Aid and development

Laos has a concentrated HIV epidemic compared to other countries, with the prevalence of HIV still at a low level in key groups. But risk behaviours threaten to increase the prevalence of HIV transmission amongst the population so the National Centre for HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted ...

The National Commission for Mothers and Children and United Nations Children’s Fund on October 25 organised a consultation workshop to review and provide input into a draft of the 3rd to 6th state Convention on the Rights of Child report. The workshop in Vientiane reported that ...

Laos is pursuing its drive to reduce the poverty rate below 10 percent by 2020, while also attempting to meet outstanding Millennium Development Goals. Head of the Central Committee on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication, Mr. Thongvanh Vilayheuang, highlighted various aspects of the government’s five-year development ...

Slow ODA disbursement is badly affecting Vietnam’s credibility and development according to a workshop on ODA programmes heard on October 18 in Hanoi. The problems were discussed at the workshop on accelerating the implementation and disbursement of ODA programmes and projects. According to the Deputy Minister of ...

The Asian Development Bank has approved US$12.8 million in additional financing for the ongoing Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Project in Laos. The grant assistance is sourced from ADB’s Strategic Climate Fund, Forest Investment Programme. The grant agreement was signed in Vientiane on October 18, inked by Deputy Minister ...

The Asian Development Bank has approved a $45 million loan for Cambodia to overhaul its upper secondary education in order to address the increased demand for skilled workers. Several measures will be undertaken to reform the sector: math, science and information technology curricula will be reviewed ...

The Ministry of Transport has said that the north-south highway requires lower costs compared with other projects, but the Ministry of Finance says the required investment is high compared with the long-term public investment plan. MOT has submitted to the government a project on building a ...

A delegation from the United Nations, led by the under-secretary general of the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, visited displaced communities outside of the Arakan State capital of Sittwe on October 14. Reporters from The Irrawaddy accompanied Stephen O’Brien, who also serves as ...

Chinese aid and expertise—and perhaps some fighter jets—will help modernize Cambodia’s military, Defense Minister Tea Banh said on October 17 as navy vessels from China and the U.S. paid courtesy calls to Cambodia’s ports. Speaking after his return from the 7th Xiangshan Forum, a regional security summit ...

The European Union Delegation and World Food Programme hosted a business leaders networking cocktail night to establish the Scaling Up Nutrition Business Network at the country level in Laos. Vice-Minister, Ministry of Health and Chair of the National Nutrition Committee, Assoc. Prof. Dr Phouthone Moungpak, European ...