On 18 March 2026, the 4th Steering Committee Meeting of the Lao/037 Programme on Strengthening the Rule of Law, Access to Justice and Good Governance (ROLAG) was held in Vientiane Capital, co-chaired by Associate Professor Dr. Ounla Sivanhpheng, Vice President of the National University of Laos, and Mr. Thomas Lammers, Chargé d’Affaires of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the Lao PDR.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Ketsana Phommachanh, former Vice Minister of Justice, representatives from the Ministry of Justice, academic institutions, and representatives from target provinces under the Programme.

Over the past year, the Programme on Strengthening the Rule of Law, Access to Justice and Good Governance has achieved significant results in several areas. In terms of institutional strengthening, training and policy support have been provided to justice institutions to enhance skills in investigation and related technical areas. In the area of access to justice, 19 Legal Aid Offices have been upgraded, and mobile legal consultation services have been organized, reaching more than 11,000 people. At the grassroots level, the capacity of village mediation units has been strengthened to better integrate into the formal justice system. In the education sector, legal education at the National University of Laos has been improved to be more modern and aligned with international standards.

The meeting approved the new 2026 Annual Work Plan, with key priorities including anti-money laundering (AML), increased budget support for AML activities, and support for counter-terrorism financing (CTF) measures. In the area of good governance, efforts will continue to promote transparency and efficiency in public administration.

Mr. Thomas Lammers reaffirmed Luxembourg’s long-term commitment as a development partner in supporting the Lao PDR to progress towards a fully functioning rule of law state, with an emphasis on inclusive and sustainable development.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the participants witnessed the signing and approval of the Programme document, the 2025 progress report, the 2026 implementation plan, and the revised TFD operational plan.