ADB-Lao PDR Partnership Strategy
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has leveraged its substantial natural resource endowments to generate high economic growth and to reduce poverty, but as the country moves forward, growth needs to be more inclusive and sustainable.
ADB's country partnership strategy (CPS) for the Lao PDR, 2017‒2020 aligns with the inclusive and sustainable growth agenda of the Lao PDR’s Eighth Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) and ADB’s Strategy 2020 midterm review action plan.It incorporates lessons from past CPSs and their evaluations. It has also benefited from the ongoing work and consultations on ADB’s Strategy 2030.
The CPS blends knowledge with finance to help the government achieve the NSEDP outcomes with its main objective of more inclusive and sustainable economic growth. Under the CPS, ADB operations will focus on:
(i) improving physical connectivity to catalyze private sector investment in the economy to generate employment and income,
(ii) developing skills that support growth in the non-resource sectors and improving access to health services to enhance labor productivity, and
(iii) ensuring sustainable natural resource management and climate resilience. Gender equity and governance are crosscutting themes.
The country operations business plan (COBP) for 2018-2020 is consistent with CPS. It is also in line with strategic directions of the NSEDP.
It will support inclusive and sustainable growth through three strategic priorities:
(i) infrastructure and private sector development to support employment and income generation,
(ii) enhanced human development, and
(iii) sustainable natural resource management and climate resilience.
The COBP for 2018-2020 supports implementation of the Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation Strategic Framework (2012-2022).
The Access to Information Policy recognizes that transparency and accountability are essential to development effectiveness. It establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced.
The Accountability Mechanism provides a forum where people adversely affected by ADB-assisted projects can voice and seek solutions to their problems and report alleged noncompliance of ADB's operational policies and procedures.
In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of, or reference to, a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.