Background of UXO in Laos

Lao PDR is, per capita, the most heavily bombed country in the world. More than fifty years after the end of the Indochina Conflict during 1964-1973, unexploded ordnance (UXO) remains a major obstacle and socio-economic challenge to the country, causing deaths and injuries, limiting access to potentially productive land and adding substantial costs to processes of development. The Government of Lao PDR has been active in the process of clearance since shortly after the conflict. Lao PDR has advocated for the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) and hosted the first Meeting of States Parties in 2010. It also embraced the UXO issue as a key development matter by locally establishing the Sustainable Development Goal 18 (SDG18), “Remove the UXO obstacle to national development”..

The current National Strategic Plan for the UXO Sector in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic 2021 – 2030, “The Safe Path Forward III” (SPFIII), demonstrates the efforts, proactivity, and responsibility of the Government of Lao PDR to address remaining UXO contamination. This process of addressing the UXO issue simultaneously involves creating opportunities and facilities for development, protecting and assisting Lao ethnic groups living in high-risk areas, and demonstrating high efforts in regional and international integration to increase cooperation in the implementation of UXO actions. In all matters related to implementing Safe Path Forward III, the Lao Government remains committed to integrating regional and international policies, strategies, and conventions in order to contribute to future growth and effectiveness within this sector.