3rd Quarter 2012 Report: Laos-US International and ASEAN Integration (LUNA) Project

The project's objectives are to support the effective implementation of the U.S.-Lao PDR Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA), facilitate Laos' accession to the WTO, and support Laos in fulfilling its commitments to the AEC. The project provides demand-driven support to 11 counterparts, including 7 line ministries and several national institutions. Technical assistance consists of legal and economic policy analysis, comments on draft laws and regulations, training and capacity building, and support for workshops and seminars. The project focuses on eight issue areas: analytical frameworks and general trade-capacity building, transparency and dispute settlement, sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) and technical barriers to trade (TBT), trade facilitation and management, customs and the Lao National Single Window, intellectual property rights, trade in services, and public-private policy dialogue on trade policy. In the 3rd Quarter of 2012, LUNA supported the Ministry of Industry and Commerce's (MOIC) Foreign Trade Policy Department (FTPD) in capacity-building programs. Activities included the maintenance and improvement of the FTPD's communication and public outreach capabilities, including the FTPD website, WTO/Trade Reference Room, public awareness initiatives, and U.S. product manuals. The FTPD webpage was fully operational and updated continuously, serving as a main instrument for the MOIC to provide information on trade policy issues to the public and trade communities. LUNA also supported the FTPD in organizing a "Public Forum on WTO Accession of Lao PDR" in Vientiane Capital, which attracted over 200 participants, including government officials, NGO officers, business representatives, and university students. The forum covered presentations on WTO principles, Laos' WTO accession process, and resulting trade opportunities and challenges. Additionally, the FTPD organized a trade remedy workshop with LUNA support, which reviewed WTO requirements for trade remedy procedures and developed a strategy for developing trade remedies in Lao PDR. Furthermore, LUNA supported the deepening of understanding in Lao universities on key issues related to the trade agreements. A presentation was made by LUNA's IPR expert Judy Goans at the Faculty of Law and Political Science for around 80 masters' students and faculty in international law on intellectual property rights. The presentation aimed to raise awareness among university students and officials on WTO/ASEAN/BTA issues, particularly on WTO processes and principles. The project's activities in the 3rd Quarter of 2012 demonstrated its commitment to supporting the government of Laos in its efforts to implement the trade agreements and integrate its economy into regional and global markets. By strengthening the legal and policy framework and enhancing institutional and human resource capacities, LUNA can contribute to long-term development in the Lao PDR.