The NEC is the highest governmental body for policy guidance and decision making on issues related to the environment and climate change. The NEC is chaired by a Deputy Prime Minister and consists of members who are either Ministers or Vice-Ministers from all the line ministries. The newly created Department of National Disaster and Climate Change Management (DNDCCM) at MoNRE has been appointed as a secretariat to the NEC. The Deputy Director General of DoF reported the progresses of the REDD+ activities in Lao PDR to the NEC members in May 2011 and proposed the establishment of the National REDD+ Office. The NEC members endorsed this in principle.