Message from the Chairman of the Mekong River Commission Council
On behalf of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), I am pleased to present this MRC Annual Report 2006 to all Member States, donors and partners. We have made significant progress on our work programme during the past year and I thank the MRC Secretariat, the National Mekong Committees, our line agencies, our development partners and our donors whose joint efforts helped MRC realise these achievements.
The Year 2006 brought with it some interesting and positive steps forward for the MRC, both in its future direction and its consolidation of its good relationships with donors and civil society. This was exemplified by the finalisation and approval by Joint Committee, Council and the Donor Consultative Group of the MRC's Strategic Plan 2006-2010. This Strategic Plan has been driven by the Member States and has been formulated in a highly participatory way. MRC sought input from donors, stakeholders and civil society and the result was a well constructed plan which we feel has set a new benchmark for the MRC's future development. Now we look forward to enacting this plan for the benefit of all our countries and in particular the poorest people. In 2006 we also undertook an internal organisational review to assess the regional capacity required to implement this strategic orientation.
Last year we saw some endings and some beginnings. While the Basin Development Plan Programme and the Water Utilisation Programme completed Phase 1 of their programmes. the Council approved the establishment of two new programmes – the Drought Management Programme and the Information and Knowledge Management Programme. Now, thanks to a new funding agreement, the BDP will move onto Phase 2 (BDP2) whereby our Member States will see some concrete outcomes which will see this planning put into action. The WUP has also received funding and it will be reformed into a new, more cross cutting programme which will work in conjunction with the Environment Programme and BDP2.
In mid 2006 the WUP achieved a milestone when Ministers from our four member states came together in Ho Chi Minh City to sign an important agreement on the Procedures for the Maintenance of Flows on the Mainstream, the fourth of the WUP's procedures to be agreed. It is expected that the fifth and final Procedure for Water Quality will be signed in 2007.
The Navigation Programme started up full operation in 2006 and is already well advanced with its first major project - the installation of navigational aids in Cambodia. The Flood Management and Mitigation Programme celebrated its first full year of operation with its own Regional Flood Management and Mitigation Centre operating at nearly full strength and supplying flood forecasts throughout the 2006 flood season. The Programme also produced the first of what will now be Annual Mekong Flood Reports.
The Environment Programme completed drafting a framework of the guidelines for transboundary environmental impact assessment and will be continuing its work on guidance and institutional support. Over the year the EP engaged in various ecological risk assessments and transboundary impact diagnostic studies. The EP also gathered data on wetland values which will be added to the current wetland maps so they can be used as a tool for BDP Phase 2.
Meanwhile the Fisheries Programme played a vital role in its work supporting sustainable livelihoods in the all-important fisheries of the Mekong, through aquaculture programmes and research. The Fisheries Programme also assisted in facilitating the end the annual Mekong giant catfish hunt and instigating several successful breeding programmes of indigenous and endangered fish species.
Projects under the Agriculture, Irrigation and Forestry Programme continued to seek improvements in water use efficiency, better irrigation and improved watershed efficiency and pilot projects were established in the basin.
Sharing knowledge and learning lessons from others are both very important to the MRC and in November 2006 MRC hosted the Challenge Programme's International Forum on Water and Food, an exciting forum held in Lao PDR which brought together more than 250 experts from nine river basins around the world and delivered key messages from the research world to the development world on how to improve livelihoods and water productivity in agriculture.
On the international scene MRC took an active role in the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico City, when representatives presented many papers, participated in the expo and joined in the Asian Pacific Water Forum Ministerial Meeting.
The MRC's relationship with our Dialogue Partners, China and Myanmar, strengthens year by year and we have continued to enjoy close working ties in 2006, continuing our technical collaboration.
As before the international donor community has maintained its generous support for the work of the MRC. Many donors have renewed or increased their funding for new projects and in doing so they have demonstrated their faith in the work of the MRC. I should like to take this opportunity to express, on behalf of the MRC, our warm and sincere gratitude to our donors for their continued support. The Member States have continued to increase their contributions to the MRC, which is now well placed to implement its Work Programme 2007.
H.E. Dr Cao Duc Phat
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
Chairman of Viet Nam National Mekong Committee
Member of the MRC Council for Viet Nam
Chairman of the MRC Council for 2006/2007
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