Mekong River Commission welcomes strong donor support
MRC No.09/07
Vientiane, Lao PDR
Thursday, 28 June 2007
Delegates from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam, together with representatives of the international donor community, partner organisations and development banks, heard that the MRC had secured funding support worth more than US$23 million over the past 12 months.
Speaking at the Informal Donor Meeting of the Mekong River
Commission, held today in Vientiane,
H.E. Mr. Sin Niny, MRC Joint Committee Chairman for 2006/2007,
told the delegates that this would ensure the continuing
work of some programmes, while taking others into new phases
and ensuring the creation of new programmes.
H.E. Mr Sin Niny said the Informal Donor meeting was an important event in the MRC’s calendar and one which provided opportunity to discuss the goals, achievements and plans for the MRC with its generous donor community. “We also look forward to their feedback at these meetings and know we can only benefit from their expertise in many areas,” he said. “These open exchanges allow us to improve our relationship with our donors and ensure we pursue shared ideals.”
Since the last meeting the MRC had approved and printed its 2006-2010 Strategic Plan, taking into account comments from the donor community as well as input from stakeholders in the basin. H.E. Mr Sin Niny said the MRC was now confident that, while the plan was ambitious, the MRC would be able to fulfil the goals it had set for the next five years. Matters under discussion at the meeting included the implementation of this Strategic Plan as well as its priority funding needs.
Over the past six months the MRC had been fortunate enough to benefit from two events which allowed it to examine its methods, aims and structure in the form of an Independent Organisational Review of the MRC and the National Mekong Committees and an International Conference on the MRC, held in Hanoi in April this year. The main aim of the conference was to further strengthen the MRC’s position in the Mekong region, while the review highlighted areas for improvement within the organisation. The meeting took time to discuss recommendations arising from the conference and the review.
Other talks centred on the MRC’s active involvement
in GMS programmes, in the Mekong Water Resources Partnership
Programme and in other collaborative activities, the progress
of the Riparianisation of the MRC Secretariat and ways to
increase aid effectiveness and strengthen relationships
with donors.
For more information please contact:
Ms Virginia Addison, Communications Officer,
MRC Secretariat, Tel: 856 21 263 263 Ext 4703.
Mobile: (856) 20 559 9139
Email: virginia@mrcmekong.org
Website: www.mrcmekong.org
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