For further information on the national and local governance of Geoparks in the Lao PDR, and in particular the Hinboun Geopark, readers are invited to consult the official legal texts.

At national level, Prime Minister’s Decree No. 001/PM dated 12 January 2026 (Lao / English) officially ratifies the establishment of the National Geoparks Commission of the Lao PDR and defines its composition and mandate, including the Steering Committee, Technical Committee, Scientific Committee, and Secretariat.

At provincial level, Decision No. 424/Governor dated 18 November 2025 (Lao / English) issued by the Governor of Khammouane Province formalizes the establishment of the governance structure of the Hinboun Geopark. This decision appoints the Hinboun Geopark Steering Committee and specifies the roles and responsibilities of the Geopark Management Team, the Scientific Committee, and the Advisory Committee composed of civil society and private sector representatives.

The validation of the geopark boundaries followed a bottom-up approach. Validation was carried out through village-by-village awareness campaigns, with each village chief providing a written agreement to join the geopark (See example). Following the commitment of the 29 villages comprising the geopark, the boundaries of the geopark were formally recognized by the Governor through a provincial decree. The final step consisted of the recognition of the boundaries of Laos’ first geopark by the national authorities.