Laos Highlights Mine Action Leadership at International Conference

Laos highlighted its leadership and domestic progress in unexploded ordnance (UXO) action at the Third Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), with discussions continuing in Vientiane on September 16, 2026, on risk education, victim assistance, community participation, and international cooperation. The day's sessions were presided over by Mr. Anouphap Vongnorkeo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Standing Vice-Chairman of the National Regulatory Authority for UXO/Mine Action in the Lao PDR (NRA). Discussions centered heavily on strengthening state party compliance, implementation measures, and reinforcing international support mechanisms under the convention. National Milestones and Legislative Progress Addressing the assembly on behalf of the Lao delegation, Mr. Phetsamone Keovongvichit, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, underscored Laos' steadfast national commitment. Mr. Keovongvichit highlighted key domestic milestones, including the implementation of Decree No. 166/Gov to strengthen legal frameworks, enhanced cross-sector coordination led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via Sector Working Groups (SWG) and Technical Working Groups (TWG), and the adoption of newly revised national UXO standards, updated priority-setting matrixes, and enhanced data management systems. Championing Gender Inclusion in Mine Action Highlighting the human element of mine action, Mrs. Sounisith Vongphankham, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Organizations, detailed Laos' active strides in gender mainstreaming. Laos reported that women accounted for approximately 37% of the workforce in the UXO sector by 2025. This progress is anchored in the "Path to Safety III" strategic plan, which features a dedicated gender coordination committee, technical working group focal points, and inclusive, disaggregated data collection practices. Looking toward the future, Laos introduced its strategic vision for the upcoming Vientiane Capital Action Plan (2027–2031), aimed at building the operational capacities of implementing agencies and encouraging peer learning among member states. Advancing Humanitarian Disarmament The afternoon featured high-level side events organized by state parties and international organizations. Discussions focused on advancing victim assistance and promoting universal adherence across interconnected humanitarian frameworks, including the CCM, the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC), and the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). Experts emphasized that while these treaties share the core objective of protecting civilian lives, many nations face resource and reporting hurdles. Overcoming these challenges, delegates noted, requires robust regional cooperation, specialized technical assistance, and high-level diplomatic champions to sustain long-term global momentum. 9/17/2026 9:59:11 PM Delegates at the Third Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) have reaffirmed the Convention’s commitment to protecting people from the dangers of cluster munitions and unexploded ordnance (UXO), with discussions on risk education, victim assistance, community participation and international cooperation continuing in Vientiane on September 16, 2026. 9/17/2026 9:55:56 PM The Champasak Provincial Administration has ordered Pakse City and nine districts to strengthen surveillance and prevention measures against African Swine Fever (ASF), according to an official notice issued on September 17, 2026. 9/17/2026 3:32:13 PM Laos is participating in the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, from September 17-21, showcasing Lao products and investment opportunities while seeking to expand business links with China and ASEAN markets. 9/17/2026 11:11:39 AM A new waterway in southern China could reshape the movement of goods across the region, creating another link between China’s vast inland markets, the sea and ASEAN—and potentially opening new opportunities for landlocked Laos. 9/17/2026 9:47:15 AM (KPL/VNA) The border guard command of Vietnam’s central province of Quang Tri coordinated with the military command and public security department of Laos’s Khammouane province on September 15 to conduct a joint exercise on arresting drug trafficking and transport offenders carrying weapons across the Vietnam–Laos border. 17/09/2026 21:48 17/09/2026 09:51 17/09/2026 09:39 17/09/2026 09:36 16/09/2026 12:41