Vientiane, 8 September 2025 – In Lao PDR, unexploded ordnance (UXO) from the Indochina war remains a daily danger. Farmers risk their lives each time they till their fields. Children play under the shadow of hidden dangers. With more than 50,000 casualties recorded since the end of the war, the human toll has been immense. Lao PDR remains the most heavily bombed country per capita in history.

Not surprisingly, Lao PDR was one of the first countries to sign and ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions, (CCM), contributing to its entry into force on 1^st August 2010. It has since been a strong advocate of the Convention, actively promoting its universalization. To mark the 15^th anniversary of the entry into force of the CCM, the National Regulatory Authority for UXO/Mine Action in Lao PDR (NRA), together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), organized a commemoration at the National University of Laos (NUOL). 

The event, co-chaired by H.E. Mr. Thongsavanh Phomvihane, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ms. Kanni Wignaraja, Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant Administrator and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, also marked the launch of Lao PDRs Presidency of the Third Review Conference of States Parties to the CCM, fifteen years after it hosted the First Meeting of States Parties in November 2010.  

In his remarks, the Minister highlighted scale of the challenge that UXO contamination poses to Lao PDR. While significant progress has been made, UXO accidents continue to claim lives and cause injuries, disrupting communities and hindering development. In the first half of 2025 alone, UXO accidents in Laos resulted in five deaths and nine injuries. More than 60% of victims of UXO accidents are children[1].

Underscoring the need for sustained support to clearance and victim assistance efforts, Ms. Kanni Wignaraja announced that UNDP will support the establishment of a trust fund to facilitate resource mobilization from both traditional and non-traditional donors.  She invited development partners and donors to contribute generously to the future fund, noting that it will ensure continuous support for UXO-related activities, prioritizing high impact projects and innovation, while increasing Government ownership and leadership.

In addition to the Presidency of the Third Review Conference of States Parties to the CCM, Lao PDR has also been entrusted with the role of Country Coordinator for Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE).