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Countries and Regions Country Assistance Plans Document
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GMS Assistance Plan
VIII. Coordination with Donor Agencies and Other Regional Institutions108. Positive economic developments in the GMS countries, as well as noteworthy progress under the GMS Program, are creating many opportunities for development cooperation with bilateral and multilateral institutions. In addition to development assistance to individual countries, donor agencies are also increasingly involved in initiatives of a subregional nature. Given the mandate by the Sixth GMS Ministerial Conference in 1996, ADB has been performing the role of donor coordinator for other subregional initiatives, on behalf of the GMS countries. 109. ADB’s coordination with the donor community under the GMS Program has the objective of promoting complementarity of work programs and expertise of donor institutions. Regular information sharing with major donors in the GMS is helping ADB establish its approach at program and project levels. Donors are invited to GMS meetings; ADB reciprocates by participating in other donor-sponsored meetings on the GMS. Monitoring of donor activities in the field, and identification of collaborative opportunities with the donor institutions are continuing efforts for the ADB. The strengthening of the resident missions in the GMS countries is helping to meet this challenge by strengthening interaction with donor institutions that have presence in the GMS. 110. An important milestone in donor coordination was reached when ADB and the Mekong River Commission (MRC) signed the Partnership Arrangement between the two agencies in March 2000. The Arrangement sets the framework for cooperation between the two agencies, including the areas of cooperation, and the mechanics of consultation and information sharing. The MRC is an intergovernmental organization established in 1995 among Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam to promote sustainable development of the Mekong River 111. Multilateral institutions that are involved in major subregional initiatives in the GMS include the UN agencies, the World Bank, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). ESCAP has been collaborating with the ADB in tourism, trade, investment and private sector development. ESCAP continues to provide financial support for the Tourism Working Group, as well as for priority activities in the tourism sector. It is also supporting two priority projects for trade facilitation. ESCAP and ADB collaborated to organize the Inception Meeting of the GMS Business Forum in October 2000. 112. The UN agencies are active partners in implementing environment and HRD projects under the GMS Program. UNDP is executing a technical assistance project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) focusing on biodiversity conservation in the Tonle Sap to complement ADB’s work in planning for detailed investments in fishery, forestry, and agricultural resources in the lake. The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) has been working with ADB in developing a system for environment and natural resources information under the project on Subregional Environmental Monitoring and Information Systems. ADB plans to tap the expertise of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) to assist in a planned regional technical assistance project on drug eradication focusing on crop substitution and demand reduction issues. To prepare the groundwork for collaboration, a seminar on UNDCP’s Drug Control Program in the GMS was held in November 1999 to enhance awareness of ADB staff on policies and strategies, demand reduction, law enforcement, and alternative development approaches for drug eradication. 113. The World Bank initiative on promoting regional power trade has moved energy cooperation in the GMS into a more comprehensive plane. The World Bank and ADB are working together under the GMS Program framework to prepare the policy, technical, financial and institutional framework for power trade in the region. Consultations between the World Bank and the GMS countries are ongoing on the draft Regional Protocols on Power Trade, which lays the principles and mechanics of trading, pricing, financing and technical harmonization. For its part, ADB will conduct a Regional Indicative Master Plan on Power Interconnection taking into account the current and projected demand and supply conditions. 114. ADB held discussions with the Mekong Project Development Facility (MPDF) early this year to determine ways in which ADB can support MPDF operations in developing productive, viable small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region. MPDF, a multi-donor program managed by IFC, is helping to provide the link between the SMEs and sources of financing for their projects. Modalities are being developed that would enable ADB to support some of the projects under MPDF. 115. ADB continues to coordinate closely with ASEAN on account of overlapping membership and interrelated activities especially in the areas of trade and customs facilitation and investment promotion. An important regional initiative that was launched in October 1999 under the ASEAN framework was the Working Group on the West-East Economic Corridor (WEC) Development. It was established at the initiative of Viet Nam under the framework of the ASEAN Economic Ministers-Japan Ministry of Trade and Industry Economic and Industrial Cooperation Committee (AMEICC). At present, however, work on the WEC is focusing on human resource and SME development to complement the ongoing physical infrastructure being supported by different international development agencies, including ADB. The participation of other ASEAN countries in the WEC is expected to enhance the Corridor’s investment potential. ADB has been designated as a standing member of the Working Group and has been participating in WEC Meetings.
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