4th Meeting of the GMS Urban Development Working Group

The 4th Meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Urban Development Working Group (UDWG) was held via web-based conferencing on 17 December 2020. The objectives of the meeting were to

• Discuss the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on selected public utilities and how these have responded to address challenges on their operations, financial management, and investments; 
• Discuss how COVID-19 has made city governments approach smart city development, as well as the introduction of digital solutions for urban planning and service delivery; 
• Update on the draft GMS Economic Cooperation Strategy 2030, the GMS medium-term COVID-19 response plan, and changes in the GMS Regional Investment Framework that are relevant to the Urban Development Working Group (UDWG); and 
• Agree on the next steps, including the preparation of the next regional meeting.

The meeting was chaired by Mr. Xu Jianping, Director General, Department of Regional Opening-up, National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China (PRC), and was co-chaired by Mr. Antonio Ressano Garcia, Principal Urban Development Specialist, Urban Development and Water Division, Southeast Asia Department, Asian Development Bank. GMS UDWG members and their representatives from Cambodia, PRC, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam and ADB participated in the event.