NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION - ON MOTHERS AND CHILDREN 2021–2025

Highlights

Overview

The Government of Lao PDR is committed to promoting the rights of children and improving their quality of life, in particular by promoting the universal access of mothers and children to good health and nutrition, child protection, clean water, safe sanitation, adequate housing, early childhood development, education and access to information.

Generally, the Government has made significant progress in reducing maternal, infant and under-five mortality. Access to early childhood education (ECE) has increased significantly over the past five years. The country has achieved universal coverage in primary enrolment, and access rates are on the rise for secondary education. Also, there is progress in combating malnutrition in women and children. Lao PDR has improved access to improved water sources and basic sanitation facilities. Despite these advances, much more progress is required to enhance the quality and outcomes of education where low attendance rates for secondary school and dropouts are issues, making it a challenge to achieve high completion rates, a requirement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4. Various components of a child protection system have been put in place, but Lao PDR still needs a strong integrated child protection system to protect those at risk. The majority of children under 18 years of age are multidimensionally deprived, and therefore experience a high deprivation intensity. An estimated 70 per cent of children suffer from at least two deprivations and 50 per cent are suffering from three or more deprivations at the same time in nutrition, health, education, early childhood development (ECD), child protection, water, sanitation, housing and information. Adolescent birth rates remain among the highest in the ASEAN region.

The commitment that Lao PDR made to promoting child and youth participation is being implemented through the Child Rights Principles by considering the views of children on all matters that affect their well-being. Children participated in the process of developing the State Party’s reports on the implementation of the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child concerning the involvement of children in armed conflict and the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. Children from all provinces in the country participated in these consultation processes.

Activities in child protection included the production of the following operational manuals and guidelines: “Multi-sectoral cooperation to prevent and respond to violence against children in priority areas”; a manual on juvenile justice to be integrated into the curriculum of the Police Academy and schools; a manual on the monitoring of legal proceedings; and manual on juvenile legal proceedings, these were integrated into the curriculum of the Research and Training Institute for Prosecutors.