In continued support of strengthening regional cooperation in poverty reduction through exchange of good practices and lessons-learned, Mekong Institute (MI) kicked off an online Synthesis and Evaluation Workshop on” Targeted Poverty Alleviation for Better Life in the Lancang-Mekong Region: Sharing Experiences” on June 27, 2022. 

Supported by the People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China, the workshop is the final activity under the capacity development program, which bears the same name. Initiated in 2021, the program aims to contribute to inclusive socioeconomic recovery ensuring the principle of non-one-left-behind. Specifically, it provides a platform of exchange among government officials and representatives from non-government sector and private sector to eradicate poverty through the implementation of existing good policies and development of innovative strategies that will maximize benefits to the poor.

The one-day online activity reconvened 27 representatives from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand who completed the learning program on December 13-24, 2021 . With the support from MI, the participants reported the progress of their action plan implementation, which ranged from organizing trainings to conducting surveys in their home countries to highlight good practices and recommendations for furthering poverty reduction efforts in light of the ongoing pandemic.

Findings from the activities during the program’s cycle from 2021 to 2022—will be collated into the final project report for MI submission to the development partners in the Lancang Mekong Countries.