18 to 20 September 2017
Ha Noi, Viet Nam

Background

This year, the 9th Economic Corridors Forum (ECF-9) will be held back-to-back with the 22nd GMS Ministerial Conference (MC-22). These events coincide with the 25th Anniversary of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Program, leading up to the Sixth GMS Summit of Leaders in March 2018 in Ha Noi, Viet Nam.

The theme for ECF-9 is “Deepening and Widening Benefits of the Economic Corridors Through Inter-sectoral Synergies.” The forum which will be held on 19 September will discuss initiatives to deepen and widen connectivity along the GMS economic corridors as well as multi-sector/inter-sector approaches to economic corridor development.

The MC-22 carries the theme “Greater GMS Achievements through Stronger and Pragmatic Cooperation.” The Ministerial Meeting will commence with a closed-door Ministerial Retreat followed by the formal Ministerial Meeting to take place on 20 September.

The ECF-9 and MC-22 will be preceded with a Senior Officials’ Meeting and a Development Partners’ Meeting on 18 September. ECF-9 will be held on 19 September 2017.

These meetings will bring together the GMS Ministers and Senior Officials of the six GMS countries (Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam); the GMS Business Council; and development partners.

Topics for discussion

9th GMS Economic Corridors Forum

Part I. Deepening and Widening Connectivity along the GMS Economic Corridors

• Session 1: Transport Sector Connectivity
• Session 2: Promotion of Environmentally Sustainable Regional Power Trade Planning, Coordination, and Development in the GMS
• Session 3: Mobilizing Private Sector Investment into GMS Infrastructure

Part II. Multi-sector/ Inter-sector Approaches to Economic Corridor Development in the GMS

• Session 4: Local Area Development along the GMS Economic Corridors
• Session 5: Maximizing the Benefits from Regional E-commerce
• Session 6: Panel Discussion: Trade Facilitation Along the Economic Corridors in the GMS

22nd GMS Ministerial Conference

• Session 1: Report of the Chair of the Senior Officials’ Meeting
• Session 2: Report of the GMS Business Council
• Session 3: Report of the Co-Chair of the Development Partners’ Meeting and Statements by the Development Partners
• Session 4: Consideration and Endorsement of the 22nd MC Joint Ministerial Statement

Target participants

Participation is by invitation only.

Ministers from the six GMS countries, GMS Senior Officials or National Coordinators, other officials from concerned ministries or agencies, ADB officers or staff, representatives from the private sector, development partner organizations, and civil society are expected to attend.