Funded with the UNESCO-Republic of Korea Funds-in-Trust, a capacity building workshop on the Implementation of the 2003 Convention at the National Level was organized in partnership with the Heritage Department of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism from 11-15 June 2012 in Vientiane, Lao PDR. Besides government officials, intangible cultural heritage practitioners also participated in this workshop co-facilitated by UNESCO certified trainers, Ms Paritta Chalermpow Koanantakool and Ms Shubha Chaudhuri. Lao PDR is a country with 160 ethnic groups, each of which has preserved much of its own language, customs, culture and traditions. The rich cultural heritage of Lao is also rooted in immense spirituality, as Buddhism has influences extending from lifestyle to arts. The country has adopted a Law on National Heritage in 2005 which provides the legal basis for safeguarding ICH even befort its ratification of the 2003 Convention in 2009. And a Section on ICH was created within the Heritage Department of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism. UNESCO Bangkok Office has been working closely with the concerned authorities to have identified their need to enhance their ICH safeguarding strategy, reinforce their institutional and policy frameworks and develop their inventorying skills. Following this first capacity building effort, further training workshops on community-based inventory ( planned in 2012) and on preparation of nomination files ( in 2014) will be organized in Lao PDR to sustain the long-term effect of this project implemented within UNESCO strategy of global capacity building.