Fourth GMS Economic Corridors Forum CONCEPT NOTE

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1 I. Introduction Fourth GMS Economic Corridors Forum CONCEPT NOTE The Fourth Economic Corridors Forum (ECF-4) is the first major GMS meeting to be held after the adoption of the new GMS Strategic Framework at the 4 th GMS Summit in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar in December The new Strategic Framework (SF) is anchored on the corridor-development approach, which provides the spatial and thematic focus to the program going forward. 1 The new framework expands the GMS Program from conventional infrastructure to multisector investments designed to foster economic corridor development, involving stronger cross-sectoral linkages, better consideration of regional economic development s spatial aspects, more local stakeholder involvement, and more effective monitoring and evaluation. This is consistent with the outcomes of the Third ECF (ECF-3) held in June 2011 in Vientiane, Lao People s Democratic Republic, where widening and deepening of GMS regional corridors was comprehensively discussed. The ECF-3 noted the need for a regional master plan to help the GMS Program move beyond the first generation of transport connectivity projects into a second generation of multisector investment projects to develop areas along and around the corridors, while also increasing the regionality of the corridors through improved transport and trade facilitation (TTF) and other policy and institutional reforms. ECF-3 also reviewed use of a corridor monitoring system to assess development of the GMS corridors, and institutional aspects to strengthen the ECF mechanism, such as corridor task forces to enhance decentralization in planning, implementation, and monitoring of projects. The regional planning exercise for the new GMS SF, envisaged by the ECF-3 and the 17 th GMS Ministerial Conference, has been initiated in 2012, supported by an ADB technical assistance. It is expected to lead to development in 2013 of the new pipeline of GMS projects to implement the new SF. It will also initiate a GMS knowledge platform that will enhance policy dialog on regional cooperation amongst member countries. 1 The new GMS Strategic Framework for is available at:

2 II. Theme Towards Implementing the New GMS Strategic Framework ( ): Expanding, Widening, and Deepening Economic Corridors in the GMS The new GMS Strategic Framework recognizes economic corridor development as the centerpiece of subregional cooperation in GMS and a key platform for delivering the multisector initiatives focused on the GMS corridors. Further development of the GMS transport corridors into economic corridors cannot be accomplished without adequately focusing on widening and deepening of these corridors through inclusive development of areas along and contiguous to the corridors. At the same time there is a need to deepen the corridors through policy and institutional reforms to enhance their use in international trade and investment as well as movement of people. Given the economic dynamism of the GMS subregion, evident in robust growth rates of GDP and intra-gms trade, the infrastructure needs of the region have also evolved. Implementing the corridor development approach under the new SF will require improved alignment of the corridors to changes in spatial patterns of economic activitiy in the GMS. This may entail widening their scope while also rationalizing their relative priorities in symphony with national objectives, evolving trade flows and regional benefits. III. The Forum A one-day program is envisioned for the ECF-4 to carry out the following objectives: (i) to explore the investment directions and implications of the new strategic framework for the GMS Program, and ways to effectively implement the new strategy; specifically the ECF will review potential new alignments of the economic corridors in the GMS founded on both trade/investment flows and economic analysis, the increasing emergence of Myanmar, and requests of other GMS countries; (ii) to draw attention to hardware and software issues constraining the development of the economic corridors and to propose actions needed to accelerate the development guided by the new strategic framework; (iii) to analyze the content of economic corridor development driven by a new generation of multi sector projects, new interventions and spatial planning emerging in the regional program of GMS countries and to be further developed under the GMS regional investment framework (RIF); (iv) to assess institutional aspects, including coordination and capacity challenges for countries related to economic corridor development through timely and effective delivery of a comprehensive portfolio of second-generation investment projects, with implications for development partners. The draft provisional program/agenda for ECF-4 is provided in Appendix 1. 2

