Purpose

The GMS Summit theme is "Beyond 2012: Towards a New Decade of GMS Strategic Development Partnership."

The first day (19 December) consisted of the final 4th Summit Task Force meeting/Senior Officials' meeting (morning), the Business and Investment Conference (afternoon) and the Gala Dinner/ Cultural Presentation attended by the GMS Leaders (evening).

The second day (20 December) consisted of the Opening Ceremony, Leaders Retreat (Closed Door Meeting), and Signing Ceremonies (witnessed by the Leaders)(morning) and press conference (afternoon). The Leaders' Retreat is considered the main Summit activity, where the Leaders discuss important GMS issues, concerns and directions. The Retreat topic for the 4th Summit is on the nature and extent of commitment and support that each country can provide for the implementation of the new Strategic Framework.

Objectives

• endorse the new GMS Strategic Framework for 2012-2022 as the centerpiece of the Summit;
• endorse the recently finalized sector strategies, namely, (a) the Refocused GMS Tourism Strategy, (b) the Core Agriculture Support Program Phase II (CASP II), and (c) the Core Environment Program (CEP)-Biodiversity Conservation Corridor Initiative (BCI) 2012-2016;
• signing of key GMS agreements on (a) HIV/AIDS vulnerability reduction, (b) cooperation in the construction of the GMS Information Superhighway, and (c) establishment of the GMS Freight Transporters' Association; and
• take up other major issues, concerns, and plans in various GMS sectors of cooperation.

Outputs

• The Summit endorsed the new GMS Strategic Framework, 2012-2022, which while maintaining the pragmatic, action-based and results-oriented character of the GMS Program, proposed broad shifts in direction to enable the program to meet the challenges ahead. These include: (i) complementing hardware with increased focus on software; (ii) greater selectivity and prioritization of areas for intervention; (iii) more attention to multi-sector cooperation and cross-sectoral links; and (iv) appropriately recognizing the spatial aspects of regional development and greater involvement of stakeholders at subnational level.
• The central event of the Summit was a closed-door retreat where GMS leaders discussed, in a relatively informal setting, the progress, challenges and opportunities in their regional cooperation, and the mechanisms designed to enhance the effective implementation of the new framework. [ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda's participation in the Summit was limited to the retreat, where he reported on the progress of GMS cooperation since the last Summit, outlined the various threats and challenges to regional cooperation, and suggested directions for future action].
• The GMS Leaders also endorsed strategies to enhance agricultural development, including food safety and security ("Core Agriculture Support Program Phase II"); accelerate the development and implementation of the pro-poor sustainable tourism industry, with the creation of multi-country tour packages to help spread revenues more widely ("Refocused Tourism Strategy"); and promote low-carbon development and enhance management of the sub-region's richly diverse ecosystems ("Core Environment Program-Biodiversity Conservation Corridor Initiative, 2012-2016).
• The Leaders also witnessed the signing of MOUs on cooperation to build the GMS information superhighway and joint action to reduce HIV vulnerability among migrant populations, and an MOA to establish a freight transporters' association to support transport and trade facilitation.

Target participants

Participation is by invitation only

• GMS Leaders
• GMS Ministers and other Sector Ministers
• GMS Senior Officials headed by the GMS National Coordinators
• ADB representatives
• GMS Business Forum