Laos Legal Aid Support Activity Annual Report

It is being implemented by The Asia Foundation (TAF) in Laos. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) continued to be delayed, which is delaying the implementation of many activities under the program. TAF's existing office, programs, and cost share contribution enabled the Legal Aid Support Program to achieve notable results during this first year. Under Objective 1, TAF supported MOJ Legal Aid Offices (LAOs) in four provinces to provide 195 legal aid services during the reporting period. TAF developed draft Know Your Rights packages on the notary law, gender-based violence (GBV), drug laws, human trafficking, and the Legal Aid Decree (LAD). In May and June 2019, the Program also supported the MOJ to hold a video competition on the topic "Accessing Legal Aid Offices." In October 2018, TAF supported MOJ to draft the Legal Aid Manual, and in September 2019 supported revisions to the Manual. In November 2018, TAF and MOJ conducted mentoring and exchange visits at LAOs at the provincial level in Oudomxay and Champasak. TAF and MOJ implemented five-day training workshops on the Legal Aid Manual and mediation at the provincial level in Xayabouly, Oudomxay, and Champasak in December 2018 and January 2019. In October 2018, TAF and MOJ delivered training to Village Dispute Resolution Committees (VDRCs) of six villages in Sangthong District, Vientiane Capital. The program organized two mock trial competitions with the Faculty of Law and Politics at the National University of Laos (FLP-NUOL) in November 2018 and June 2019. Under Objective 2, the program supported the LBA Annual Meeting in March 2019, at which it was decided to increase the number of LBA Offices, including one LBA office at Vientiane Capital, and new offices in seven provinces. TAF sponsored the 4th, 5th, and 6th Pro Bono Roundtables during the reporting period. In October 2018, TAF supported two Lao lawyers to attend the 7th Asia Pro Bono Conference in Hong Kong, and in September 2019, TAF supported three Lao lawyers to attend the 8th Asia Pro Bono Conference in Kathmandu. In July 2019, TAF awarded a grant to the Association for Development of Women and Legal Education (ADWLE) to set up the Women's Assistance and Counselling Unit in Saysettha district, Vientiane Capital, and to provide training on basic counselling skills for victims of GBV. The support to Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia Community Legal Education Initiative (BABSEACLE) also continued to strengthen and expand Clinical Legal Education (CLE) at the Faculty of Law and Political Science (FLP) at the National University of Laos and to establish CLE at Champasak University. The Gender and Social Inclusion Analysis was submitted to USAID on July 26, 2019, and it was approved on August 14, 2019. The Gender Inclusive Development Action Plan (GIDAP) was completed and submitted to USAID on September 30, 2019. As long as the MoU with the MOJ is signed by both parties, the program will continue to implement activities under the four objectives. The program's overall goal is to increase access to justice for marginalized groups, including women, in Laos. The program's activities under Objective 1 focused on increasing the capacity of MOJ Legal Aid Offices (LAOs) to provide legal aid services. TAF supported MOJ LAOs in four provinces to provide 195 legal aid services during the reporting period. TAF also developed draft Know Your Rights packages on various topics, including the notary law, gender-based violence, drug laws, human trafficking, and the Legal Aid Decree. The program organized training workshops on the Legal Aid Manual and mediation at the provincial level, and delivered training to Village Dispute Resolution Committees (VDRCs) of six villages in Sangthong District, Vientiane Capital. Under Objective 2, the program focused on increasing the capacity of the Lao Bar Association (LBA) and Non-Profit Association (NPA) legal aid services. TAF supported the LBA Annual Meeting in March 2019, at which it was decided to increase the number of LBA Offices, including one LBA office at Vientiane Capital, and new offices in seven provinces. TAF sponsored the 4th, 5th, and 6th Pro Bono Roundtables during the reporting period, and supported Lao lawyers to attend the 7th and 8th Asia Pro Bono Conferences. TAF also