Sector Working Groups
Lao PDR currently has eight Sector Working Groups that bring together representatives from Government, Development Partners and NGOs. These SWGs are: Macroeconomics and Private Sector Development, Education, Health, Infrastructure, Governance, Agriculture, Rural Development and Natural Resources, Illicit Drugs and Mine Action.
To facilitate the coordination of the Sector Working Groups, the Ministry of Planning and Investment also manages the quarterly meetings of the Sector Working Group Chairs and Cochairs.
To view the Sector Working Group meeting calendar for 2010 please go the to 2010 RTM page.
The SWGs are forums to discuss and build consensus about development priorities, and improve sectoral aid coordination and effectiveness as set out in the Vientiane Declaration Country Action Plan. Under the common framework of the Round Table Process, these groups commit to Lao PDR's development efforts in the areas of their expertise under the leadership of the Government of Lao PDR.
The Sector Working Groups were formed in June 2005 when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced at the Round Table Information Meeting the Government's wish to merge the existing donor and government working groups. The Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Planning and Investment is the overall coordinating agency of the SWG mechanism.
In March 2007, a review of the SWGs was conducted by UNDP upon the request of DIC. The review provided a number of recommendations to improve the SWG mechanism and better respond to the needs of Government and the development community.
The recommendations that came out of this review have been taken into consideration to sharpen the ToRs and madates of each SWG. Since early 2008, the DIC has been in consultation with Ministries and Development Partners to facilitate internal reorganization and the strengthening of SWGs including annual work plans for each SWG.