Context
The Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic has made efforts in further strengthening good governance in recent years that aim for the country to be governed by the rule of law and democratic principles, gradually strengthening good governance.
Achievements made through constitutional amendments, new laws and decrees need to be filled with life, with parliamentarians and civil servants deepening their understanding of purpose and goals of the legal framework as well as of their own roles and tasks and with citizens being part of the development process and aware of their rights.
This is where the CEGGA Programme comes in.
The CEGGA programme is a joint initiative of the European Union, Germany, Switzerland and the Government of Lao PDR as part of the European Joint Programming in alignment with the National Socio-Economic Development Plan 2016-2020. The programme aims to strengthen Citizen Engagement, Good Governance, Accountability and the Rule of Law in Lao PDR. It was launched in 2017.
Objective
The CEGGA Programme aims for a more inclusive national development process in Lao PDR, through the promotion of good governance, human rights and the rule of law in Lao PDR, as laid out in the Government's policies and strategies.
The CEGGA Programme supports the Government and the National Assembly in their efforts to advance progress in three core areas: 1) strengthening civil society engagement, 2) strengthening core parliamentary functions, and 3) enhancing the implementation of the rule of law and human rights.
Approach
The CEGGA Programme that has been commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and is co-funded by the European Union and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation is implemented in close cooperation with the Lao Ministry of Home Affairs, the National Assembly, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Programme aims to contribute to increased citizen engagement in Lao PDR’s national development process through the promotion of good governance, the rule of law and human rights. For this purpose, the Programme provides technical advisory services, logistical and financial support, capacity development support and training measures for state and non-state actors at multiple levels.
CEGGA focuses on the legal and administrative environment for civil society engagement and the rule of law as well as on the implementation of international human rights conventions into the government and administrative system of Laos. CEGGA is implemented in three areas of engagement:
1. Strengthened civil society engagement:
Over 150 CSOs are registered in Lao PDR and make an important contribution to the development of the country. Many are active in the social development sector, helping disadvantaged groups and promoting sustainable agricultural or environmental practices. In order to more effectively implement the wide range of their activities, CSOs wish to further strengthen their conceptual and management capacities as well as their research skills. The need for support is great. CEGGA enables registered CSOs to manage their projects more effectively through tailor-made training and coaching; pro-motes the exchange of experience and knowledge between organisations; and strengthens research skills to enable civil society to better contribute their knowledge to policy discussions. CEGGA also provides small grants so that CSOs can apply their new skills in practice and scale-up their engagement. Furthermore, CEGGA assists the Ministry of Home Affairs and other government agencies to implement an enabling legal framework for civil society engagement and to facilitate the registration of CSOs. CEGGA also provides support to foster dialogue between government and civil society, and to enhance public awareness of CSOs’ valuable contribution to sustainable development.
2. Strengthened parliamentary core functions of the National Assembly and Provincial People’s Assemblies:
The National Assembly is the highest constitutional body of Lao PDR and together with the 18 Provincial People’s Assemblies (re-established in 2016) charged with representing constituents, deliberating and adopting legislation, and conducting government oversight at the national and provincial level respectively. In the most recent national and sub-national elections in 2016, 69% of parliamentarians have been elected for the first time and need to familiarize themselves with their new mandate. CEGGA supports the National Assembly and Provincial People’s Assemblies in areas such as overseeing the handling of public funds and the implementation of laws by the government; formulating legislation that meets constitutional standards and citizens’ needs; and consulting with citizens and other stakeholders in line with the legal framework. Among other thing, this includes preparing parliamentarians for legislative debates with materials and information sessions, developing and practice-testing manuals on procedures, and conducting training for parliamentary staff.
3. Enhanced implementation of the rule of law and human rights:
The legal framework for the rule of law in Lao PDR is evolv-ing and the government is intensifying its efforts to close the gap between written law and legal reality. CEGGA coop-erates with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) with regard to facilitating the integration of international human rights obligations into the domestic legal framework. Furthermore, CEGGA supports the MoJ in improving an enabling legal and policy framework for the rule of law and access to justice, in strengthening the medi-ation of disputes at village level, and in expanding legal aid services to all 18 provinces so that citizens have access to legal information, legal advice, assistance in drawing up legal documents, and to representation by a lawyer in legal cases. CEGGA assists the National Institute of Justice in strengthening continuing and ad-hoc legal training for legal practitioners and civil servants in the justice sector.