation

al sk

ills a

nd

com

pete

ncy

stan

dard

s pro

mul

gate

d at

nati

onal

le

vel b

y 20

21,

with

atte

ntion

to a

ddre

ssin

g sk

ills/

com

pete

ncy

stan

dard

s in

non-

trad

ition

al o

ccup

ation

s fo

r wom

en.

Indi

cato

r 1.3

.3

Num

ber o

f add

ition

al te

chni

cal/v

ocati

onal

skill

and

co

mpe

tenc

y st

anda

rds d

evel

oped

for c

ertifi

catio

n an

d ac

cred

itatio

n.

Base

lines

Nati

onal

skill

s sta

ndar

ds e

stab

lishe

d in

ICT,

tour

ism, a

utom

otive

an

d co

nstr

uctio

n fo

r cer

tifica

tion

and

accr

edita

tion.

In 2

014,

50

wor

kers

wer

e ce

rtifie

d by

the

Lao-

Kore

an S

kills

De

velo

pmen

t Cen

tre

usin

g th

e na

tiona

l ski

lls st

anda

rd d

evel

oped

fo

r the

aut

omoti

ve se

ctor

.

Targ

et 1

.3.3

(a)

At le

ast t

wo

addi

tiona

l tec

hnic

al/v

ocati

onal

skill

are

as

deve

lope

d/co

mpl

eted

for s

tand

ards

, cer

tifica

tion

and

accr

edita

tion

of in

stitu

tions

by

2021

, with

atte

ntion

to

fem

ale-

dom

inat

ed o

ccup

ation

al a

reas

.

Targ

et 1

.3.3

(b)

At le

ast 5

0% o

f tra

inee

s in

the

addi

tiona

l tec

hnic

al/

voca

tiona

l ski

ll ar

eas a

sses

sed

and

certi

fied

by 2

021.

82

Lao

PD

R-U

N P

artn

ersh

ip F

ram

ewor

k, 2

017–

2021

83

Gov

ernm

ent a

dmin

istra

tive

data

(201

5)


Link

s to

NSE

DPLi

nks t

o La

o PD

R-U

NPF

Link

s to

SDG

sLi

nks t

o IL

O P

&B

outc

omes

Indi

cato

r 1.3

.4N

umbe

r of n

ew te

chni

cal/v

ocati

onal

skill

are

as

deve

lope

d un

der t

he A

SEAN

Mut

ual R

ecog

nitio

n of

Sk

ills (

MRS

)83 in

line

with

the

ASEA

N Q

ualifi

catio

ns

Regi

onal

Fra

mew

ork

(AQ

RF).

Base

line

ASEA

N M

RS a

rran

gem

ents

in p

lace

for t

wo

skill

s (br

ickl

ayin

g an

d pl

aste

ring)

. Firs

t ski

lls a

sses

smen

t con

duct

ed a

t Lao

-Kor

ea S

kills

De

velo

pmen

t Ins

titut

e in

201

6.

Targ

et 1

.3.4

At le

ast t

hree

new

tech

nica

l/voc

ation

al sk

ills a

reas

de

velo

ped

unde

r ASE

AN M

RS b

y 20

21.

DW

CP P

rior

ity

2

Prom

ote

rati

ficat

ion

and

impl

emen

tati

on o

f int

erna

tion

al la

bour

sta

ndar

ds

DWCP

Out

com

e 2.

1 M

eans

of v

erifi

catio

nPa

rtne

rsIn

tegr

ated

reso

urce

requ

irem

ents

Estim

ated

as a

vaila

ble

(US$

)To

be

mob

ilize

d (U

S$)

Incr

ease

d qu

ality

of l

abou

r st

anda

rds a

nd p

rote

ction

th

roug

h La

bour

Law

im

plem

enta

tion.

84

Supp

orte

d by

dev

elop

men

t co

oper

ation

pro

ject

: Co

mpl

etion

of l

abou

r in

spec

tion

proj

ect i

n th

e ga

rmen

t sec

tor (

LAO

/13/

01/

IDA)

and

pos

sible

new

pro

ject

w

ith M

oLSW

on

labo

ur

insp

ectio

n an

d O

SH, s

ubm

itted

fo

r fun

ding

by

the

Visio

n Ze

ro

Fund

(VZF

).

Third

Lao

PDR

Lab

our F

orce

Su

rvey

(OSH

dat

a).

Repo

rts o

f Nati

onal

Trip

artit

e La

bour

Sta

ndar

ds C

omm

ittee

.

LNCC

I and

LFT

U re

port

s.

