U.S.-Singapore Third Country Training Program (TCTP) 2020 Cybersecurity Workshop Held Virtually

The United States and Singapore co-hosted the 2020 Third Country Training Program (TCTP) Cybersecurity Workshop as a series of virtual events on October 26 and 27 and November 2 and 3. This cybersecurity course was fully subscribed with 30 participants from all ASEAN countries as well as Timor-Leste and the ASEAN Secretariat. It covered a broad range of cyber policy topics including the importance of whole-of-government cyber coordination, frameworks and best practices for a risk-based approach to cybersecurity, and the framework of responsible state behavior in cyberspace. The participants identified key themes and lessons to bring back to their home countries for implementation, including raising public awareness on cybersecurity, strengthening network defenses against cybersecurity threats, and creating public-private partnerships to effectively respond to and manage cyber incidents.

Webinar: An Uncertain Future: Working Towards a Thriving Tonle Sap

The U.S. Department of State and the Sustainable Infrastructure Partnership are pleased to announce the second Mekong Virtual Symposium. As part of the U.S. Vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, the U.S. government is committed to providing a platform that encourages information sharing, dialogue, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement for cooperative, responsible management of the Mekong River. The U.S. engagement in the Mekong region has long supported transparent, open cooperation for sustainable management of the river. This program will engage key stakeholders on the range of issues facing the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia: fishing and fish migration, plastics, floods and droughts, sediment, and dam impacts. As drought and dams have led the Mekong’s flow reversal to happen later and later each year, the Tonle Sap now faces an uncertain future.

Mekong Virtual Symposium: “An Uncertain Future: Working Towards a Thriving Tonle Sap”

Pact Thailand is organizing the second Mekong Virtual Symposium: An Uncertain Future: Working Towards a Thriving Tonle Sap as part of the Sustainable Infrastructure Partnership (SIP). This event is open to the public, and interested participants are encouraged to RSVP on https://www.mekongwater.org/mekong-virtual-symposium.

Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace hosts Virtual Conference on Sustainable Development and the Future of the Mekong

The Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP) organized a virtual conference on "Sustainable Development and the Future of the Mekong" on 26-27 October 2020. Organized in response to the shifting geopolitical dynamics that pose new challenges such as the growth of debt dependency, disproportionate control of upstream dams, and the erosion of existing river governance, the conference featured four panels examining the future of the Mekong River and the environmental and sustainable development challenges confronting the region.

Recap: Indo-Pacific Conference on Strengthening Transboundary Rivers Governance

Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell provided opening remarks at the inaugural Indo-Pacific Conference on Strengthening Governance of Transboundary Rivers on October 15. U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Michael DeSombre offered closing remarks. The conference, organized in partnership with the East-West Center, convened policy-makers, academics, members of civil society, and other transboundary river stakeholders from across the Indo-Pacific region to share best practices related to the sustainable development and cooperative management of transboundary rivers.

Indo-Pacific Conference on Strengthening Transboundary Rivers Governance

The United States Department of State, in partnership with the East-West Center, will host a virtual Indo-Pacific Conference on Strengthening Transboundary Rivers Governance on October 15-16. The invitation-only conference brings together practitioners, experts, and national and civil society representatives to focus on Enhancing Transparency, Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement. This event includes sessions on "Transparency and Partnerships in Transboundary River Governance," "Negotiating Transboundary River Governance," "Stakeholder Engagement in Transboundary River Governance," and "Next Steps for Strengthening Governance of Transboundary Rivers." Assistant Secretary David Stilwell and U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Michael DeSombre will give opening and closing remarks, respectively.

Mekong-U.S. Partnership Joint Statement

The United States and Mekong Partner countries released a Joint Statement on the launch of the Mekong-U.S. Partnership.

July 14 Webinar: Fostering Solutions and Collaboration for a Sustainable Mekong River Delta

Mark your calendars for July 14 from 10:00 PM - 11:30 PM EDT for the Fostering Solutions and Collaboration for a Sustainable Mekong River Delta webinar, where global and regional experts will discuss the threats to the Mekong River Delta including increasing saltwater intrusion and drought. The Mekong River is home to one of the most productive and biodiverse…

Connecting the Mekong through Education and Training (COMET) (2014-2019)

The Connecting the Mekong through Education and Training program (COMET) helped narrow the development gap and increases regional integration by equipping youth throughout the MUSP region with market-driven skills by enabling them to succeed in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Economic Community.

MUSP Quality Infrastructure Training Program – Energy Series

The MUSP Quality Infrastructure Training Series helps improve the capacity of MUSP governments to attract private investment for infrastructure solutions. MUSP facilitates the sharing of best practices information on project identification, preparation, and management, to help countries manage current and future energy infrastructure projects.

Foundations for Strategic Lower Mekong Hydropower and Water Resources Management

This program led by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) built technical capacity across the Mekong region for integrated river planning and management to help ensure that energy development projects consider social and environmental considerations while improving energy security.

LMI Annual Scientific Symposium

Yangon, Myanmar, December 12-13, 2019. Over 100 researchers and scientists from the U.S. and the five countries of the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) – Myanmar, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam – gathered for the LMI Young Scientist Program annual symposium in Yangon December 12-13. Forty young scientists from the five Lower Mekong countries presented their…