The National Steering Committee is a special unit recently established by the Government of Lao PDR, with a mandate to coordinate, plan, and direct the Negotiation Team and the Technical Working Group in order to ensure a fruitful Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) negotiation process.

The National Steering Committee consists of the Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Chairman); the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; the Director General of the Department of Forest Inspection (Member of the NSC and the Head of the Negotiation Team); and other Directors General and Deputy Directors General of related departments.