First Meeting of the GMS Urban Development Working Group

The First Meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Urban Development Working Group was held in Ha Noi, Viet Nam from 28 to 29 June 2017.

The objectives of the meeting were to

• update recent developments of the overall GMS Program and review/confirm the GMS Regional Investment Framework 2022 Urban Development and Other Multisector projects;
• discuss the planning and implementation of the GMS Corridor Towns Development Project;
• discuss the ongoing ADB-financed regional technical assistance, TA9293-REG: Policy Coordination and Planning of Border Economic Zones of the People’s Republic of China and Viet Nam; and
• discuss and agree on the terms of reference for the GMS Urban Working Group (upgraded from the GMS Urban Task Force) and its 3-year work plan.

The meeting was chaired by Duong Hung Cuong, Director in charge of GMS Program/Focal, Foreign Economic Relations Department, Ministry of Planning and Investment of Viet Nam. It was co-chaired by Eri Honda, Principal Urban Development Specialist of the Southeast Asia Department, Asian Development Bank (ADB). Meeting participants included delegations from each of the working group’s member countries, namely Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam, as well as ADB. The meeting also included representatives from the consulting firm conducting the technical assistance on Capacity Development for Economic Zones in Border Areas.