• M

oLSW

• LN

CCI

• LF

TU•

Nati

onal

Trip

artit

e La

bour

Sta

ndar

ds

Com

mitt

ee

$352

,145

(Jan

.– A

ug 2

017)

$1

,000

,000

84

Prio

rity

skill

s/oc

cupa

tions

dec

ided

by

AS

EA

N M

embe

rs S

tate

s85

N

ote:

The

Lab

our L

aw 2

014

inte

r alia

cov

ers:

labo

ur p

rote

ctio

n, c

olle

ctiv

e ba

rgai

ning

, OS

H, l

abou

r ins

pect

ion,

ski

lls d

evel

opm

ent,

disp

utes

reso

lutio

n, m

inim

um w

age

setti

ng,

com

plia

nce

with

em

ploy

men

t con

tract

s &

equ

ality

& n

on-d

iscr

imin

atio

n in

the

wor

kpla

ce

74

Link

s to

NSE

DPLi

nks t

o La

o PD

R-U

NPF

Link

s to

SDG

sLi

nks t

o IL

O P

&B

outc

omes

Bali

Decl

arati

on

Out

com

e 1,

Out

put 1

: En

surin

g su

stai

ned

and

incl

usiv

e ec

onom

ic g

row

th.

Out

com

e 1,

Out

put 5

:Im

prov

ed p

ublic

/priv

ate

labo

ur

forc

e ca

paci

ty.

Out

com

e 2,

Out

put 5

: Ex

tend

ed a

cces

s to

soci

al

prot

ectio

n.

Cros

s-cu

tting

Out

put 8

.21.

2:

Prom

ote

and

deve

lop

gend

er

equa

lity,

juve

nile

s and

you

th.

Out

com

e 8:

Pe

ople

enj

oy im

prov

ed a

cces

s to

justi

ce a

nd fu

lfilm

ent o

f the

ir hu

man

righ

ts.

Goa

l 1: E

nd p

over

ty, r

educ

e in

equa

lity.

Goa

l 4: E

nsur

e qu

ality

edu

catio

n, p

rom

ote

lifel

ong

lear

ning

.

Goa

l 5: A

chie

ve g

ende

r equ

ality

, em

pow

er

wom

en a

nd g

irls.

Goa

l 8: P

rom

ote

full

and

prod

uctiv

e em

ploy

men

t and

dec

ent w

ork

for a

ll.

Out

com

e 1:

M

ore

and

bette

r job

s fo

r inc

lusiv

e gr

owth

and

im

prov

ed y

outh

em

ploy

men

t pr

ospe

cts,

par

ticul

arly

In

dica

tor 1

.5.

Out

com

e 7:

Pr

omoti

ng sa

fe w

ork

and

wor

kpla

ce c

ompl

ianc

e in

glo

bal s

uppl

y ch

ains

, pa

rticu

larly

Indi

cato

rs 7

.1 a

nd

7.2.

A ca

mpa

ign

to p

rom

ote

the

ratifi

catio

n an

d im

plem

enta

tion

of

fund

amen

tal l

abou

r st

anda

rds.

Indi

cato

r 2.1

.1N

umbe

r of g

ende

r-sen

sitive

regu

latio

ns p

repa

red

in c

onsu

ltatio

n w

ith th

e so

cial

par

tner

s and

pro

mul

gate

d by

201

9 to

stre

ngth

en

impl

emen

tatio

n of

the

2014

Lab

our C

ode.

Base

line

Rele

vant

exi

sting

regu

latio

ns a

s of F

ebru

ary

2017

set o

ut in

PM

dec

rees

on

labo

ur

disp

ute

reso

lutio

n (d

raft)

; OSH

(dra

ft); a

nd

min

ister

ial d

ecisi

on o

n la

bour

insp

ectio

n (2

016)

.

Labo

ur L

aw g

uide

line

publ

ished

for

empl

oyer

s (20

16).

Labo

ur in

spec

tion

chec

klist

dev

elop

ed

(201

4).

Targ

et 2

.1.1

At le

ast t

wo

gend

er-s

ensiti

ve re

gula

tions

pre

pare

d in

co

nsul

tatio

n w

ith th

e so

cial

par

tner

s and

pro

mul

gate

d by

20

19 to

stre

ngth

en im

plem

enta

tion

of th

e 20

14 L

abou

r Co

de, w

ith th

e pr

inci

ples

ens

hrin

ed in

C10

0 an

d C1

11, a

nd

the

outs

tand

ing

com

men

ts o

f the

CEA

CR re

spec

ting

thos

e Co

nven

tions

, tak

en in

to c

onsid

erati

on a

s app

ropr

iate

.

Indi

cato

r 2.1

.2N

umbe

r of a

ction

s tak

en to

impl

emen

t acti

on p

lans

for M

inist

eria

l De

cisio

n 42

77 o

n la

bour

insp

ectio

n.

