This report shows how improving gender mainstreaming via the Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation Program Strategic Framework 2030 (GMS-2030) can bolster inclusivity and ensure women benefit equally from regional cooperation initiatives.
The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation Program aims to broaden the gains of its interventions across three key pillars: community, connectivity, and competitiveness. In line with the GMS Strategic Framework 2030 (GMS-2030), the GMS seeks to ensure equal access and participation in opportunities arising from the Program through the GMS Gender Strategy.
On 26 April 2024, the Kingdom of Cambodia hosted the second Mekong Dialogue on Labour Mobility, chaired by H.E. Mr. Hou Vudthy, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training of Cambodia. This dialogue was conducted within the framework of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation Program and with the support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Its primary aim was to enhance cooperation on labor mobility through a multi-stakeholder approach among the Mekong countries and development partners
The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Regional Investment Framework 2024–2026 (RIF 2026) is the subsequent 3-year rolling pipeline of projects of the GMS Program. It is comprised of 128 projects across the countries and sectors of the GMS program. The projects in the RIF 2026 will require mobilizing financial resources amounting to $17.7 billion from development partners, the private sector, and the countries’ national and regional budgets.
The Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) in Cambodia marked a significant upsurge in trade activities in January and February 2024. The trade volume through this economic corridor reached $628 million, reflecting a robust growth of 38.3% compared to the same period in 2023.
Building a Strong and Cohesive GMS Community with a Shared Future towards Resilient Economic Development
During the period 2017–2020, extended to 2023, ADB operations in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) focused on (i) improving physical connectivity to catalyze private sector investment in the economy to generate employment and income, (ii) developing skills that support growth in the non-resource sectors and improving access to health services to enhance labor productivity, and (iii) ensuring sustainable natural resource management and climate resilience. Gender equity and governance were crosscutting themes.
The Lao PDR aims to promote quality, sustainable, inclusive, and green growth in the context of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and to graduate from least developed country status in 2026.
The First Training Session of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Task Force on Trade and Investment (TFTI) was held in-person in Bangkok, Thailand, on 13–14 September 2023. The training, entitled ¨Integrative Trade: Touchpoints to International Commerce,¨ had the following objectives:
ADB is one of Cambodia’s largest sources of official development assistance, with average annual lending of $368.3 million in 2018–2022.
Greater Mekong Subregion Secretariat
Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination Division,
Southeast Asia Department, Asian Development Bank
Address: 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City 1550, Metro Manila, Philippines
Telephone: +63 2 8632 4444 Fax: +63 2 8636 2226