The meeting was chaired by Mr. Khamsene Ounkham, Director General of the Department of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, and co-chaired by Mr. Bounthavy Chanthavong, Deputy Director of the Vientiane Provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, and Mr. Mujibul Hasan, Country Director of Swisscontact in the Lao PDR.
Held in Vangvieng District, Vientiane Province, the event brought together key stakeholders and partners from Vientiane Capital and Vangvieng District. During the meeting, participants listened to the progress and milestone reports achieved during Phase 1 and its extension phase. They also reviewed the supporting collaboration between government sectors and various partners to pave the way for continuous, strengthened cooperation in the future.
Following the review session, the project team led participants on a field visit to key activity sites in Vangvieng. This included visiting hospitality businesses participating in the "Plastic Free Laos Label" campaign (implemented by Econox Laos and the Training Hotel and Restaurant Academcy), followed by a visit to meet waste pickers at the Vangvieng landfill to exchange views on successes, ongoing challenges, lessons learned, and long-term sustainability.
While this event marks the official closure of Phase 1, our journey does not end here. We are excited to announce that our work will officially continue into Phase II, where we look forward to driving even greater environmental impact and sustainable economic growth.