Regional: Sustaining the Gains of Regional Cooperation in the Greater Mekong Subregion

Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Agricultural policy, institutional and capacity development

Education / Education sector development - Technical and vocational education and training

Energy / Electricity transmission and distribution - Energy sector development and institutional reform

Health / Disease control of communicable disease - Health sector development and reform

Industry and trade / Industry and trade sector development - Trade and services

Public sector management / Public administration

Transport / Transport policies and institutional development

Water and other urban infrastructure and services / Urban policy, institutional and capacity development

The knowledge and support technical assistance (TA) will support countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) in transforming the GMS Program into a more effective

regional cooperation platform that adds value to member countries' national development strategies and benefits the local populations of member countries.

The GMS strategic framework midterm review reaffirmed the strong ownership and commitment of the member countries in the GMS Program. It identified the following challenges

that need to be addressed to improve the effectiveness of the program: (i) weak coordination and decision-making mechanisms; (ii) inadequate mechanisms for project identification, resource mobilization, and results monitoring; and (iii) weak knowledge-based strategic planning.

GMS Coordination and Decision Making Mechanisms Strengthened.

Project identification, resource mobilization, and results monitoring mechanism improved.

Knowledge-based strategic planning enhanced.

In support of enhancing knowledge-based strategic planning, the TA supported/is currently supporting the preparation of the proposed new Long-term Strategic Framework of the GMS Program (GMS 2030) as mandated by the Leaders during their 6th GMS Summit. A draft was first presented at the GMS Senior Officials' Retreat in June 2019 held in Bangkok, Thailand, and was subsequently presented to GMS Ministers for review during the 23rd Ministerial Conference on 17-18 November 2019. A Research program to support GMS 2030 is also being developed through the TA.

The TA supported the organization and conduct of the 23rd Ministerial Conference (MC-23) on 17-18 November 2019 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia carrying a theme, "Greater Integration, Inclusivity and Sustainability in the GMS_. MC-23 brought together about 200 participants, consisting of Ministers and Senior Officials of the six GMS countries, representatives from ADB, development partners, and the private sector, to lay the groundwork for the 7th GMS Summit set in 2021. The GMS Ministers (i) discussed the draft of the proposed GMS Strategy 2030 for reflecting the GMS vision, aspirations, and goals; (ii) reviewed the preliminary results of a research program that aims to support the implementation of the proposed GMS 2030; and (iii) endorsed the GMS Regional Investment Framework (RIF) 2022: Second Progress Report and Update. A Development Partners' Meeting was also held on the sidelines of the conference. GMS countries and their development partners reaffirmed their commitment to work together to achieve the goals of the GMS Program.

The TA earlier supported the 10th Economic Corridors' Forum and GMS Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar on 12-13 December 2018. Bearing the theme, _Extending Corridors for Inclusive Connectivity in the GMS_, the ECF-10 gathered about 150 participants, consisting of Ministers and other high-level officials of the six GMS countries, representatives of the private sector, international development organizations, and other institutions. It reviewed and discussed initiatives and interventions aimed at accelerating the development of the GMS economic corridors by effectively contributing to the pursuit of the 3Cs connectivity, competitiveness and community.

Provided secretariat support to or supported the organization of various GMS Working Group (WG) meetings to discuss and firm up GMS sector strategies, plans and, projects. The WG meetings supported by way of knowledge sharing and secretariat assistance are as follows: (i) Working Group on Agriculture (WGA), 29-30 May 2018, and 3-4 April 2019 (Consultation Workshop on WGA) and 17-18 June 2019; (ii) Working Group on Environment, 1-2 April 2019 (iii) Regional Power Trade Coordination Committee, 19-20 June 2018, 21-22 March 2019, and 25-27 November 2019; (iv) Tourism Working Group and Mekong Tourism Forum, 25-29 June 2018, 4-5 December 2018, 27-29 May 2019, 27-29 November 2019; (v) WG on Health Cooperation, 10-11 December 2018 and 12-13 December 2019; and (vi) Urban Development WG, 4-5 July 2018; and 5-6 Dec 2019. The Urban WG meeting in Dec 2019 was also funded by the TA.