3 IV. Expected Outputs (i) (ii) (iii) Initial identification of investment directions for implementing the new GMS strategy based on review of and feedback related to analytical and sector work ongoing under the RIF; Updated status of progress and constraints on development of economic corridors, including software issues such as transport and trade facilitation (TTF); Refining institutional framework for effective delivery of corridor development projects. V. Participants (i) GMS Ministers and Senior Officials; (ii) Officials of relevant ministries/agencies; (iii) High-level local/provincial authorities (governors or their equivalent); (iv) Representatives of the GMS Business Forum; (v) Representatives from provincial chambers of commerce, industry associations, prospective investors and other stakeholders such as those from academe; and (vi) Development partners. VI. VII. VIII. Venue Mandalay, Myanmar Date 28 June 2012 Background Documents (i) The Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation Program Strategic Framework ; (ii) Draft Report on Initial Assessments of Road Transport Infrastructure and Transport and Logistic Services for Trade Facilitation in the GMS Countries; (iii) Trade Amongst GMS Countries: Recent Trends and Patterns; (iv) Trade Transit System in the GMS: Can it Work as Proposed?; (v) Constraints to Exports: Findings from a Case Study of Exporters in Cambodia and Lao PDR; (vi)gms Human Resource Development Strategic Framework and Action Plan for ; (vii) Transport and Trade Facilitation in the GMS: Issues and Proposed Program of Actions; (viii) Strategy and Action Plan for the North-South Economic Corridor, East-West Economic Corridor, and Southern Economic Corridor; (ix)joint Summit Declaration (December 2011, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar); (x) Synopses of Past ECF Meetings. 3

4 IX. Other Meeting A Senior Officials Meeting cum Regional Investment Framework Steering Committee Meeting will be held on the day after the ECF-4 (June 29 AM). 4

5 Appendix 1 (draft as of 14 June 2012) Fourth GMS Economic Corridors Forum Sedona Hotel Mandalay, Myanmar 28 June 2012 Provisional Program/Agenda Theme: Towards Implementing the New GMS Strategic Framework ( ): Expanding, Widening, and Deepening Economic Corridors in the GMS 27 June 2012, Wednesday 14:00 - Guided Tour (TBC) 19:00-21:00 Welcome Dinner hosted by ADB 28 June 2012, Thursday Fourth GMS Economic Corridors Forum Chair: H. E. Tin Naing Thein, Union Minister, Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development, Myanmar Co-Chair: Mr. Stephen Groff, Vice President Operations 2, ADB 08:30-09:00 Registration 09:00-09:45 Opening Session Group Photo Welcome Remarks: H. E. Tin Naing Thein, Myanmar Brief Statements: GMS Ministers from Cambodia, PRC, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam Statement: Mr. Stephen Groff, ADB 09:45-11:00 Session 1: GMS Corridors Transport Infrastructure The New GMS Strategic Framework and the Regional Investment Framework Process: Mr. Arjun Goswami Private Sector Perspective on Infrastructure Development: JETRO 5

6 Transport Connectivity and Corridor Alignments in GMS: Mr. Robert Anderson and Mr. Anthony Bayley 11:00-11:15 Coffee Break 11:15-12:30 Session 2: GMS Corridors Logistics, Trade, and TTF 12:30-13:45 Lunch Logistics in GMS Structure and Assessment: Mr. Anthony Bayley Trade, TTF, and Corridor Development: Mr. Pradeep Srivastava Report by GMS Business Forum: Mr. Win Aung 13:45-14:45 Session 3: Urbanization, Migration, and HRD in GMS Urbanization Status and Trends: Ms. Amy Leung Facilitating Safe Labor Migration in the GMS: Mr. Federico Soda, International Organization for Migration Regional Cooperation in HRD and GMS Competitiveness: Mr. James Knowles 14:45-15:30 Session 4: Investment Priorities in Energy and Agriculture and Intersector Linkages Assessment of Progress and Priorities of Energy Sector Development: Mr. Anthony Jude Investment Priorities in Agriculture and Intersectoral Linkages: Mr. Javed Hussain Mir 15:30-15:45 Coffee Break 15:45-16:45 Session 5: Implementing the New SF Regional Investment Framework and Economic Corridors Development Presentation on RIF, ECF, and Regional Programming: Mr. Arjun Goswami 6

7 16:45-17:00 Closing Session Wrap-up and Next Steps by ADB Closing Remarks 17:15-17:30 Press Conference (TBC) 19:00-21:00 Dinner Reception hosted by Government of Myanmar 7