VIENTIANE, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The 12th Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) convened an extraordinary plenary session on Monday, chaired by Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the LPRP Central Committee and Lao president, amid continued global uncertainty and domestic challenges.
The five-day session, running from Monday to Friday, is being held amid continued global uncertainty, increasingly severe natural disasters, and ongoing tensions and conflicts in various regions, which are affecting peace, stability, security, and the global economy.
Domestically, the party and state face a range of challenges, including economic and financial difficulties, widespread flooding that has damaged livelihoods, property and the economic base, and outbreaks of African swine fever affecting production and business activities, Lao News Agency reported on Monday.
Other persistent concerns include illegal encroachment and extraction of natural resources, telecommunications fraud and scam call centers, illicit weapons, smuggled vehicles, narcotics, crime, and other social problems. These issues have placed significant pressure on the livelihoods of citizens, civil servants, military personnel, and police officers.
During the session, participants will hear reports and discuss key documents related to the implementation of the resolutions of the 12th Party Congress. Major issues include improving and developing economic sectors to build an independent and self-reliant economy, strengthening human resources to meet development needs in the new context, and developing policies on the effective utilization of intellectuals.
The meeting will also hear a government report on progress in addressing illegal vehicles and the illegal extraction of natural resources, particularly minerals.
In his opening remarks, Thongloun called on members of the 12th LPRP Central Committee to uphold their political responsibilities and contribute their knowledge and experience to the thorough study and analysis of the issues under consideration. He urged members to promote intra-Party democracy and provide objective opinions to ensure that decisions and directives are accurate, practical, and well targeted.
He expressed confidence that the extraordinary plenary session would provide an important forum for strengthening intra-Party democracy, linking theory with practice, promoting innovation in Party leadership, and developing breakthrough measures to accelerate implementation of the resolutions of the 12th Party Congress. ■