Purpose

The Symposium for Developing the Southern Economic Corridor (SEC) is envisaged as a preparatory meeting for the Third Economic Corridors Forum (ECF-3), with a focus specifically on the SEC and its development, on the theme "Synergizing private sector dynamism and public sector planning".

Objectives

• Review and assess the progress in trade and transport facilitation, logistics development, and cross-border economic links along the SEC;
• Disseminate the views of the private sector on opportunities and constraints in the development of the SEC;
• Draw attention to issues and constraints affecting SEC development at the local level, and discuss approaches to address them;
• Increase the support of local authorities and the private sector to SEC development;
• Strengthen the platform for coordination and networking among local authorities and the private sector for developing of the SEC.

Expected Outputs

• Initiation of networking and coordination arrangements between local authorities and provincial chambers of commerce along the SEC;
• Recommendations on collaborative actions needed to resolve priority issues and address gaps in implementing the action plan for SEC development, including updates on the action plan;
• and Framework for monitoring implementation progress of the SEC strategy and action plan, including trade promotion, trade facilitation and logistics in the SEC.

Target Participants

• Participation is by invitation only Governors/high-level senior officials and representatives of business associations of all SEC provinces from Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Thailand, and Viet Nam;
• representatives from national governments—GMS national secretariat, and representatives from relevant ministries, such as transport, commerce, trade, planning, or foreign ministry;
• GMS Business Forum and other private-sector stakeholders;
• local academics; and development partners active along the SEC.