Message from the Chairman of the Mekong River Commission Council
On behalf of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) I take pleasure in extending my best wishes and warmest greetings to all member countries, donors and partners.
The year 2004 saw some changes for the MRC. The Secretariat relocated from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Vientiane, Lao PDR, we welcomed aboard our new CEO, Dr Olivier Cogels, and we approved the new orientation of the MRC to work towards Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). We feel IWRM will provide us with an integrated approach for addressing development needs in the areas of navigation, lood management, fisheries, irrigation, hydropower, watershed management, nvironment management and human and institutional capacity.
The new Secretariat swung into action with minimal disruption to work on the rogrammes thanks to the support of our donors, the help of the Cambodian and Lao Governments, and the provision of equipment through the Thai and Viet Nam National Mekong Committees. We are indebted to everyone who helped make this difficult task so much easier.
Lao PDR is proud to host the Secretariat and looks forward to building on the platform of growth and development achieved during its time in Phnom Penh. I would like to commend the MRC Secretariat for its contribution to the achievements of the MRC during the past year and I thank the Secretariat staff for all their technical and professional input.
We have some exciting plans for 2005. At the 11th MRC Council Meeting, held in Vientiane in December, members met and discussed the launch of the new Navigation Programme and the Flood Management and Mitigation Programme (FMMP), as well as the start of Phase II of both the Fisheries Programme and the Basin Development Plan.
I am pleased to report that the FMMP, now one of the MRC's core programmes, is funded and the Flood Management and Mitigation Centre will take up temporary residence in the former Secretariat building in Phnom Penh while a new purpose-built centre is constructed.
The Navigation Programme, which the MRC regards as a vital element of its strategy to make optimum use of the river while preserving the environment, will commence operation this year. This five-module programme is designed to enhance navigation of the river through the formulation of rules governing safety and cargo handling, while also dealing with difficult transboundary issues.
In its second phase the Basin Development Plan will take a new direction. Employing the principles of IWRM, it will build on the work of Phase I and commence identifying and implementing development projects and programmes in partnership with the international donor community and investment banks.
Partnerships are important to the MRC and in 2004 we have worked hard to maintain good relationships with our upstream neighbours. During meetings held in 2004 with our dialogue partners China and Myanmar we have enjoyed and open and productive discussion and made further steps forward to forging a deeper relationship with regard to shared water resources.
The Commission has delivered on what it set out to do in 2004, but without the support of the donor community the MRC's work would not be possible. Therefore I am pleased to announce that last year we welcomed increased support from many of our donors, as well as welcoming some previous donors back into the family. I would like to convey the MRC's great appreciation to the donor community, our programme partners, the National Mekong Committees and our line agencies for all their cooperation and we look forward to continuing our strong relationship in 2005.
Moreover, the year of 2005 is a golden year since MRC countries and the people of the Mekong River region met and celebrated the 10th anniversary of the MRC on 5 April 2005. This event provided a historic symbol of the close cooperation enjoyed by the four countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam) and their willingness to work together with a great Mekong Spirit.
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