Base

line

Min

ister

ial D

ecisi

on 4

277

adop

ted

in 2

016.

Targ

et 2

.1.2

By 2

018,

ann

ual a

ction

pla

ns fo

r lab

our i

nspe

ction

de

velo

ped

and

impl

emen

ted

in li

ne w

ith in

tern

ation

al

stan

dard

s, e

.g. C

181,

incl

udin

g O

SH c

ompo

nent

s and

m

easu

res t

o in

crea

se n

umbe

r of f

emal

e in

spec

tors

: at l

east

tw

o ac

tions

take

n an

nual

ly to

impl

emen

t acti

on p

lans

.


Link

s to

NSE

DPLi

nks t

o La

o PD

R-U

NPF

Link

s to

SDG

sLi

nks t

o IL

O P

&B

outc

omes

Bali

Decl

arati

on

Indi

cato

r 2.1

.3N

umbe

r of a

ction

s tak

en to

impl

emen

t Prim

e M

inist

eria

l Dec

ree

(201

7) o

n O

SH.

Base

line

Draft

Prim

e M

inist

eria

l Dec

ree

on O

SH.

Targ

et 2

.1.3

Actio

n pl

an fo

r im

plem

enta

tion

of P

rime

Min

ister

ial D

ecre

e on

OSH

by

natio

nal c

onsti

tuen

ts d

evel

oped

by

2018

, with

at

leas

t tw

o ac

tions

take

n an

nual

ly to

impl

emen

t the

pla

n by

20

21.

Indi

cato

r 2.1

.4Ba

selin

e es

tabl

ished

for m

onito

ring

of w

orkp

lace

acc

iden

ts.

Base

line

No

com

preh

ensiv

e, u

p-to

-dat

e da

ta a

vaila

ble

on w

orkp

lace

acc

iden

ts.

Targ

et 2

.1.4

Nati

onal

mec

hani

sm e

stab

lishe

d an

d re

late

d ca

paci

ty

deve

lope

d fo

r sex

-disa

ggre

gate

d re

porti

ng o

f wor

kpla

ce

acci

dent

s by

2018

.

Indi

cato

r 2.1

.5N

umbe

r of r

epor

ts b

y na

tiona

l con

stitu

ents

on

actio

ns ta

ken

to

impl

emen

t Nati

onal

Pla

n of

Acti

on (N

PA) o

n th

e Pr

even

tion

and

Elim

inati

on o

f Chi

ld L

abou

r.

Base

line

Child

labo

ur su

rvey

repo

rt (2

010)

.Ta

rget

2.1

.5By

201

8, a

nnua

l rep

orts

by

natio

nal c

onsti

tuen

ts d

evel

oped

an

d di

ssem

inat

ed o

n im

plem

enta

tion

of th

e N

PA in

thei

r re

spec

tive

area

s of w

ork.

DWCP

Out

com

e 2.

2 M

eans

of v

erifi

catio

nPa

rtne

rsIn

tegr

ated

reso

urce

requ

irem

ents

Estim

ated

as a

vaila

ble

(US$

)To

be

mob

ilize

d (U

S$)

Incr

ease

d ra

tifica

tion

and

appl

icati

on o

f int

erna

tiona

l la

bour

Con

venti

ons.

NO

RMLE

X. IL

O In

form

ation

Sy

stem

on

Inte

rnati

onal

Lab

our

Stan

dard

s.

Repo

rts o

f Nati

onal

Trip

artit

e La

bour

Sta

ndar

ds C

omm

ittee

.

• M

oLSW

• LN

CCI

• LF

TU

$350

,000

76

Link

s to

NSE

DPLi

nks t

o La

o PD

R-U

NPF

Link

s to

SDG

sLi

nks t

o IL

O P

&B

outc

omes

Bali

Decl

arati

on

Curr

ently

ratifi

ed C

onve

ntion

s,

as w

ell a

s tho

se u

nder

re

view

, are

dire

ctly

rele

vant

to

ach

ieve

men

t of N

SEDP

O

utco

mes

1 a

nd 2

as a

who

le:

Out

com

e 1:

Ec

onom

ic -

stro

ng e

cono

mic

fo

unda

tion

and

redu

ced

econ

omic

vul

nera

bilit

y

Out

com

e 2:

So

cial

-hum

an re

sour

ce

deve

lopm

ent,

pove

rty

redu

ction

, acc

ess t

o qu

ality

ed

ucati

on a

nd h

ealth

serv

ices

, pr

otec

tion

and

deve

lopm

ent o

f th

e un

ique

nati

onal

cul

ture

.

