AKP Siem Reap, April 05, 2018 –The 3rd Mekong River Commission (MRC) Summit hosted by Cambodia was wrapped up successfully with the adoption of the Siem Reap Declaration, announced Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen at the press conference held at the end of the summit in Siem Reap this afternoon.
In the Retreat Session, pointed out the Cambodian Premier, the Heads of Government of the four MRC member countries exchanged views on the basin’s challenges and were committed to continue working together to enhance the effectiveness in carrying out the 1995 Mekong Agreement and improve the role of MRC in regional cooperation so as to achieve the sustainable management and development of water resources and other related resources in the Mekong basin for today and in the future.
For the plenary session, he added, the four leaders reviewed and highly appreciated the progress and achievements obtained by the MRC since the 2nd MRC Summit in 2014 in Vietnam, and discussed the opportunities and challenges in the Mekong basin, including rapid economic growth, population growth, increase in demand for water, food and energy, urbanisation, industrialisation, environment, fishery resources, deforestation, flood, draught and so on.
Those challenges reflect the necessity of joint efforts based on the Mekong spirit and good cooperation among all stakeholders, he underlined.
Besides, the Heads of Government of the MRC member nations identified prioritised activities focusing on the enhancement of joint efforts and partnerships towards achievement of the sustainable development goals in the Mekong River basin.
The 3rd MRC Summit held this morning in Siem Reap city, Siem Reap province was attended by Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen of Cambodia, Prime Minister H.E. Thongloun Sisoulith of Laos, Prime Minister H.E. Prayut Chan-o-cha of Thailand, and Prime Minister H.E. Nguyen Xuan Phuc of Vietnam as well as senior representatives from China, Myanmar, and other development partners of MRC.
MRC is a platform for water diplomacy and regional cooperation established by Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam to share the benefits of common water resources.
Since its establishment in 1995 by the signing of the Mekong Agreement, the MRC has adopted a series of procedures, namely the Procedures for Water Quality, Procedures for Data and Information Exchange and Sharing, Procedures for Water Use Monitoring, Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation and Agreement, and Procedures for Maintenance of Flows on the Mainstream, to provide a systematic and uniform process for the implementation of this accord.
The MRC Secretariat is the operational arm of the organisation with a staff of 65 based in two main offices in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Vientiane, Lao PDR. National Mekong Committees in each member state coordinate work at the national level.
China and Myanmar, the upstream countries of the Mekong River Basin, are Dialogue Partners of the MRC. The Commission engages a wide range of stakeholders in its strategies, plans and work.
By Khan Sophirom
