Country Analysis Report: Lao PDR - United Nations Lao PDR

1 Country Analysis report : lao pdr . Analysis to inform the Lao People's Democratic Republic . United Nations Partnership Framework ( 2017 -2021). The United Nations in lao pdr . Vientiane, 11 November 2015. Contents Acronyms .. v Executive Summary .. vii Purpose of the Country Analysis .. 1. 1. Introduction .. 2. 2. Enhance competitiveness .. 8. Background: AEC entry and its implications .. 8. Youth and the demographic dividend .. 8. Private sector partnerships .. 9. Trade, SMEs and inclusive industrialization .. 10. Migration and transnational crime.

2 12. Looking forward: recommendations for UN support .. 14. Youth .. 14. Trade .. 14. SMEs and industrialization .. 14. Partnerships with the private sector .. 15. Transnational crime .. 15. 3. Promote good governance .. 16. Public sector reform and local governance .. 16. Rule of law and access to justice .. 17. Connectivity .. 19. Looking forward: recommendations for UN support .. 20. 4. End poverty and reduce inequalities .. 21. Trends, disparities and determinants .. 21. Context .. 23. Looking forward: recommendations for UN support.

3 24. 5. Achieve productive employment and decent work .. 27. Trends, disparities and determinants .. 27. Context .. 28. Looking forward: recommendations for UN support .. 29. 6. End hunger and improve 33. Trends, disparities and determinants .. 33. Context .. 35. ii Looking forward: recommendations for UN support .. 36. 7. Ensure inclusive and quality education .. 40. Trends, disparities and determinants .. 40. Context .. 42. Looking forward: recommendations for UN support .. 43. 8. Achieve gender equality and empower women and girls.

4 46. Trends, disparities and determinants .. 46. Education and gender .. 46. Sexual and reproductive 47. Employment and gender .. 47. Political participation and gender .. 48. Violence against women .. 48. Context .. 49. Looking forward: recommendations for UN support .. 50. 9. Achieve maternal and child health .. 53. Trends, disparities and determinants .. 53. Child 53. Maternal and reproductive health .. 54. Context .. 56. Looking forward: recommendations for UN support .. 57. 10. Accelerate HIV response .. 61. Trends, disparities and determinants.

5 61. 63. Looking forward: recommendations for UN support .. 63. 11. Combat malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases .. 66. Trends, disparities and determinants .. 66. 67. Looking forward: recommendations for UN support .. 68. 12. Protect environmental resources and promote resilience .. 70. Trends, disparities and determinants .. 70. 72. Looking forward: recommendations for UN support .. 73. 13. Ensure sustainable water and 76. Trends, disparities and determinants .. 76. 78. Looking forward: recommendations for UN support .. 79.

6 Iii 14. Protect vulnerable children .. 83. Trends, disparities and determinants .. 83. 85. Looking forward: recommendations for UN support .. 86. 15. Reduce UXO impact .. 89. Trends, disparities and determinants .. 89. 90. Looking forward: recommendations for UN support .. 90. 16. Expand partnerships for 94. 17. Conclusions .. 95. Bibliography .. 96. Technical Notes and References .. 104. iv Acronyms ADB: Asian Development Bank MFNSAP: Multisectoral Food and Nutrition Security AEC: ASEAN Economic Community Action Plan AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome MMR: Maternal mortality ratio ANAR: adjusted net attendance rate MNCH: Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Care ANC1: First antenatal care visit MoES: Ministry of Education and Sports ASEAN: Association of South-East Asian Nations MoH: Ministry of Health ASLO: Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes MoHA: Ministry of Home Affairs AXO.

7 Abandoned explosive ordnance MoIC: Ministry of Industry and Commerce BEmONC: basic emergency obstetric and newborn MoNRE: Ministry of Natural Resources and care Environment CCM: Convention on Cluster Munitions MPI: Ministry of Planning and Investment CEDAW: Convention on the Elimination of All MSM: Men having sex with men Forms of Discrimination against Women NCAW: Lao National Commission for Advancement of CMW: International Convention on the Protection Women of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and NCCA: National Committee for the Control of AIDS.

8 Members of Their Families NCD: Non-communicable disease CRC: Convention on the Rights of the Child NER: Net enrolment rate CRPD: Convention on the Rights of Persons with NGO: Non-governmental organization Disabilities NPA: Non-Profit Association CSO: Civil Society Organization NSAP: National Strategic and Action Plan (for DDF: District Development Fund HIV/AIDS and STI Prevention and Control). DIH: Department of Industry and Handicraft NSEDP: National Socio-Economic Development Plan DOSMEP: Department for Small and Medium NTC: National Tuberculosis Centre Enterprise Promotion NTS: non-technical survey (in the UXO sector).

9 DPT: diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus OECD: Organisation for Economic Cooperation and DTIS: Diagnostic Trade Integration Studies Development ECD: Early childhood development PASEC: Program for the Analysis of Education Systems ECE: Early childhood education PES: payment for ecosystem services EGRA: Early Grades Reading Assessment PLHIV: People living with HIV. EMIS: Education Management Information System PMTCT: Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission ETPR: employment to population ratio PoU: Prevalence of undernourishment EVI: Economic Vulnerability Index PWID: People who inject drugs FAO: Food and Agricultural Organization of the REDD: The United Nations Collaborative Programme on United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and FSC: Forest Stewardship Council Forest Degradation in Developing Countries.

10 GARP: Global AIDS Response Progress report SEZs: Special and Specific Economic Zones GER: Gross enrolment ratio SME: Small and medium enterprises GHG: Greenhouse Gases STI: Sexually Transmitted Infections GHI: Global Hunger Index SUN: Scaling Up Nutrition GNI: gross national income TB: Tuberculosis HCFC: hydro chlorofluorocarbons TDF: Trade Development Facility v HEF: Health Equity Fund TFR: Total Fertility Rate HepB: Hepatitis B TVET: Technical and vocational education and training Hib: Haemophilus influenzae type b UIS: UNESCO Institute for Statistics HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection UNAIDS: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.