21 December 2023, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR— While the Asia-Pacific region can draw inspiration from its past successes and proven models, to drive human development in this evolving era, countries will need to go beyond past approaches. Large parts of the population in many countries are faced with unmet aspirations and unprecendented challenges, including in Lao PDR.  The 2024 Asia-Pacific Human Regional Development Report (RHDR), launched in Vientiane on 21 December 2023, draws from the latest data, evidence, and analytical insights to provide a comprehensive, yet nuanced assessment of the state of human development in Asia and the Pacific.

Entitled ‘Making our Future – New Directions for Human Development in the Asia-Pacific’, the RHDR 2024 was released globally on 6 November 2023.  Its focus is forward-looking. It examines how the region can renew human development momentum, while steering through the turbulence ahead. This entails better integrating human development and growth strategies, preparing for multiple potential futures, as well as intensifying efforts to transform strategy into action and make change happen.

The report launch in Lao PDR was part of a one and a half-day network forum for researchers, organized by the Development Research Institute, Ministry of Planning and Investment. Opened by H.E. Sthabandith Insisiengmai, Vice Minister of Planning and Investment and co-chaired by Ms. Martine Thérer, UNDP Resident Representative in Lao PDR, the event focused on disseminating the findings of the 2024 RHDR, highlighting practical country examples of strategic approaches to the complex challenges that the world faces today and discussing their application to the context of Lao PDR. 

With the participation of representatives from the Government, academia, the research community, civil-society organizations and the private sector, the discussion was deemed timely given that the Government of Lao PDR has started the formulation of its 10th National Socio-Economic Development Plan, which will articulate the vision for the country’s development for the remaining years of this decade. 

In his keynote statement, H.E. Sthabandith Insisiengmai, Vice Minister of Planning and Investment stated that, “the Government of Lao PDR is committed to advancing human development as was exemplified by the publishing of the sixth National Human Development Report (6^th NHDR) last year, entitled Youth as Drivers for Sustainable Development”. The Vice Minister of Planning and Investment reiterated that economic recovery backed by job creation and improved environmental sustainability standards in investments and industries are key priorities for the Government. 

Ms. Thérer, UNDP Resident Representative, noted, “the RHDR rightly calls for new directions on development which is important and timely for Lao PDR. We see across the region, that people feel less and less secure. Then there is the turbulant development landscape linked to climate change impacts, technological change, geo-economic fragmentation all of which will affect Lao PDR. The report makes the case for us at the country level, to rethink and recalibrate our development and growth policies".

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About UNDP’s Human Development Reports 

In 1990, the first Human Development Report introduced a new approach for advancing human wellbeing. Human development – or the human development approach – is about expanding the richness of human life, rather than simply the richness of the economy in which human beings live. It is an approach that is focused on people and their opportunities and choices. UNDP publishes global, regional and national human development reports on a regular basis. 

To access the 2024 Asia-Pacific Human Development Report please click the link: https://www.undp.org/asia-pacific/rhdr2024

For more information, please contact

Aksonethip Somvorachit, Communications Analyst, UNDP Lao PDR

Email: aksonethip.somvorachit@undp.org

Telephone: 021 267 778

Mobile: 020 5502 1550