The Capacity Building Programme on “Matters Related to Evidence-based Legal Proceedings and Forensic Science”

On 20-21 September 2023, the Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane, the Office of the Supreme People's Prosecutor of Lao PDR, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Lao PDR co-organised the Capacity Building Programme on “Matters Related to Evidence-based Legal Proceedings and Forensic Science” at Mường Thanh Hotel, Vientiane Capital. Twelve experts from various relevant Thai authorities, namely the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of Police Forensic Science and the UNODC gave lectures and exchanged experiences with 150 participants from related Laos authorities including prosecutors, judges, police officers, and officers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR. The topics consist of (1) Investigation Technique in drugs trafficking cases (2) Evidence Collection (3) Digital Evidence (4) United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) (5) Court Proceedings: Evidence and Witness Examination in trafficking cases (6) Forensic Science. The Programme is aimed to provide capacity building to officers in a legal procedure of the Lao PDR and to support Lao PDR in achieving the National Agenda for Drug and Precursor Chemical Control 2021-2023, implementing obligations under UNTOC as well as strengthening cooperation between officers related to law enforcement and judicial procedures of both countries.