CHIANG MAI, THAILAND (1 February 2018) — Environment ministers from the six countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion endorsed a 5-year environment agenda that includes more than $540 million worth of priority projects to spur green investments and increase environmental cooperation to help the subregion achieve sustainable growth.

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) will host the 25th GMS Ministerial Conference (MC-25) on 6-8 December 2022 in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. The MC-25 will be attended by the Ministers and senior officials of the GMS countries, development partners, private sector representatives, and other stakeholders.

The 13th Economic Corridors Forum (ECF-13) will be held on 3 November 2022 via web-based conferencing. It will be hosted by the Government of the People’s Republic of China.  

The 26th GMS WGE Annual Meeting will discuss key challenges and possible solutions for the region in the light of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) and the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) and in preparation on their pathway to the upcoming COP27 and COP15 in 2022.

Digital skills are increasing in demand in Asia and the Pacific, with 75% of employers in four countries reporting a rise in demand for new hires with digital skills over the last 5 years, according to a new joint report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and LinkedIn.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $300 million loan to improve the quality of public health services in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guizhou Province, and Shaanxi Province, in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).