Contemporary global challenges including climate change, economic and workforce disruptions, technological and industrial shifts, and socio-economic disparities pose significant threats to sustainable development in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). While progress is being made in regional development from the efforts of regional development cooperations in the GMS, a comparison of the available data shows that there are still significant common gaps and uniquely defined challenges in regional context, alongside global challenges impacting the region.
To tackle global challenges in the GMS and enhance the Mekong Institute (MI)’s upcoming strategic plan, MI, an intergovernmental organization working to promote regional cooperation and integration through capacity development, dialogue, and advocacy for the acceleration of sustainable socioeconomic development and poverty alleviation in the GMS, has conducted research titled “Study on Strategic Directions in Addressing Global Issues Impacting the Greater Mekong Region” funded by Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK government.
Aligning with the Plan of Action to Implement the ASEAN-United Kingdom Dialogue Partnership 2022-2026, the study identified the 8 key areas for MI to focus on to promote shared prosperity and resilience in the region: (1) Climate Change, Environmental Sustainability, and Disaster Resilience; (2) Economic Recovery, Trade and Supply Chain Resilience; (3) Digital Transformation and Technology Adoption; (4) Workforce Development and Future Skills; (5) Gender Equality and Social Inclusion; (6) Public Health and Security; (7) Circular Economy and Sustainable Resource Use; and (8) Regional and International Collaboration.
As a key activity of the research project, MI is organizing the regional consultation workshop, in Bangkok, Thailand to leverage stakeholders’ expertise in validating the research findings and formulating actionable recommendations to address the global challenges identified in the study that impact the GMS region.