Mr. Vice-President,
Madam Deputy Secretary-General,

1. My delegation aligns itself with the statements delivered by the Groups of 77 and China, LDCs and LLDCs and wishes to add the following remarks in our national capacity.

2. We thank Madam Deputy Secretary-General for presenting the UNSDG Chair’s report on the Development Coordination Office (DCO) and the Resident Coordinator (RC) system.

3. The Lao PDR recognizes the importance of the RC system as a key pillar of the reformed UN development system. RCs continue to serve as critical enablers in orchestrating the efforts of UN Country Teams, ensuring that support is delivered in a coordinated, coherent, and contextually nuanced manner, aligned with national development priorities. In the face of persistent funding constraints and increasing demands for accelerated SDG implementation, the strategic relevance of the RC system has only deepened, underscoring its indispensable role in delivering integrated and impactful development assistance at the country level

4. In the Lao PDR, the RC has played an instrumental role in fostering synergies among UN entities, advancing an integrated approach to operationalizing the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2022–2026). In 2024 alone, the UN Country Team mobilized $86.7 million in programmatic support, encompassing policy engagement, technical assistance, and service delivery, with progress made across all sectors despite challenges.

5. Looking ahead, we encourage the RC system to continue evolving and scaling its support to ensure it remains optimally responsive to our country’s development trajectory. In this regard, allow me to underscore the following areas:

- First, it is essential to maintain a strong and agile RC system that can effectively align the UN development system’s support with national development priorities, steering the UN Country Team’s function in a coherent, more integrated, and results-oriented manner.

- Second, enhanced coordination, both within the UN development system and with international financial institutions, must be a top priority to unlock the means of implementation, particularly through mobilizing adequate, predictable, and sustainable financing that empowers the RC system to meet escalating and evolving demands.

- Third, the UN development system must remain attuned to the particular vulnerabilities of countries in special situations by tailoring context-sensitive support and delivering through reinforced and inclusive partnerships. This task is essential to advancing the effective implementation of nationally owned development strategies as well as the dedicated Programmes of Actions for LDCs and LLDCs.

6. I wish to conclude by calling for the UN development system to remain fit for purpose and fully equipped to respond to today’s challenges and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Thank you.