The Goal of the program is “To contribute to regain livelihood sovereignty for indigenous ethnic minorities in the Mekong Sub-region” through protection and proper implementation of the five livelihood sovereignty rights. This is an innovative approach to regain and ensure the sustainability of livelihood sovereignty for indigenous ethnic minorities of the Mekong Sub-region, with a focus on the marginalized youth and women in Vietnam and Laos.
 
In the coming three years SPERI/MECO-ECOTRA along with national, regional, and international alliances will put more positive focus on ‘regaining livelihood sovereignty’ by strengthening the institutional and organizational capacity of vulnerable indigenous ethnic minority communities, CBOs and dynamic grassroots CSOs. These entities will be empowered to become more self-reliant to push for improvement and better implementation of relevant legal frameworks and development programs toward the recognition and protection of the livelihood rights, entitlements and other endowments of indigenous ethnic minority people. The approach will follow socio-political-ecological economic feasible strategies to escape structural poverty, secure livelihood sovereignty, and give indigenous ethnic minorities opportunities to develop their own capacity and regain ownership and endowments. The work will help indigenous communities to escape structural poverty and protect their rights to livelihood sovereignty which are recognized fully or partly under UNDRIP through legal frameworks of the Mekong Sub-region countries, particularly in Vietnam and Laos.
 
The action from 2013- 2016 is the follow-up from the achievements, new challenges and recommendations of MECO-ECOTRA of the period 2010-2013. It will aim to achieve three primary interrelated components, including: i) Livelihoods Pilot Demonstration Development; ii) MECO-ECOTRA’s organizational and Institutional Empowerment, iii) SPERI’s Organizational Reforming.