[{"bbox": [96, 153, 1134, 233], "category": "Text", "text": "CEGGA I contributed particularly in improving the organisational capacities of Lao CSOs and their cooperation with Government and local authorities, increasing regulatory quality, and building the functions of key institutions, including the Parliament."}, {"bbox": [96, 257, 1134, 498], "category": "Text", "text": "The action will contribute to Outcome 6 of the 9th NSEDP 2021-2025 (Public governance and administration is improved, and society is equal, fair, and protected by the rule of law), the Justice Ministry Action Plan 2021-25, and the implementation of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) recommendations. The action falls under the EJPS/MIP's priority area 3 “Good Governance” and contributes to the expected result ER 6.3 (Enabling environment for civil society and citizens' engagement for sustainable development and accountability) and ER 6.4 (Consolidated rule of law and human rights). It addresses SDG 16 (Peace, Democracy and Strong Institutions), as well as SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) through its promotion of inclusive policies and processes in civil society, parliaments and the justice sector, and will showcase examples of gender-responsiveness and environmental protection."}, {"bbox": [85, 552, 323, 583], "category": "Section-header", "text": "# 2 RATIONALE"}, {"bbox": [85, 618, 234, 644], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.1 Context"}, {"bbox": [96, 663, 1134, 798], "category": "Text", "text": "The EU intends to deepen its engagement with partners, including Lao PDR, to promote a rules-based international order, a level playing field, as well as an open and fair environment for trade and investment, tackling climate change and supporting connectivity with the EU, in accordance with its new Indo-Pacific¹ and Global Gateway² Strategies. Governance and human capital are supportive sectors for the EU's overarching goal of promoting a green and inclusive economy in Laos in the EJPS 2021-2025."}, {"bbox": [96, 823, 1134, 1433], "category": "Text", "text": "Improving governance remains a significant challenge in the Lao PDR, a politically stable, single-party authoritarian state. Decision-making is highly centralised without adequate division of powers, transparency or accountability, in spite of the Government's stated commitment to improve the rule of law. Political and civil freedoms are limited, and the space for civil society remains tightly controlled. Yet, a welcomed gradual opening of the policy space for CSOs has been observed in recent years, notably thanks to Development Partners' projects related to good governance and CSO capacity building. In addition the Party leadership and the new Government in place since the first quarter of 2021 have shown encouraging signs of commitment to improve good governance and strengthen the rule of law, by actually implementing and enforcing laws and regulations, with particular emphasis on improving the efficiency of the public administration and preventing fraud and corruption. This is reflected in the Justice Ministry Action Plan 2021-25, and more broadly in the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) 2021-2025, which fully embraces the Agenda 2030 and seeks to foster sustainable, green and inclusive growth. The Government acknowledges the role of social protection in reducing poverty, inequality, and vulnerabilities and in promoting socio-economic development and social cohesion. In particular, outcome 6 of the 9th NSEDP focuses on improving good governance with the objective that Public governance and administration is improved, and society is equal, fair, and protected by the rule of law. Under the same outcome, the Government also commits to continue to coordinate with relevant parties in the implementation of various international obligations, including the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and other Human Rights instruments ratified by the Lao PDR. In 2018 Lao PDR participated in constructive dialogue with treaty bodies on the basis of its initial report on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the combined third to the sixth Child Rights Convention reports, and the combined eighth and ninth reports on the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women. Lao PDR has a Gender Inequality Index (GII) value of 0.463, ranking it 110 out of 162 countries in the 2018 index. Since the 2021 elections, 21.95% of parliamentary seats are held by women."}, {"bbox": [96, 1459, 1134, 1512], "category": "Text", "text": "Good governance remains a key priority policy objective of European Partners in Laos, as outlined in the Strategy for Democracy and Human Rights 2021-2024³, and the Roadmap for Engagement with Civil Society in Laos 2021-"}, {"bbox": [85, 1546, 816, 1572], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹ https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/jointcommunication_2021_24_1_en.pdf"}, {"bbox": [85, 1570, 807, 1596], "category": "Footnote", "text": "² https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/joint_communication_global_gateway.pdf"}, {"bbox": [85, 1595, 1039, 1621], "category": "Footnote", "text": "³ https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/eu_action_plan_on_humanRights_andDemocracy_2020-2024.pdf"}, {"bbox": [1038, 1681, 1142, 1705], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 4 of 21"}]