Lao PDR

Country Profile: Lao People's Democratic Republic

 Statistics


 

Human development index (for 2005)
Human development index rank  130 (UNDP 2007)
GDP per capital (PPP) $2 039 (UNDP 2007)
Life Expectancy at birth (years) 63.2 (UNDP 2007)
Combined gross enrolment ratio for primary, secondary and tertiary education  61.5 per cent (UNDP 2007)*
Demography
Total population mid-2007 5 859 000 (United Nations 2006)
Population of persons with disabilities No response provided (ESCAP 2006,Q 18)
Proportion of persons with disabilities to total population 1.38 per cent (Indonesia 2006)
definition of disability  Not Available 
definition of persons with disabilities A persons who has physical, intellectual or mental impairment which restricts daily social life substantiall and continuously. It includes visual, hearing and speech disability (ESCAP 2006, Q 19)
"The terms 'handicapped  and 'disabled' attempt to approximate two Lao terms, the first connoting a person who has suffered a reduction in the use of his limbs, the second connoting a person who has suffered a reduction in the use of his physical senses." (Lao People's Democratic Republic 2001, art. 28, note 9)

Employment rate of persons with disabilities No response provided (ESCAP 2006, Q 12.1)
Access to education  No response provided (ESCAP 2006, Q 6/7.1)
Institutional framework
National coordination mechanism or disability focal point  Nation Commission for People with Disabilities, established in 1995 (ESCAP 2006, Qs 1(i),(i))
Number of members and composition of the mechanism A total of 5 persons (Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education and Ministry of National Defense) (ESCAP 2006, Q 1(ii))
Legislative and policy framework
Mention on disability in constitution   No special article on disability, because all people with disabilities are entitled to the same rights as other citizens of the sountry (ESCAP 2006, Q 6(ii))
comprehensive disability law Decree on the Rights of Persons with diabilites (ESCAP 2006, Q 9)
Disabilitiy-specific anti discrimination law No (ESCAP 2006,Q 10)
Sectoral disbility laws No (ESCAP 2006, Q 8(i))
National plan of action on disability  Strategic Plan on Rehabilitation and Development of Disabled Persons 2000-2003 (Lao People's Democratic Republic 2003)
Master plan of each ministry concerned (ESCAP 2006, Q 2(ii))**
National efforts to promote an Inclusive Society
Employment quota scheme  3 per cent in the private sector (Lao People's Democratic Republic 2009)
National accessibility standart No (ESCAP 2006, Q13.1)
Standardized sign language  No response provided (ESCAP 2006, Q 19.1)
ICT accessibility guideline No response provided (ESCAP 2006,Q 18.1)
Financial commitment 
Proportion of disability (social) spending to GDP or entire national budget Not Available 
Annual budget allocated to the national coordination mechanism 800 000 000 New kip (ESCAP 2006, Q 1(ii))
Commitment to regional and international instruments on disability
Signatory to the Proclamation of the Decade 1993 (ESCAP 2004b)
Ratification of ILO Convention159 No (ILO 2009)
Ratification or signatiory of the conventions on the Rights of Person with Disabilities, and its Optional Protocol Signed the Convention on  15 January 2008 (United Nations 2009)
* World Health Organization estimate.
** The duration of the master plan of each ministry conerned is five years, with five one-year action plans. The areas covered depend on the ministry's role and function. For example, the Ministry of Health is to focus on physical and mental rehabilitation, including disability prevention. the Ministry of Education is to focus on an inclusive education system for persons with disabilities. The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare in responsible for bocational training, employment rehabilitation and social welfrare for persons with disabilities (ESCAP 2006, Q 2(ii)).

Source: http://www.unescap.org/ESID/psis/disability/publications/glance/Disability_at_a_Glance2009.pdf

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