The 2008 Round Table Implemenation Meeting (RTIM) will be held on the 24 th November in Vientiane at Lao Plaza Hotel and will be opened by the Prime Minister – His Excellency, Mr Bouasone Bouphavanh. The preparatory process for the 2008 RTIM was launched by the Government of Lao PDR in June 2008. A letter signed by His Excellency, Soulivong Daravong – Minister of Planning and Investment to inform all stakeholders was sent on 12 June 2008 and tentative RTIM topics and suggested timeframes for some key consultations were shared.

The RTIM's agenda focuses on five important areas contributing towards improved national development agenda and donor support effectiveness. Those areas are:

1. Overall and sectoral progress and the way forward (outcomes and next steps of NSEDP mid-term review; current status and challenges ahead in implementing the MDGs;Trade and Private Sector Development; Food Security and Nutrition; and National UXO/Mine Action Programme).
2. Recent progress and challenges in public financial management reforms
3. Disaster risk management: lessons learned from the August floods
4. Progress in implementing the Vientiane Declaration on aid effectiveness and associated Country Action Plan (VDCAP), and Sector Working Group achievements
5. The link with the Private Sector as featured in a report from the Lao Business Forum, and follow-up reporting on workshop on maximizing benefits from natural resource management.

 

 

Prior to this year's RTIM and in keeping with the precedent established at the 2007 RTIM, there will be and have already been a series of preparatory meetings and consultations leading up to the main RTIM. These will and have been largely led by the Sector Working Groups as in 2007 and below is a table detailing the events/meetings/consultations involved.

(More detailed table with related documents.)

Date	Items
12 June	Formal launch of the 2008 RTIM
15 July	UXO Sector Working Group
15-16 September	Internal Government Workshop on Natural Resource Based Growth
17 September	Governance Sector Working Group
17 October	Trade and private Sector Development Sub-Working Group
23 October	Legal Sector Sub-Working Group
24 October	Education Sector Working Group Public Administration Reform Sub-Working Group
30 October	Infrastructure and Transportation Sector Working Group
31 October	Health Sector Working Group
5 November	UXO Sector Working Group
10 November	Pre-Session on Nutririon and Food Security
13 November	Agrculture Sector Working Group
17 November	Meeting of Chairs and Co-Chairs, Annual VDCAP Review Meeting
18 November	Pre-Session on NSEDP Mid-Term Review and MDGs' Implementation
19 November	Macro Economic Sector Working Group Pre-Session on Disaster Management
24 November	Round Table Implementation Meeting 2008