30 May 2003

Bonn: United Nations Volunteers (UN Volunteers) have been serving in Lao PDR since 1973. Over the years, UNV Lao PDR has evolved from providing assistance to Vientiane-focused UNDP projects, into a substantive development partner supporting a diverse array of projects and organizations throughout the country.

The UNV unit, which is part of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), also manages several UNV-financed projects and initiatives.

As of mid-2003, there are 48 international and two national UN Volunteers working in Lao PDR. These UN Volunteers come from over 20 different countries to share vital expertise with one of the world's least developed countries.

UN Volunteers in Lao PDR provide technical advice to development partners in a range of sectors including democratic governance, livelihood and poverty alleviation and HIV/AIDS. Working through UNDP and other UN projects and in partnership with the Lao Government, UN Volunteers work to develop local capacity.

In addition to providing and supporting volunteers in existing projects, the UNV unit designs and executes new initiatives in target sectors. An example of this is the UNV-executed project to support UNDP's Governance and Public Administrative Reform (GPAR) programme in Luang Prabang. UN Volunteers are working to extend governance initiatives to the district and community level. Almost 30 national UN Volunteers will be recruited for this project.

UNV also executes projects providing skills training for Lao youth (through the Lao Youth Union) and supporting management activities at UXO Lao, the government agency which deals with unexploded ordnance left over from the Indochina war.

Many UN Volunteers work as specialists in rural planning, community development or agriculture. Key agricultural focuses include livestock, irrigation and crop substitution in areas where opium is grown.

UNV technical assistance is also having a positive impact on governance in Lao PDR. Through support to the National Assembly project, UNV is helping to build capacity, streamline processes and strengthen the oversight functions of this central legislative body.

Strong partnerships have been established in health, with UN Volunteers working at the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). UNICEF is another cooperating agency. UNV is supporting a regional initiative to address the growing problem of the trafficking of Lao women and children.

Energy and environment are another area UNV supports, with several UN Volunteers filling posts as programme analysts for UNDP’s environment unit and others working in the field with Lao government counterparts on water and waste management.

UNV continues to play a key role in promoting and expanding the role of volunteerism in Lao PDR. The office coordinated a successful campaign during 2001, the International Year of Volunteers (IYV), that resulted in official acknowledgement of volunteerism by the Government of Lao PDR. UNV Lao completed IYV by carrying out an extensive national survey of volunteerism in Lao PDR, the first in the country's history. This document is an important reference for all future work in this area.