Lao symposium on social protection turns to workers facing climate risks

26 October 2026

The International Labour Organization has reported on the third annual Symposium on Social Protection in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, held in the capital Vientiane on the theme Empowering Workers and Adapting Systems for a Changing Climate. The symposium was organised by the ILO through the European Union funded SOLAR Phase II project together with the Lao Social Security Organization and the National University of Laos. SOLAR Phase II, titled Reducing Vulnerability in Lao PDR, runs from February 2026 to April 2030 and covers the coffee, tea and forestry sectors. Bouahome Phommachanh, Acting Director General of the Lao Social Security Organization, said the priority is extending social security coverage to informal economy workers and their families. The sessions covered guidelines on occupational safety and health including heat stress, adapting health and social security coverage to rising workplace injuries, support to cooperatives for climate-resilient farming, and disaster risk financing.