A/HRC/41/39/Add.4 Comments on the UN Special Rapporteur’s Statement and Final Report The Lao PDR received a visit from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Prof. Philip Alston, from 17 to 28 of March 2019. The Government of the Lao PDR would like to thank the Special Rapporteur for the opportunity to provide comments with a view to ensuring accuracy through highlighting errors of fact and law, within the report. The Government of the Lao PDR refers to the advanced, unedited version of the report of the Special Rapporteur, which was addressed to the Government of the Lao PDR on 25 April 2019. As it is suggested in the draft report that it is to be read in conjunction with “End of Mission” statement, thus, the following comments shall first reflect the Government’s observations towards the Special Rapporteur’s “End of Mission” statement which was released on 28 March 2019, before addressing the draft Final Report. The Government of the Lao PDR thus offers comments, clarifications, corrections and changes as follows: I. Comments on the End of Mission Statement 1. In general The Statement should have taken more into account on the achievements made by the Lao PDR over the past 40 years, bearing in mind the very low baseline and the reasons for that baseline. While understanding the limitations of a 10 day mission, the Lao PDR is dishearten that the Special Rapporteur, while on his “fact finding mission” has rather taken it as a fault finding mission, by actively avoiding visits to areas where the State has done well in terms of Poverty Reduction. The language used in the End of Mission Statement can be observed as prejudice, unconstructive, counterproductive and even demeaning and disrespectful at times. The Lao Government believes that this type of language is both unwelcomed and unnecessary to all. While there are some facts stemming from this mission, they can be undermined by blatant false accusations supplied by overseas groups with counter-interest to the Lao PDR. Such accusation is categorically unacceptable. The Lao PDR does not recall any part of the UN Manual of Operations of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council or the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandate-holders of the HRC that called for judicial characteristics, unfounded and politically motivated accusations. 2. In the End of Mission Statement, under the heading “1. Introduction” para 3 The Special Rapporteur quoted a personal view of an expert from the Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern, Switzerland; this personal view is without reference and contradicting to the survey findings and indicators. 3. Under the heading “1. Introduction” para 7 and 8 Sanamxay was a natural disaster magnified by the unfortunate incident of the saddle dam’s collapse, for which the Government has established a special committee to oversee and coordinate between local authorities and others, regarding all matters surrounding the incident. 4. Under the heading “1. Introduction” para 11 UN in Lao PDR has provided many supports in poverty reduction and promotion and protection of human rights in Lao PDR. 2