A/HRC/29/7 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007, held its twenty-first session from 19 to 30 January 2015. The review of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic was held at the 4th meeting on 20 January 2015. The delegation of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic was headed by Phongsavath Boupha, Minister, Head of the President’s Office and Chairman of National Steering on Human Rights. At its 10th meeting, held on 23 January 2015, the Working Group adopted the report on the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. 2. On 13 January 2015, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire and Qatar. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to resolution 16/21, the following documents were issued for the review of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation prepared in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/21/LAO/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/21/LAO/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/21/LAO/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Belgium, Germany, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America was transmitted to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic through the troika. These questions are available on the extranet of the universal periodic review (UPR). I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The head of the delegation noted that, after the founding of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic 40 years ago, the implementation of the two strategic tasks of national safeguarding and development had always had the ultimate goal of creating conditions for the multi-ethnic Lao people to live in peace, freedom and prosperity so that they could fully enjoy their human rights. 6. He reported that the Government had attached importance to the recommendations made in the 2010 UPR review, highlighting that the national report, the outcome report and recommendations from the first UPR cycle had been translated into Lao and distributed among government officials, stakeholders and the general public. The Government also tasked the relevant line ministries and State organizations to implement the recommendations related to their respective roles and functions. Many of the recommendations had been integrated into the Seventh Five-year National Socioeconomic Development Plan 2011–2015, and were being implemented through laws, policies, strategies and action plans. 3