Curr

ently

ratifi

ed C

onve

ntion

s,

as w

ell a

s tho

se u

nder

revi

ew,

are

dire

ctly

rele

vant

to

achi

evem

ent o

f the

follo

win

g La

o PD

R-U

NPF

Out

com

es:

(1) d

ecen

t liv

elih

oods

and

jobs

; (2

) soc

ial p

rote

ction

ben

efits

, pa

rticu

larly

for v

ulne

rabl

e gr

oups

and

the

poor

; (4)

in

clus

ive

and

equi

tabl

e qu

ality

ed

ucati

on a

nd v

ocati

onal

skill

s;

(7) d

eliv

ery

of q

ualit

y se

rvic

es;

and

(8) a

cces

s to

justi

ce a

nd

fulfi

lmen

t of h

uman

righ

ts.

Goa

l 1: E

nd p

over

ty, r

educ

e in

equa

lity.

Goa

l 4: E

nsur

e qu

ality

edu

catio

n, p

rom

ote

lifel

ong

lear

ning

.

Goa

l 5: A

chie

ve g

ende

r equ

ality

, em

pow

er

wom

en a

nd g

irls.

Goa

l 8: P

rom

ote

full

and

prod

uctiv

e em

ploy

men

t and

dec

ent w

ork

for a

ll.

Out

com

e 2:

Ratifi

catio

n an

d ap

plic

ation

of

inte

rnati

onal

labo

ur

stan

dard

s, p

artic

ular

ly

Indi

cato

rs 2

.1, 2

.2 a

nd 2

.3.

A ca

mpa

ign

to p

rom

ote

the

ratifi

catio

n an

d im

plem

enta

tion

of

fund

amen

tal l

abou

r st

anda

rds

Indi

cato

r 2.2

.1N

umbe

r of i

nter

natio

nal l

abou

r Con

venti

ons r

atifie

d an

d ap

plie

d by

La

o PD

R.

Base

lines

Lao

PDR

had

ratifi

ed th

e fo

llow

ing

inte

rnati

onal

labo

ur C

onve

ntion

s as o

f Fe

brua

ry 2

017:

C00

6 (N

ight

Wor

k of

You

ng

Pers

ons)

; C01

3 (W

hite

Lea

d [P

ainti

ng];

C029

(For

ced

Labo

ur);

C100

(Equ

al

Rem

uner

ation

); C1

11 (D

iscrim

inati

on);

C138

(Min

imum

Age

); C1

44 (T

ripar

tite

Cons

ulta

tion)

; C17

1 (N

ight

Wor

k); C

182

(Wor

st F

orm

s of C

hild

Lab

our)

.

Targ

et 2

.2.1

Lao

PDR

has r

atifie

d an

d is

appl

ying

at l

east

one

add

ition

al

inte

rnati

onal

labo

ur C

onve

ntion

by

2021

.


Link

s to

NSE

DPLi

nks t

o La

o PD

R-U

NPF

Link

s to

SDG

sLi

nks t

o IL

O P

&B

outc

omes

Bali

Decl

arati

on

Indi

cato

r 2.2

.2

Num

ber o

f acti

ons t

aken

to im

plem

ent r

atifie

d Co

nven

tions

.Ba

selin

eN

ation

al T

ripar

tite

Labo

ur S

tand

ards

Co

mm

ittee

est

ablis

hed

in 2

016.

Rol

e in

clud

es o

vers

eein

g an

d m

onito

ring

ratifi

catio

n, im

plem

enta

tion

and

repo

rting

of

inte

rnati

onal

labo

ur st

anda

rds.

Targ

et 2

.2.2

(a)

At le

ast o

ne a

ction

per

yea

r tak

en to

impl

emen

t in

tern

ation

al la

bour

Con

venti

ons,

with

par

ticul

ar a

ttenti

on

to C

100

and

C111

.

Targ

et 2

.2.2

(b)

At le

ast o

ne in

itiati

ve b

y 20

19 to

stre

ngth

en n

ation

al

cons

titue

nt c

apac

ity to

impl

emen

t, m

onito

r and

repo

rt o

n ra

tified

Con

venti

ons,

with

par

ticul

ar a

ttenti

on to

C10

0 an

d C1

11.

Indi

cato

r 2.2

.3La

o PD

R’s c

onsti

tutio

nal o

blig

ation

s to

subm

it re

port

s on

ratifi

ed

Conv

entio

ns a

nd o

ther

stan

dard

s-re

late

d m

atter

s are

satis

fied

in a

tim

ely

man

ner.

Base

lines

Nati

onal

Trip

artit

e La

bour

Sta

ndar

d Co

mm

ittee

est

ablis

hed

in 2

016.

