Culture

Lao People’s Democratic Republic

• © UNESCO/F. Bandarin
• Town of Luang Prabang

Cooperation between the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and UNESCO in the field of culture focuses principally on cultural heritage.

The country’s two sites inscribed on the World Heritage List are the subject of a number of activities involving preservation and staff training. A tentative list is being drawn up and training programmes implemented for instructors in the use of the Lao version of the “World Heritage in Young Hands” kit.

Cultural tourism too is to the forefront in the country’s interests : an experiment is under way in Luang Namtha province. A project to train Buddhist monks in traditional arts and crafts has been very successful and is to be extended.

In the field of the intangible heritage, the Republic has published in collaboration with UNESCO an in-depth stuffy of the ethnic minorities of Laos. The country is paying particular attention to the cultural approach to HIV/AIDS prevention and care : this takes several forms including education and awareness-building of the population by way of the theatre in minority languages.