26 February 2003

Vientiane, Lao PDR: The Government of Lao PDR and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are to act to ensure that poor people in Laos receive the help they need from village and district administrations though a process known as decentralization.

Under decentralization, the Government has begun the process of transferring power to lower levels of the administration – giving greater responsibility to local officials, making local government more efficient and streamlined.

"In a country where there is still a lot of poverty, there can be no delay in getting services to the people," said head of the UNDP in Laos, Mr. Finn Reske-Nielsen.

"While government officials try their best, there is simply a lack of money and equipment. We need to provide more human and financial resources to this administration as it fights to overcome poverty. In such a big, poor country, working conditions can be tough," he said.

UNDP, supported by UN Volunteers, have been helping the Government put decentralization into practice via the government’s Governance and Public Administration Reform (GPAR) programme.

According to the UN, decentralization transfers authority to perform a service closer to the people it is meant to serve. Given the large size of most districts, villagers themselves are often most in-touch with their own poverty eradication needs.

Allowing these villagers to make decisions that effect them, means that local officials are better placed to serve the needs of the poor, and lets both officials and villagers to play a more significant role in their country’s development process.

"The Government’s programme of public administration reform has been in place for a number of years," said Mr. Reske-Nielsen. "We hope to intensify this by adding the dimension of volunteerism. Volunteers from both the project and villages will help the government reach out to local people to help them reduce their own level of poverty. We are testing this idea in Luang Prabang Province. If it is successful, it will become a major part of our development efforts in other provinces as well."

According to the UN, 29 national and international UN Volunteers will soon begin working with the project. They will stress the benefit of volunteering in local villages to improve the quality of life for the poor. They will also try and develop a sense of self-reliance among villagers, so they can participate in the planning and running of their own poverty eradication efforts.

The concept of helping each other ("asasamak" in Lao) is closely associated with "mutual aid", and is at the core of Lao people’s value system and way of life.

"Virtually all local governance and social functions are carried out on a voluntary basis, including the management of local mass organization offices, advocating for social issues such as the preservation of the environment and helping young people avoid drug abuse, and participation in public meetings," said local UNV representative Jo Shaw.

"Lao people have a long tradition of self-help within their communities, of sharing responsibilities to care for extended families and other community members. They do not expect money compensation for this work. This project hopes to harness this aspect of Lao culture by providing opportunities for national UN Volunteers," she said.

Twenty-six of the 29 UN Volunteers working in the GPAR project are Lao nationals. They will work alongside international UN Volunteers to share skills and gain expertise.