Role

incl

udes

ove

rsee

ing

and

mon

itorin

g ra

tifica

tion,

impl

emen

tatio

n an

d re

porti

ng o

f in

tern

ation

al la

bour

stan

dard

s.

Targ

et 2

.2.3

All r

epor

ts re

ques

ted

by th

e IL

O su

perv

isory

bod

ies,

pu

rsua

nt to

Arti

cles

19

and

22 o

f the

ILO

Con

stitu

tion,

are

su

bmitt

ed b

y 20

21.

78

DW

CP P

rior

ity

3

Stre

ngth

en a

nd e

xpan

d so

cial

pro

tect

ion

DWCP

Out

com

e 3.

1 M

eans

of v

erifi

catio

nPa

rtne

rsIn

tegr

ated

reso

urce

requ

irem

ents

Estim

ated

as a

vaila

ble

(US$

)To

be

mob

ilize

d (U

S$)

Nati

onal

Soc

ial P

rote

ction

St

rate

gy a

nd n

ew so

cial

tr

ansf

er ta

x-fu

nded

pr

ogra

mm

es d

evel

oped

, ad

opte

d an

d im

plem

ente

d.

Supp

orte

d by

dev

elop

men

t co

oper

ation

pro

ject

s:

Deve

lopm

ent o

f reg

iona

l so

cial

pro

tecti

on fa

cilit

y in

volv

ing

Lao

PDR,

Cam

bodi

a an

d M

yanm

ar. T

he fa

cilit

y w

ill m

ake

tech

nica

l exp

ertis

e an

d th

ird-c

ount

ry e

xper

ienc

e av

aila

ble

to th

e de

velo

pmen

t of

Lao

PDR

’s so

cial

pro

tecti

on

polic

y an

d sy

stem

.

Nati

onal

Soc

ial S

trat

egy,

actio

n pl

an a

nd c

ostin

gs.

Fina

l rep

ort o

f ABN

D pr

oces

s.

Annu

al p

rogr

ess r

epor

ts o

n im

plem

enta

tion

of 8

th N

SEDP

.

MoL

SW re

port

s.

• M

oLSW

• M

oH &

oth

er re

leva

nt m

inist

ries

• U

NCT

& o

ther

IDPs

• LN

CCI

• LF

TU

$50,

000

for s

ocia

l pro

tecti

on

stra

tegy

form

ulati

on.

Tech

nica

l ass

istan

ce v

ia

Regi

onal

Soc

ial P

rote

ction

Fa

cilit

y.

$150

,000

Link

s to

NSE

DPLi

nks t

o La

o PD

R-U

NPF

Link

s to

SDG

sLi

nks t

o IL

O P

&B

outc

omes

Out

com

e 2,

Out

put 5

: Ex

tend

ed a

cces

s to

soci

al

prot

ectio

n.

Cros

s-cu

tting

Out

put 8

.21.

2:

Prom

ote

and

deve

lop

gend

er

equa

lity,

juve

nile

s and

you

th.

Out

com

e 2:

M

ore

peop

le h

ave

acce

ss to

so

cial

pro

tecti

on b

enefi

ts, i

n pa

rticu

lar v

ulne

rabl

e gr

oups

an

d th

e po

or.

Goa

l 1: E

nd p

over

ty, r

educ

e in

equa

lity,

pa

rticu

larly

Out

com

e 1.

3 (im

plem

ent

natio

nally

app

ropr

iate

soci

al p

rote

ction

sy

stem

s and

mea

sure

s for

all,

incl

udin

g flo

ors,

and

by

2030

ach

ieve

subs

tanti

al

cove

rage

of t

he p

oor a

nd th

e vu

lner

able

).

Goa

l 5: A

chie

ve g

ende

r equ

ality

, em

pow

er

wom

en a

nd g

irls.

Goa

l 8: P

rom

ote

full

and

prod

uctiv

e em

ploy

men

t and

dec

ent w

ork

for a

ll.

Out

com

e 3:

Cr

eatin

g an

d ex

tend

ing

soci

al p

rote

ction

floo

rs, p

artic

ular

ly

Indi

cato

rs 3

.1 a

nd 3

.3.


Link

s to

NSE

DPLi

nks t

o La

o PD

R-U

NPF

Link

s to

SDG

sLi

nks t

o IL

O P

&B

outc

omes

Indi

cato

r 3.1

.1

Avai

labi

lity

of g

ende

r, di

sabi

lity

and

ethn

icity

-sen

sitive

Nati

onal

So

cial

Pro

tecti

on S

trat

egy

(NSP

S), a

ction

pla

n an

d as

soci

ated

co

sting

s.