The TA also supported the organization and conduct of the 22nd Meeting of the GMS Subregional Transport Forum (STF-22) in Mandalay, Myanmar on 21-22 June 2018. The forum discussed ways toward achieving the thrusts and priorities set in the new GMS Transport Sector Strategy (TSS) 2030, including the review of the GMS transport sector projects in the GMS Regional Investment Framework (RIF) 2022 to provide inputs to the RIF 2022 First Review and Update, as well as other important transport sector issues, such as road safety and an assessment of the state of development of the GMS economic/transport corridors. The TA-supported 23rd Meeting of the Forum (STF-23) held in Bangkok, Thailand on 14-15 August 2019, to review various efforts toward implementing TSS 2030, including increasing the private sector's engagement, particularly through the GMS Freight Transport Association (FRETA); review of the progress of the GMS Cross Border Transport Facilitation Agreement (CBTA) _Early Harvest_ implementation and the progress of work and plans for the Greater Mekong Railway Association (GMRA); and exchange of country experiences in highway development as well as further efforts toward enhancing road safety in GMS countries. It also conducted the annual review (for 2019) of the pipeline of GMS transport sector projects in RIF 2022.

The TA also supported the development of a sound concept for a regional investment project on Transboundary animal disease control for competitive livestock value chains in the GMS in consultation with key stakeholders in GMS countries, and based on individual country needs, capacities and circumstances.

Moreover, the TA supported/is currently supporting the production of various GMS knowledge products:

(1) Updated Regional Investment Framework (RIF) 2022 endorsed by the GMS Ministers This serves as a regional pipeline and planning document for resource mobilization publicly. The RIF 2022 First Progress Report was circulated on March 2019 and the Second Progress Report on November 2019;

(2) 4th edition of the GMS Statistical Database booklet (2018) builds on information from previous three editions. Two chapters (tourism and health) were added and the energy chapter was completely revised.

(3) GMS Projects Database This functions as a geo-database for spatial and area planning of the GMS. GMS Projects Database is regularly updated and website is active with GMS Projects.

(4) GMS Program website (www.greatermekong.org) This was developed and maintained as host for GMS statistics, projects database, and dissemination of information of the GMS Program, including articles and e-newsletters highlighting key developments in the GMS. The GMS Program website was transferred in December 2019 to a new and more secure server with bigger storage capacity and bandwidth. During the transfer, the content management system for the main GMS Program site and Projects database were updated. Given the bigger hosting/server capacity, the GMS Program website is also hosting the websites of the WGA and WG on Environment.

(5) Pilot Study on Section-Specific Planning for the North-South Economic Corridor, Subcorridor 5 (NSEC-5) in Myanmar and the People's Republic of China This study is the first to (i) involve NSEC-5 in GMS economic corridor planning; and (ii) focus on a specific economic corridor route in the GMS. The preparatory phases 1 and 2 (national consultations in Myanmar and the PRC, and a joint workshop in Myanmar) were completed in December 2018. The preparation of the full study was endorsed by GMS countries at the 10th GMS Economic Corridors Forum in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Inception mission was conducted from 28 June to 4 July 2019 and the national consultant's draft country reports (2 economic overview and 8 sector reports) were circulated for review by ADB sector and country focals as well as the government of PRC and Myanmar in December 2019.

(6) Draft GMS Strategy 2030 (GMS 2030) and the Results Framework - The GMS 2030 provides a new framework for the subregion to act collectively to respond to powerful trends that affect the GMS. On the other hand, GMS 2030 Results Framework measures the achievement of the GMS 2030's objectives.

The TA supported preparation of briefing papers and presentations on outcomes and directives from the 6th GMS Summit for sector working group meetings that met in H1 of 2018 (Agriculture, Tourism, Energy, Transport, Urban Development and Health) with participation of officials from 6 GMS countries, development partners, and representatives of private sector and civil society.

The TA also supported the preparatory phases (1 and 2) of the proposed Pilot Study on Section-Specific Planning for the North-South Economic Corridor, Subcorridor 5 (NSEC-5) in Myanmar and the PRC, wherein national consultations with officials from relevant ministries/agencies and local resource persons/experts in both countries were conducted. A Joint consultations between PRC and Myanmar was also held.

GMS Senior Officials and Ministers have also been consulted a number of times on the Long-term Strategic Framework of the GMS Program (GMS 2030).

A total 223 total individual consulting inputs will be allocated as follows:

(i) 24 person-months to eight international consultants,

(ii) 196 person-months to 21 national consultants and

(iii) three person months to seven resource persons. The international contracts (including out-of-pocket expenses) are estimated to cost $442,000 while the national contracts are estimated at $644,000. The total package for the resource persons/facilitators (under the workshop budget) is estimated at $58,000. Individual consultants will be recruited using Individual Consultant Selection.