Supreme People Prosecutor Office and Ministry of Agriculture and Environment Sign Revised Memorandum of Understanding to Strengthen Enforcement of Natural Resources and Environmental Laws

Vientiane Capital, 18 December 2025 – The Supreme People Prosecutor Office (SPPO) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) officially signed a revised Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening cooperation in the prevention, investigation, prosecution and adjudication of offences involving natural resources and environmental protection.

The signing ceremony was held at Supatta Hotel in Vientiane Capital and was attended by H.E. Mr. Xaysana Khotphouthone, Member of the Party Central Committee and Head of the Supreme People Prosecutor Office, and H.E. Prof. Dr. Linkham Douangsavanh, Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Agriculture and Environment. The ceremony was also attended by deputy heads of the Supreme People Prosecutor Office, deputy ministers of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, heads and deputy heads of departments, the Prosecutorial Research and Training Institute, and representatives of relevant agencies from both institutions.

During the ceremony, H.E. Mr. Kikeo Singnavong, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment, presented a report reviewing the implementation of the previous Memorandum of Understanding signed on 5 April 2022. The report highlighted the achievements made under the existing cooperation framework while identifying areas requiring further improvement to address evolving legal and institutional requirements.

The Deputy Minister emphasised the need to revise the Memorandum to ensure full alignment with newly enacted laws and relevant legal instruments. The revised 2025 MoU expands the cooperation framework from eight to nine articles, providing a more comprehensive legal basis for inter-agency collaboration and strengthening criminal justice responses to offences against natural resources and the environment.

The revised MoU enhances cooperation in addressing a broad range of environmental and natural resource crimes, including illegal logging, forest encroachment, forest burning, unlawful harvesting of non-timber forest products, illegal trade and transportation of protected and endangered timber species, illegal hunting, illegal fishing, destruction of wildlife habitats, illegal possession and trade of protected wildlife and aquatic species, illegal import, export and transit of wildlife, offences involving valuable and endangered species, illegal land occupation, illegal mining and mineral exploitation, unauthorised use of water resources, environmental pollution, hazardous chemicals and waste management violations, failure to restore degraded environments, and offences involving animal cruelty.

The strengthened cooperation framework is expected to improve coordination between the two institutions, particularly in criminal case management, case file submission, evidence collection, information sharing and statistical reporting. It also aims to ensure that criminal proceedings are conducted in a timely, transparent, consistent and effective manner while addressing previous challenges in inter-agency coordination.

The revised Memorandum further demonstrates the Lao Government commitment to enhancing the rule of law in environmental governance, strengthening the protection of forests, wildlife, aquatic resources, minerals, water resources and ecosystems, and promoting sustainable management of the country natural resources.

The signing of the revised MoU also reinforces Lao PDR commitment to combating environmental crime in accordance with national legislation and international obligations, while strengthening public confidence and international cooperation in the conservation and sustainable management of natural resources and the environment.