Base

lines

Deve

lopm

ent o

f Nati

onal

Soc

ial P

rote

ction

St

rate

gy p

rioriti

zed

by p

relim

inar

y re

port

of

the

Asse

ssm

ent-B

ased

Nati

onal

Dia

logu

e (A

BND)

.

Mer

ger o

f pub

lic a

nd p

rivat

e sc

hem

es to

fo

rm N

ation

al S

ocia

l Sec

urity

Fun

d (N

SSF)

in

2015

, as k

ey st

ep to

war

ds m

ore

inte

grat

ed

appr

oach

to so

cial

pro

tecti

on.

Targ

et 3

.1.1

(a)

ABN

D on

soci

al p

rote

ction

com

plet

ed b

y 20

17 a

s bas

is fo

r fo

rmul

ation

of N

SPS

and

prio

ritizin

g go

vern

men

t soc

ial

prot

ectio

n in

itiati

ves,

with

acti

ve e

ngag

emen

t by

natio

nal

cons

titue

nts a

nd in

clud

ing

gend

er, e

thni

city

and

disa

bilit

y co

nsid

erati

ons.

Targ

et 3

.1.1

(b)

NSP

S in

clud

ing

gend

er, e

thni

city

and

disa

bilit

y co

nsid

erati

ons d

evel

oped

, cos

ted

and

adop

ted

by 2

020

thro

ugh

Indi

cato

r 3.1

.2N

umbe

r of n

ew so

cial

tran

sfer

tax-

fund

ed p

rogr

amm

es e

stab

lishe

d as

resu

lt of

ABN

D re

com

men

datio

ns.

Base

line

Data

is b

eing

col

lect

ed a

s par

t of t

he A

BND

proc

ess.

Targ

et 3

.1.2

At le

ast o

ne n

ew so

cial

tran

sfer

tax-

fund

ed p

rogr

amm

e is

desig

ned

base

d on

the

ABDN

reco

mm

enda

tions

and

is

(i) im

plem

ente

d by

202

1 an

d (ii

) at l

east

50%

fund

ed b

y do

mes

tic re

sour

ces.

DWCP

Out

com

e 3.

2 M

eans

of v

erifi

catio

nPa

rtne

rsIn

tegr

ated

reso

urce

requ

irem

ents

Estim

ated

as a

vaila

ble

(US$

)To

be

mob

ilize

d (U

S$)

Incr

ease

d ac

cess

for w

orke

rs

and

fam

ilies

to so

cial

pr

otec

tion

bene

fits,

incl

udin

g so

cial

hea

lth p

rote

ction

.

Supp

orte

d by

dev

elop

men

t co

oper

ation

Pro

ject

: Reg

iona

l So

cial

Pro

tecti

on F

acili

ty

invo

lvin

g La

o PD

R, C

ambo

dia

and

Mya

nmar

, fun

ded

by

Gove

rnm

ent o

f Lux

embo

urg

(201

7–19

).

Annu

al R

ecor

ds o

f the

SSF

O

ffice

.

Annu

al H

ealth

Equ

ity F

und

data

.

Repo

rts o

f the

Nati

onal

Hea

lth

Insu

ranc

e Bu

reau

(NHI

B),

MoL

SW a

nd M

oH.

Annu

al p

rogr

ess r

epor

ts o

n im

plem

enta

tion

of 8

th N

SEDP

.

Repo

rts o

f LN

CCI a

nd L

FTU.

• M

oLSW

• M

oH

• U

NCT

• LN

CCI

• LF

TU•

Wor

ld B

ank

Tech

nica

l ass

istan

ce v

ia

Regi

onal

Soc

ial P

rote

ction

Fa

cilit

y.

$1,5

00,0

00

80

Link

s to

NSE

DPLi

nks t

o La

o PD

R-U

NPF

Link

s to

SDG

sLi

nks t

o IL

O P

&B

outc

omes

Out

com

e 2,

Out

put 5

:Ex

tend

ed a

cces

s to

soci

al

prot

ectio

n.

Cros

s-cu

tting

Out

put 8

.21.

2:

Prom

ote

and

deve

lop

gend

er

equa

lity,

juve

nile

s and

you

th.

Out

com

e 2:

M

ore

peop

le h

ave

acce

ss to

so

cial

pro

tecti

on b

enefi

ts, i

n pa

rticu

lar v

ulne

rabl

e gr

oups

an

d th

e po

or.

Goa

l 1: E

nd p

over

ty, r

educ

e in

equa

lity,

pa

rticu

larly

Out

com

e 1.

3 (im

plem

ent

natio

nally

app

ropr

iate

soci

al p

rote

ction

sy

stem

s and

mea

sure

s for

all,

incl

udin

g flo

ors,

and

by

2030

ach

ieve

subs

tanti

al

cove

rage

of t

he p

oor a

nd th

e vu

lner

able

).

