[2] Returning to his home country after the Vietnam War and the establishment of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Sombath's earliest work was to demonstrate methods of sustainable farming that contribute to food security.

[3] According to a biography of Sombath Somphone published in 2005, PADETC has undertaken numerous initiatives in promoting eco-friendly technologies and micro-enterprises, including the introduction of organic fertilizers, garbage recycling, fuel-efficient stoves, and new processing techniques for small agribusiness enterprises.

Through PADETC, the youth are afforded opportunities for learning leadership, teamwork, project management, and a diverse range of life-based, locally grounded knowledge in areas like environmental awareness, good farming practices, entrepreneurship, and urgent social issues like drug-abuse prevention.

[8] In 2001, Sombath Somphone received the Human Resource Development Award for empowering the rural poor in Laos from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

[14] Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Desmond Tutu, wrote to the Lao Prime Minister, Thongsing Thammavong, calling for an urgent investigation but he received no response.

[18] The CPPA has frequently raised concerns about Sombath Somphone as well as human rights violations, and the persecution of Laotian and Hmong political and religious dissidents, in Laos.

"[23] In September, a third delegation consisting of representatives from Denmark and Belgium, concluded that "the Lao authorities have so far not shown adequate willingness or capacity to find a solution to this case and have refused any offer of technical assistance for the investigation".

The statement from the European Development Partners called upon the Lao Government "to conduct a comprehensive and transparent investigation of this case and to fully cooperate with UN bodies such as the Working Group on Enforced Disappearances in Geneva".

[25] On 15 December 2013, the one-year anniversary of Sombath's disappearance was marked by new statements from the governments of Switzerland, the UK, and the US,[26] and demonstrations outside the Lao Embassies in Bangkok,[27] Tokyo[28] and Canberra.

"[31] International media coverage of Sombath's disappearance includes reports by the BBC, Al Jazeera, Fox News, Deutsche Welle, Le Monde, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, ABC Australia and others.