Global Sharing Movement Officially Delivers Laos Agriculture and Rural Development Policy Action Plan

The handover ceremony of the Laos Agriculture and Rural Development Policy Action Plan (ARD PAP). Global Sharing Movement

The international development NGO Global Sharing Movement (Chairperson: Kim Hyekyung) announced on the 5th that it held a forum and the handover ceremony for the Laos Agriculture and Rural Development Policy Action Plan (hereinafter referred to as ARD PAP) at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Vientiane, Laos.

This event officially transferred the research outcomes of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)'s country partnership project, "Integrated Project Management Consultancy (PMC) Services for Two Agricultural and Rural Development Projects in Laos," to the Lao government, and also commemorated the 30th anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Laos in 2025.

The forum was co-hosted by KOICA and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos, and organized by Global Sharing Movement, BODIV Co., Ltd., and the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) of Laos. The program consisted of: ▲Session 1: Forum for Enhancing Agricultural and Rural Development Cooperation ▲Session 2: ARD PAP Presentation ▲Session 3: Official Handover Ceremony, bringing together research achievements and policy needs on one stage.

At the Korea-Laos Agricultural and Rural Development Cooperation Enhancement Forum, Youngsoo Jung, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Laos, and Chantakon Bualaphan, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos, delivered congratulatory remarks. Global Sharing Movement

In Session 1, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos shared the outcomes of the Sam Sang policy, while the Korean side introduced the Saemaul Undong experience, cases of agricultural infrastructure development, and strategies for climate and digital transformation, presenting the increase of farm household income and the strengthening of climate resilience as joint tasks. In Sessions 2 and 3, the Korea-Laos working group that studied the ARD PAP presented the top priorities and strategies in four sectors: rice, horticulture, livestock, and rural development. KOICA then officially handed over the completed policy document to the Department of Rural Development (DRD) of the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Youngsoo Jung, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Laos, stated, "On the 30th anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations, I hope that Korea and Laos will continue to strengthen their cooperation for rural development as they have done so far." Chantakon Bualaphan, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos, emphasized, "The ARD PAP is a practical guidebook for transforming subsistence agriculture into a market-oriented system," adding, "Through close cooperation with Korea, we will make the lives of rural residents more productive and sustainable." Oh Seongsu, KOICA Laos Office Director, also expressed, "I hope that this policy, which contains the lessons of Korea's Saemaul Undong, will create a powerful synergy for sustainable rural development."

Kim Hyekyung, Chairperson of Global Sharing Movement, who organized the event, said, "Based on the trust built over the past 30 years between Korea and Laos, we expect that, through the ARD PAP, community organizations formed by individual farmers will drive changes in villages and ultimately move toward self-reliance." The delivered ARD PAP is expected to be actively utilized by the Lao government through events such as the 'World Food Day' celebration and a performance report meeting in the second half of this year.