UNDP Regional Director Kanni Wignaraja Visits Luang Prabang to Celebrate Progress on Enhancing Public Services

September 6, 2025

Group Photo during the visit to the One Door Service Center in Luang Prabang City, Lao PDR

UNDP

Luang Prabang, 6 September 2025 - For many in Lao PDR, accessing basic services such as birth registration, business licenses, or land certificates has long been a costly and time-consuming challenge. Multiple visits to different offices, high fees, and long travel distances often left citizens, especially in rural areas, underserved. To address these barriers, the Government of Lao PDR, with UNDP support, introduced One Door Service Centers (ODSCs): a model that brings essential services together under one roof.

ODSCs streamline procedures, reduce costs, and provide citizens with easier access to services in one location. They are designed to reduce duplication, improve transparency, and respond to citizen needs. With support from UNDP and Ireland under the Lao PDR Efficiency and Accessibility of Public Services (LEAP) Project, ODSCs are evolving into modern service hubs that better connect people with their government and help to ensure that citizens, including women, ethnic minorities, and people in remote areas, are not left behind. Today, 73 ODSCs operate nationwide.

On Saturday afternoon, Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, visited the Luang Prabang ODSC as part of her official mission to Lao PDR. The visit highlighted UNDP’s support to the Government of Lao PDR in advancing inclusive, citizen-centered public service delivery as part of the country’s digital transformation journey.

During their visit to the One Door Service Center in Luang Prabang City, H.E. Madam Siriphone Souphanthong, Vice Governor of Luang Prabang Province, together with Ms. Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, officially handed over birth certificates to ten citizens.

UNDP

Hosted by the Vice Governor of Luang Prabang Province, H.E. Ms. Siriphone Souphanthong, who initially welcomed Ms. Wignaraja, the event gathered provincial leaders, national officials, civil society organizations, and beneficiaries, including women, youth, and ethnic minorities. The visit began with opening remarks and a guided tour of the ODSC, led by the Head of the Center. During the tour, highlights from the LEAP Project were presented, outlining progress in upgrading ODSC infrastructure and digital tools across the province.

A key moment was the announcement of an upcoming ICT equipment handover to the Luang Prabang ODSC, accompanied by a ceremonial banner, representing UNDP’s commitment to strengthening digital governance. The Vice Governor and Ms. Wignaraja also participated in a handover of birth certificates to Lao citizens, underscoring the ODSC’s role in ensuring timely access to vital documents that enable access to education, healthcare, and social protection.

Participants emphasized that the Luang Prabang ODSC has become a model for such integrated, people-centered service delivery. It demonstrates how strong local leadership, community engagement, and digital innovation can expand access to services while contributing to Lao PDR’s Smart City agenda and the National Strategy on Public Services through the One Door Service Mechanism 2030.

The event concluded with closing remarks and a group photo, reaffirming the commitment of UNDP, and the Government of Laos, at both central and local levels to scale up and strengthen ODSCs nationwide. As Lao PDR advances its digital transformation journey, Ms. Wignaraja underscored the need for greater government investment to sustain ODSCs as part of the Luang Prabang Smart City agenda and the National Strategy on Public Services through the One Door Service Mechanism 2030.

As we look ahead, UNDP stands ready to continue working side by side with the Government of Lao PDR, Ireland – our generous donor to our ODSC project, and with the people of Luang Prabang to expand these innovations, mobilize resources, and make public services work for everyone.