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News Summary On 7th Meeting Of GMS Working Group On Human Resource Development (WGHRD-7)
Hanoi, Viet Nam on 17-18 May 2006

The 7th Meeting of the GMS Working Group on Human Resource Development (WGHRD-7) was held in Hanoi, Viet Nam on 17-18 May 2006, jointly hosted by ADB and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. The theme of the Meeting was “Connectivity and HRD”. About 32 delegates from the 6 GMS member countries, 14 representatives from 12 development partner agencies, including multilateral and bilateral donors and international research organizations, and ADB staff and consultants attended.

The Meeting

• reviewed current GMS regional and country level initiatives in health, education, and labor
• discussed emerging subregional challenges and issues in HRD
• identified new topics for subregional cooperation; and (iv) agreed on specific recommendations to higher authorities in the GMS.

The meeting brought together GMS representatives, resource persons from the development partners including the International Organization for Migration (IOM), World Bank, International Labor Organization (ILO), Rockefeller Foundation, GMS Academic Research Network (GMSARN), the Mekong Institute, Kunming University of Science and Technology, and ADB.

The meeting revolved around cross-cutting HRD concerns in the subregion, made more significant in light of the increasing regional and economic integration and connectivity within the GMS. The meeting also highlighted the emerging cross-cutting issues and challenges attendant to increasing connectivity in the subregion and how these could be addressed through subregional cooperation in health, education, and labor. These issues include

• negative externalities associated with increasing connectivity (e.g., spread of communicable diseases, human trafficking and labor migration, drug trafficking/smuggling, gender issues)
• improving the competitiveness and productivity and efficiently managing the movement of labor within the subregion
• role of the private sector
• improving the management and coordination of subregional cooperation programs in HRD
• strengthening of partnerships and institutional networking and information sharing.

The Working group identified new priority areas of cooperation in health, education, and labor.

View the Summary of Proceedings of WGHRD-7, Agenda/Program and List of Participants.