Lao PDR

UNDP News

Vientiane 18th March 2008

Phase II of the UNDP's “Strengthening Access to Justice through the Lao Bar Association” Project Begins

Following on the remarkable success of the project's past four years, UNDP has announced today that it will continue its support of the second phase of the Lao Bar Association (LBA)'s “Strengthening Access to Justice through the Lao Bar Association” project. The UNDP has worked with the LBA since the beginning of Phase I of the project, in 2004. Phase II of the project will provide funding and support for the LBA until April 2010. The goal of the project is to strengthen the LBA in order to enable it to eventually function as a professional, independent institution able to support the provision of a range of legal services including legal aid.

Since the inception of the project, considerable changes have taken place at the LBA. Last year, the LBA opened Lao's first legal clinic at its headquarters in Vientiane , Laos . This clinic provides free legal services for poor and vulnerable people throughout the country. The LBA also has a mobile legal aid clinic which currently visits alternating district courts and will expand its service to other areas during Phase II of the project. The Association's membership numbers have increased with the LBA working hard to build the capacity of its members through training workshops, study tours to neighboring countries and the development of an intern lawyer training program.

Over the next three years, LBA plans to build on the programs initiated in Phase I further increasing access to justice for all Lao citizens. As part of this, the LBA will conduct a survey in various provinces to examine how people access justice and what can be done to facilitate access to justice. The results of this survey will be used to improve the projects and services of the LBA. “Understanding the needs of the Lao people will help the LBA provide relevant legal information to those who are most vulnerable. The access to justice survey is a priority of the LBA and we hope that the results will not only be useful to the LBA but also to the UNDP, the Ministry of Justice and other legal sector stakeholders”, says Mr. Phoumy Sioudomphane, president of the LBA.

The strengthening of the LBA as an independent organization continues to be a priority. In the coming months, the LBA will finalize its concept paper on the regulation of the legal profession and provide recommendations on what should be included in the proposed Lao legislation that will replace Decree 64, which currently governs the LBA. Because a key part of strengthening the LBA is strengthening the actual capacity of the membership, in Phase II the LBA plans to implement the results of a consultancy on its training programs and continue to provide continuing legal education to its members. An expansion of members receiving English lessons with the support of the UNDP is also planned.

Finally, Phase II of the project will have support from a new donor, The Asia Foundation. Funding will be provided to new initiatives as well as to the expansion of the public legal education programs supported by the UNDP in both phases of the project. A number of new initiatives are planned. These include legal aid clinics in Champassak and Oudomxay as well as a community legal educator programme to increase the public's awareness of the role of lawyers as well as of their rights and obligations under the law.

The UNDP and the LBA are happy to announce the continuation of their partnership and look forward to the continued growth and capacity of the LBA that will result from the implementation of Phase II activities.

For more information: please contact

Mr Somphou Keomounmany, Lao Bar Association, + (856 20) 562 6676, lba@laobar.org

Ms. Cathy Williams at the Public Information Office, + (856 21) 213390-5 ext. 187 or 210, cathy.williams@undp.org ,

Notes for editors:

UNDP is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners.