Mekong - U.S. Partnership
Message from our Ambassadors
Now more than ever, the United States sees the importance of a partnership with the Mekong Region. Perhaps the best example of that is the new Mekong-U.S. Partnership, which was launched in 2020 as a successor to the Lower Mekong Initiative. This partnership – with Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the ASEAN Secretariat – aims to improve lives in the Mekong Region by spurring economic growth, improving natural resource management, and tackling transnational crime. “We are open to working with all partners who shared our principled, transparent approach,” said Melissa A. Brown, Head of the U.S. Mission to ASEAN. Watch this video to learn more:
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 at a glance
The Mekong-U.S. Partnership expands cooperation between the United States and the countries of the Mekong region.
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…
MUSP Nexus Futures Program
Working with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the MUSP Nexus Futures Program advances sustainable economic development and reinforces regional integration in the Mekong region. Using an inclusive process with key stakeholders from Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam, the program works to create a water, food, energy, and environment nexus assessment of the Sesan, Srepok, and Sekong Rivers. The program builds capacities within these rivers and shares results throughout the region of both the process and the data.
Smart Infrastructure for the Mekong (SIM) (2013-2022)
Managed in partnership with the USAID Regional Development Mission ASIA (USAID/RDMA), The Smart Infrastructure for the Mekong (SIM) is a, government-to government technical assistance program that utilizes the science and engineering expertise of the U.S. Department of the Interior, International Technical Assistance Program to help MUSP countries safeguard the environment from the negative effects of infrastructure development.
Seed Trade Capacity Building (2018-2021)
The Seed Trade Capacity Building program, led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, aims to develop the seed sector building institutional capacity for research, innovation, and new seed technologies; promoting and enabling policy environments for seed trade; and facilitating cooperation and partnerships with the private sector in the Mekong Region.
