Partners

Arizona State University is a proud contributor to the Mekong-U.S. partnership through its support of Decision Theatre activities and hydropower environmental considerations through Future-H2O. In addition, ASU takes a lead role in the NexGen Mekong Young Scientists Program. These programs are conducted in conjunction with the U.S. State Department as well as the ASU board of Regents.  

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) works to support regional unity in Asia and the Pacific, providing over $8 billion in financing to support Mekong-U.S. partnership projects that contribute to economic growth and a higher standard of living. ADB is committed to achieving increasingly innovative efforts to raise well-being of all 340 million people throughout the Mekong. ADB also a partner of  Friends of the Mekong, a multilateral institution to promote development amongst MUSP members in the region. 

Australia’s regional ASEAN and Mekong Program supports the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in its development efforts to build an open, prosperous and inclusive Southeast Asia. It tackles cross-border challenges in Southeast Asia that cannot be addressed through country specific investments alone, including trade, connectivity, transboundary water management, human trafficking and safe migration. Australia is also a partner of Friends of the Mekong, a multilateral institution to promote development amongst MUSP members in the region. 

The Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP) is a non-partisan research institute, promoting diplomatic exchange between government officials both domestically as well as throughout the Mekong. Based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, CICP brings together national governments, scholars, non-profits, and private sector organizations to discuss issues of peace, democratic transparency, strategic issues, foreign policy, and economics.  

CICP promotes interests regarding the development of Cambodia through its attention to academic institutions. CICP focuses on engagement in political science, diplomacy, history, and socioeconomics allowing for the development of Cambodian and greater Mekong prospects.  

The East-West Center focuses on analysis of issues facing Mekong countries, uniting individuals to exchange ideas, develop skills, and create new policy to strengthen the region. The Center is a non-profit organization, in partnership with the U.S. government, with additional support provided by foundations, private sectors groups, and Mekong nation governments.  

Through The Mekong Matters for America series, the East West Center explores economic, security, education, and human resources between MUSP participants to foster greater development in the region through a stronger partnership with the United States.  

The European Union (EU) supports MUSP through its engagement in the Mekong sub-region. The EU is also partner of Friends of the Mekong, a multilateral institution to promote development amongst MUSP members in the region. 

The Friends of the Mekong (FOM) is a multinational effort intended to create integrated sub-regional cooperation between and among Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam, and the United States. It is an important convening platform and mechanism to improve donor coordination in programming development assistance in the Mekong sub-region. Participating FOM members include Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the European Union, Asian Development Bank, and World Bank. The Friends of the Mekong welcomed the Mekong River Commission as a member in 2021.  

  The FOM is carried out through two main tracks:    

1. Donor Dialogue among partner country development agencies and multilateral development institutions in order to: expand information sharing; strengthen partner country ownership of programs; and support emerging donors in the Mekong region.   

2. Annual Policy Dialogue between foreign affairs ministries on non-traditional security issues, such as the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy Dialogue, and Mekong River Commission technical capacity.   

Activities under FOM promote broad cooperation and coordination with donors, international financial institutions, and multilateral organizations to increase efficiency, identify and meet programmatic and resources gaps, and avoid redundancy and overlapping activities.  

India remains a steadfast partner of MUSP through its engagement in the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation. The Mekong-Ganga Cooperation focuses on four key pillars of cooperation, tourism, culture, education, and transportation in an effort to strengthen ties between partner nations in the region.  

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a union compromised of governmental organizations, recruiting the expertise, resource, and outreach of its organizations and experts. With 18,000 members across 1,400 organizations, the diversity and experience of the IUCN grants it a significant position on among environmental groups, with the necessary resources to promote its safeguards.  

 Japan is a major international partner in the region through the Japanese Mekong Program. Japan is a partner in the Japan-U.S.-Mekong Power Partnership (JUMPP), in which it works alongside the United States to develop stronger energy infrastructure amongst MUSP participants. Japan is also partner of Friends of the Mekong, a multilateral institution to promote development amongst MUSP members in the region. 

New Zealand promotes its support of the U.S.-Mekong Partnership through its contributions to ecological projects. From 2021 to 2025, New Zealand is helping fund The Mekong River Commission in an effort to expand knowledge of environmental protections along the Mekong River. New Zealand claims its funding of the cooperative basin management promotes trust, stability, and sustainable growth in the region. New Zealand is also a partner of the Friends of the Mekong, a multilateral institution to promote development amongst MUSP members in the region. 

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) and the governments of New Zealand today signed funding agreements worth close to US$ 5 million to back the MRC in implementing its new Strategic Plan 2021–2025. Spanning over five years from 2021 to 2025, the funding from New Zealand aims to strengthen cooperative basin management that promotes trust, stability and sustainable growth among four Mekong countries: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam.  

 Governments, non-profits, think tanks, and academic institutions all contribute to the Mekong-U.S. Partnership, helping it achieve higher development and security throughout the region. ASEAN, USAID, and other organizations increase funding to critical areas of importance in the area, supporting the progress made by the Mekong-U.S. Partnership.  

PACT is a major leader in impact investing throughout the world. PACT specializes in capacity development, public health, governance, environmental issues, alternative energy, women’s empowerment, and finance of small business throughout the world. Government departments, non-profit organizations, and private sectors groups all contribute to PACT. PACT uses these contributions to help fight HIV and AIDS, develop electrical infrastructure, and advocate for democracy around the world. PACT also uses contributions to alleviate poverty, protect natural resources, and fight for human rights protections.  

Through its New Southern Policy (NSP), the Republic of Korea works to diversify its economic relations and refocus its diplomatic efforts through a promotion of increased regional cooperation to increase investment in developmental infrastructure in the region. The Republic of Korea upgraded relations in 2021 with the Mekong nations to that of strategic partners, emphasizing the necessity in cooperation between the countries, especially pertaining to security issues raised by COVID-19.  

 The ROK also pledged to work closer with the UN in the management of resources and ecological conservation in the region, offering to increase developmental aid to the Korea-Mekong cooperation fund. Further funding will be invested in specific industries throughout the Mekong, to include culture and tourism, human resource development, rural development, infrastructure, ICT, environment and nontraditional security. 

Singapore has partnered with the United States to manage the U.S.-Singapore Third Country Training Program (TCTP) dedicated to training workers throughout the Mekong nations. In addition, Singapore works bilaterally with Mekong countries to promote trade and investment. Singapore helps increase development in Mekong states through its investment in the construction, services, hydropower, agriculture, and telecommunications industries, in addition to the training programs it participates in.  

The Stimson Center’s research programs are at the forefront of policy innovation and are strongly committed to excellence and independence. They apply research in numerous ways, from building tools, prototyping new technologies, and creating datasets, to working with local leaders and training government officials. Stimson organizes its work in cross-program research areas: Nonproliferation, Technology and Trade, Resources and Climate, International Order and Conflict, Asia, and U.S. Foreign Policy. Under the MUSP, The Stimson Center works on Mekong River Data tools like the Mekong Dam Monitor, manages the Mekong Infrastructure Tracker, and is an important partner in policy evaluation and development.  

The United States has partnered with nations throughout the Mekong region to promote multilateral cooperation in the region. Specifically, economic connectivity, sustainable management of water and natural resources and environmental protection, non-traditional security, and human resources development constitute four cooperation areas on which the Mekong-U.S. Partnership is founded. These areas represent common issues shared by all Mekong members, and increased partnership with the United States allows for an exchange of resources, human capital, and education across borders.