Goa

l 5: A

chie

ve g

ende

r equ

ality

, em

pow

er

wom

en a

nd g

irls.

Goa

l 8: P

rom

ote

full

and

prod

uctiv

e em

ploy

men

t and

dec

ent w

ork

for a

ll.

Out

com

e 3:

Cr

eatin

g an

d ex

tend

ing

soci

al p

rote

ction

floo

rs, p

artic

ular

ly

Indi

cato

r 3.2

.

Indi

cato

r 3.2

.1N

umbe

r of f

orm

ally

em

ploy

ed w

omen

and

men

enr

olle

d in

N

ation

al S

ocia

l Sec

urity

Fun

d (N

SSF)

, exc

ludi

ng a

rmed

forc

es a

nd

polic

e offi

cial

s.

Base

lines

Mer

ger o

f pub

lic a

nd p

rivat

e sc

hem

es to

fo

rm N

ation

al S

ocia

l Sec

urity

Fun

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Targ

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embe

rshi

p ba

se in

14

prov

ince

s.

Data

to b

e up

date

d by

LN

CCI a

s par

t of m

aint

aini

ng

mem

bers

hip

reco

rds.

Targ

et 4

.2.3

Twen

ty p

er c

ent i

ncre

ase

in M

SME

mem

bers

hip

of L

NCC

I by

2021

.

Indi

cato

r 4.2

.4Pe

rcen

tage

incr

ease

in n

umbe

r of w

omen

in L

NCC

I le

ader

ship

and

man

agem

ent p

ositi

ons.

Base

line

Data

to b

e up

date

d by

LN

CCI a

s par

t of r

egul

ar

inte

rnal

mon

itorin

g.

Targ

et 4

.2.4

At le

ast 3

0% o

f lea

ders

hip

and

man

agem

ent p

ositi

ons h

eld

by w

omen

by

2021

.

86

DWCP

Out

com

e 4.

3 M

eans

of v

erifi

catio

nPa

rtne

rsIn

tegr

ated

reso

urce

requ

irem

ents

Estim

ated

as a

vaila

ble

(US$

)To

be

mob

ilize

d (U

S$)

Incr

ease

d ca

paci

ty o

f w

orke

rs to

adv

ance

De

cent

Wor

k Ag

enda

an

d so

cial

dia

logu

e.

LFTU

repo

rts o

n im

plem

enta

tion

of it

s na

tiona

l str

ateg

y an

d pl

ans.

MoL

SW re

port

s on

trip

artit

e ac

tivity

.

LFTU

pol

icy

repo

rts a

nd

pape

rs p

rese

nted

to

Gove

rnm

ent.

Annu

al re

view

s of L

FTU

co

oper

ation

fram

ewor

k.

• LF

TU•

APHE

DA U

nion

Aid

Abr

oad

(Aus

tral

ia)

• O

xfam

Lao

PDR

$500

,000

Link

s to

NSE

DPLi

nks t

o La

o PD

R-U

NPF

Link

s to

SDG

sLi

nks t

o IL

O P

&B

outc

omes

Bali

Decl

arati

on

Out

com

e 1,

Out

put 1

: En

surin

g su

stai

ned

and

incl

usiv

e ec

onom

ic

grow

th.

Out

com

e 1,

Out

put 5

: Im

prov

ed p

ublic

/priv

ate

labo

ur fo

rce

capa

city

.

Cros

s-cu

tting

Out

put

8.21

.2:

Prom

ote

and

deve

lop

gend

er e

qual

ity,

juve

nile

s and

you

th.

The

Lao

PDR-

UN

PF

high

light

s the

nee

d fo

r m

utua

l acc

ount

abili

ty

for d

evel

opm

ent r

esul

ts,

defin

ed a

s “th

e re

spec

tive

acco

unta

bilit

y of

par

ties

wor

king

toge

ther

tow

ards

sh

ared

out

com

es”.

Goa

l 5: A

chie

ve g

ende

r equ

ality

, em

pow

er w

omen

an

d gi

rls.

Goa

l 8: P

rom

ote

full

and

prod

uctiv

e em

ploy

men

t an

d de

cent

wor

k fo

r all.

Out

com

e 10

: St

rong

and

repr

esen

tativ

e em

ploy

ers’

and

wor

kers

’ or

gani

zatio

ns, p

artic

ular

ly

Indi

cato

rs 1

0.1,

10.

2 an

d 10

.3.

Build

ing

capa

city

of

cons

titue

nts t

o eff

ectiv

ely

cont

ribut

e to

dec

ent

wor

k fo

r sus

tain

able

and

in

clus

ive

deve

lopm

ent

thro

ugh

enha

nced

soci

al

dial

ogue

and

col

lecti

ve

barg

aini

ng.

