[{"bbox": [97, 152, 1134, 206], "category": "Text", "text": "**Outcomes of the SEA screening:** The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) screening concluded that no further action was required."}, {"bbox": [97, 231, 1134, 286], "category": "Text", "text": "**Outcomes of the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) screening:** (relevant for projects and/or specific interventions within a project)"}, {"bbox": [97, 286, 1134, 338], "category": "Text", "text": "The EIA (Environment Impact Assessment) screening classified the action as Category C (no need for further assessment)."}, {"bbox": [97, 364, 1134, 418], "category": "Text", "text": "**Outcome of the CRA (Climate Risk Assessment) screening** (relevant for projects and/or specific interventions within a project)"}, {"bbox": [97, 418, 1134, 470], "category": "Text", "text": "The Climate Risk Assessment (CRA) screening concluded that this action is no or low risk (no need for further assessment)."}, {"bbox": [97, 497, 638, 524], "category": "Section-header", "text": "**Gender equality and empowerment of women and girls**"}, {"bbox": [97, 524, 903, 550], "category": "Text", "text": "As per OECD Gender DAC codes identified in section 1.1, this action is labelled as G1."}, {"bbox": [97, 576, 1134, 949], "category": "Text", "text": "Gender will be mainstreamed to the extent possible in all programme components. A specific subcomponent will support gender budgeting. Gender responsive budgeting (GRB) is a tool that helps align gender policies and strategies with sectoral strategies, policies, expenditures, and revenues. As a result, GRB ensures that the public finance system and other objectives such as macroeconomic stability or provision of public services contributes to the closure of gender gaps and improvements of gender equality to benefit men, women, boys, and girls and improve the quality of life in Lao PDR. Complementary activities are already being implemented by MOF and the PIU through DFAT support. While the gender budgeting concept does not yet exist in Laos, the revised state budget Law approved by NA (December 2015) included elements of gender responsive budgeting. The objective is to promote gender responsive budgeting as part of the fiscal policy and financial management process. One possible way is to integrate specific gender budgeting into the Midterm Budget Forecast (MTBF) and into the budget circular instruction, process and to promote the use of gender indicators in sectors that have a gender objective. A short-term gender adviser might be hired by the PIU to elaborate a strategy for mainstreaming gender in all programme activities. It is also proposed to add the Gender responsive PFM framework to the planned PEFA assessment in 2023 to support further integration of gender budgeting in the project plans and results framework."}, {"bbox": [97, 980, 245, 1006], "category": "Section-header", "text": "**Human Rights**"}, {"bbox": [97, 1006, 1134, 1299], "category": "Text", "text": "The situation regarding the human rights in Laos is discussed in the annual Laos-EU Human Rights dialogue that allows the EU delegation to voice concerns about the human rights abuses and to mutually agree on concrete opportunities for assistance to tackle the challenges, including through the project \"Citizen Engagement, Good Governance and Rule of Law (CEGGA)\" co-financed with Germany and Switzerland. The last dialogue took place in July 2021 (online). Additionally, individual topics or cases of concern are raised bilaterally with the Lao authorities, for example, in a biennial demarche on the support to the UN resolution on death penalty. Close cooperation and exchange of information is also ensured between EUD, relevant DPs and UN, including UNRCO, UNDP and OHCHR based in Bangkok. In addition to the annual Human Rights dialogue, the upcoming Lao Action Plan for the implementation of the UPR recommendations – amongst which some are related to political and civil rights as well – will offer a valuable entry point for practical cooperation and assistance, primarily through the phase 2 of the CEGGA programme."}, {"bbox": [97, 1324, 1134, 1431], "category": "Text", "text": "The action will apply a human rights based approach. The action will reinforce the duty bearers (public institutions) to comply with their responsibilities to improve the management of its public finances and human resources, as a key pillar for pursuing sustainable and inclusive growth. Right holders will participate through the participation of civil society."}, {"bbox": [97, 1462, 197, 1489], "category": "Section-header", "text": "**Disability**"}, {"bbox": [97, 1489, 926, 1515], "category": "Text", "text": "As per OECD Disability DAC codes identified in section 1.1, this action is labelled as D0."}, {"bbox": [97, 1547, 213, 1574], "category": "Section-header", "text": "**Democracy**"}, {"bbox": [97, 1574, 1134, 1627], "category": "Text", "text": "Lao PDR is a single-party state with limited political and civil freedoms. While the Constitution guarantees the freedoms of expression and of the press (article 44), restrictions remain omnipresent and are characterized by an"}, {"bbox": [1027, 1680, 1144, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 11 of 25"}]