Mini Dublin mission to Oudomxay and Luang Namtha

The annual MiniDublin field visit for 2008 was carried out in the provinces of Oudomxay and Luang Namtha from the 28 ^th February until 1 ^st March 2008.

 

Headed by H.E. Minister Soubanh Sritirath, Minister to the President's Office, Chairman of LCDC, H.E. Dr. Michele Forster, Ambassador of Australia to the Lao PDR and the UNODC Representative to the Lao PDR Mr. Leik Boonwaat, the 30 member delegation included the UN Resident Coordinator, Ambassadors of Germany, Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, India, Cambodia, Russia, representatives from the USA, Japanese, French, Indonesian, Swedish embassies, the EC, the UNIDO Representative from Bangkok as well as other international organizations.

 

The delegation visited the joint UNODC-UNIDO project in Oudomxay. This project is seen as the first of a series designed to support the National Programme Strategy for the Post Opium Scenario. It is also one of the first joint UN projects to be implemented in Laos after the Vientiane Declaration on Aid effectiveness in December 2006.

 

This pilot project, which received funding from the UN-Trust Fund for Human Security, was launched in March 2007. It demonstrates how a joint UN project can complement efforts and increase coherence and cost efficiency towards greater aid effectiveness by utilizing the comparative advantages of certain UN specialized agencies working closely with the host Government and grass root communities. It brings a new approach to alternative development by combining UNODC's expertise in drug control and community-based development with UNIDO's expertise on economic development aspects including production, processing and marketing of agro-products.

 

The delegation visited project target areas in Moung La district to see the making and selling of alternative development products by former opium producing communities and former drug users. A visit was also made to the Special Economic Zone on the Lao-Chinese border in Borten, and to Luang Namtha where mission members were briefed on the drug situation in the province and ecotourism. The visit provided a better understanding of the progress made in addressing alternative development and drug abuse in the post opium scenario as well as a deeper insight into the geopolitical and economic situation of the Northern provinces.