The Lao Government adopted the 1972 Convention on the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage as early as 1987, but the development of a formal regulatory framework for the protection of the Lao built heritaqe did not commence until the mid 1990s, when it became apparent that urgent action was required to deal with the unplanned and inappropriate development which had accompanied the rapid growth of tourism in the northern city of Luang Prabang following its inscription as a World Heritage Site in December 1995. Accordingly, a National Inter Ministerial Co-ordinating Committee for the Protection and Development of Cultural, Historic and Natural Heritage was established by Prime Ministerial Decree in 1996, followed in 1997 by the Presidential Decree on the Preservation of Cultural, Historic and Natural Heritage, which outlined regulations and measures for the management, conservation, preservation and use of the national heritage, including the upgrading of movable and immovable assets with historical or cultural or natural value into national heritage.

In Luang Prabang an inter-institutional body known as the Provincial Committee for the Protection and Development of Luang Prabang Heritage was also set up in 1996 with support from UNESCO to bring together the key stakeholders in the Luang Prabang World Heritage site, namely the Luang Prabang Provincial Government, the Luang Prabang Provincial Service of Information and Culture, the Luang Prabang Provincial Tourism Office and the Luang Prabang Service of Construction, Transport, Posts and Communication. Since that time all construction work carried out within the protected area - whether for new structures or for renovation of old buildings - has required its agreement. In the same year the Maison du patrimoine (Heritage House) was established under the auspices of the Luang Prabang-Chinon (France)-UNESCO World Heritage Centre Co-operation Project as a technical office within the Luang Prabang Provincial Service of Information and Culture; this now acts as the Committee’s executive arm and secretariat, offering advice on all building permit requests and developing regulations and plans for safeguarding and developing the Luang Prabang World Heritage protected area and buffer/support zones. A parallel initiative, UNESCO’s Cultural Survival and Revival in the Buddhist Sangha Project, is currently training monks in the traditional arts and crafts skills needed to properly care for, preserve and conserve their temples.

The lessons learned in Luang Prabang were put into effect in advance of the inscription of Wat Phu Champassak on UNESCO's World Heritage List in December 2002. With UNESCO’s assistance a National Inter Ministerial Co-ordinating Committee for Wat Phu has also been established there to safeguard and develop the protected area and buffer/support zones, and co-ordinate the multi-national effort to restore and conserve the temple buildings. Furthermore, as in Luang Prabang, a Provincial Committee for the Protection and Development of Champassak Heritage has been established to bring together the key stakeholders in the Wat Phu Champassak World Heritage site, namely the Champassak Provincial Government, the Champassak Provincial Service of Information and Culture, the Champassak Provincial Tourism Office and the Champassak Service of Construction, Transport, Posts and Communication.

There are plans for similar measures to be put in place at the Plain of Jars, once sufficient unexploded ordnance has been cleared for three of the jar clusters to be nominated to the UNESCO World Heritage List.