Stre

ngth

enin

g ca

paci

ty-

build

ing

prog

ram

mes

for

empl

oyer

s’ a

nd w

orke

rs’

orga

niza

tions

.


Link

s to

NSE

DPLi

nks t

o La

o PD

R-U

NPF

Link

s to

SDG

sLi

nks t

o IL

O P

&B

outc

omes

Bali

Decl

arati

on

Indi

cato

r 4.3

.1N

umbe

r of L

FTU

initi

ative

s to

influ

ence

nati

onal

law

s,

polic

ies,

law

s, st

rate

gies

and

pla

ns.

Base

lines

LNCC

I con

trib

uted

acti

vely

to L

abou

r Law

(201

4)

revi

sion

and

deve

lopm

ent o

f Soc

ial S

ecur

ity L

aw

(201

3), a

s wel

l as t

o ot

her l

egisl

ative

and

pol

icy

deve

lopm

ent i

n 20

11–1

6.

Targ

et 4

.3.1

At le

ast t

wo

LFTU

initi

ative

s ann

ually

to in

fluen

ce n

ation

al

law

s, p

olic

ies,

law

s, st

rate

gies

and

pla

ns, i

nclu

ding

revi

sion

of T

rade

Uni

on L

aw in

201

7.

Indi

cato

r 4.3

.2N

umbe

r of L

FTU

cap

acity

dev

elop

men

t ini

tiativ

es to

st

reng

then

cap

acity

to (i

) eng

age

in tr

ipar

tite

coop

erati

on

and/

or (i

i) se

rve

mem

ber i

nter

ests

.

Base

lines

LFTU

cap

acity

incl

udes

offi

ces/

staff

at n

ation

al,

prov

inci

al a

nd d

istric

t lev

els,

as w

ell a

s OSH

mob

ile

team

s in

each

pro

vinc

e.

As o

f Feb

ruar

y 20

17, t

he L

FTU

man

aged

the

Mig

rant

Re

sour

ce C

entr

e (M

RC) i

n Sa

vann

akhe

t Pro

vinc

e.

Targ

et 4

.3.2

At le

ast t

wo

initi

ative

s ann

ually

(ave

rage

ove

r five

yea

rs)

to st

reng

then

mem

ber c

apac

ity to

(i) e

ngag

e in

trip

artit

e co

oper

ation

and

/or (

ii) se

rve

mem

ber i

nter

ests

in li

ne w

ith

LFTU

prio

rities

, inc

ludi

ng im

plem

enta

tion

of th

e Tr

ade

Uni

on

Law

and

the

LFTU

acti

on p

lan

on p

rote

ction

of m

igra

nt

wor

kers

.

Indi

cato

r 4.3

.3Pe

rcen

tage

incr

ease

in n

umbe

r, di

sagg

rega

ted

by se

x, o

f fo

rmal

and

info

rmal

wor

kers

cov

ered

by

unio

ns.

Base

line

LFTU

mem

bers

hip

of 1

84,3

14 w

orke

rs a

s of 2

016.

Lim

ited

cove

rage

in th

e in

form

al e

cono

my,

incl

udin

g am

ong

agric

ultu

ral w

orke

rs.

Targ

et 4

.3.3

At le

ast 5

0% in

crea

se in

num

ber o

f priv

ate

sect

or fo

rmal

w

orke

rs a

nd 1

00%

incr

ease

in th

e nu

mbe

r of i

nfor

mal

w

orke

rs (d

isagg

rega

ted

by se

x) c

over

ed b

y un

ions

by

2021

.

Indi

cato

r 4.3

.4Pe

rcen

tage

incr

ease

in n

umbe

r of w

omen

in L

FTU

le

ader

ship

and

man

agem

ent p

ositi

ons.

Base

line

Data

to b

e up

date

d by

LFT

U a

s par

t of i

nter

nal

mon

itorin

g.

Targ

et 4

.3.4

At le

ast 3

0% o

f lea

ders

hip

and

man

agem

ent p

ositi

ons h

eld

by w

omen

by

2021

.


ILO Country Office for Thailand, Cambodiaand Lao People’s Democratic Republic

BangkokUnited Nations Building, 10th floor,Rajdamnern Nok Avenue,Bangkok 10200 Thailand

Tel: +66 2 288 1234Fax: +66 2 288 3062Email: [email protected]

Lao PDRAlounmai Tower4th Floor, Room 401Ban Nongbone, 23 Singha RoadSaysettha disctrict, P.O.Box 8156Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR

Tel/Fax: + 856 21 454 415Email: [email protected]

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