Multilateral development assistance - Open Development Mekong

People’s Party warns of Mekong arsenic threat, calls for urgent regional talks

The People’s Party (PP) has called on the government to tackle arsenic contamination from foreign mining, spreading from northern rivers to the Mekong in the Northeast. It is urging immediate talks with China, Myanmar and Laos. PP deputy spokesman and Chiang Mai MP Phattarapong Leelaphat posted on Facebook on Saturday, accusing authorities of ignoring the […]

The post People’s Party warns of Mekong arsenic threat, calls for urgent regional talks first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

Eastern Economic Forum boosts ASEAN-Russia business dialogue

Vladivostok (VNA) – A business dialogue session between Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) took place in Vladivostok on September 4 as part of the ongoing 9th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF 2024). At the opening of the event, Daniyar Akkaziev, CEO of the Russia-ASEAN Business Council, affirmed that Russia values its cooperation with […]

The post Eastern Economic Forum boosts ASEAN-Russia business dialogue first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

UN cultural agency calls for Laos, Cambodia to invite monitoring teams to contentious UNESCO sites

The United Nations’ cultural agency recommended Thursday that Laos invite a monitoring mission to the historic city of Luang Prabang, a World Heritage Site where a nearby dam project on the Mekong River has raised concerns it could lose the coveted status. While the World Heritage Committee welcomed Laos’ efforts to improve data collection on the possible effect of […]

The post UN cultural agency calls for Laos, Cambodia to invite monitoring teams to contentious UNESCO sites first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

FAO Representative in Cambodia supports Ministry of Environment’s priority strategy

Dr. Eang Sophalleth, Minister of Environment, received Ms. Rebekah Bell, Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Cambodia, and her colleagues for a courtesy call on September 13, 2023, at the Ministry of Environment. Sophalleth welcomed and appreciated the cooperation between the Ministry of Environment and FAO on new initiatives, including the Green […]

The post FAO Representative in Cambodia supports Ministry of Environment’s priority strategy first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

Renewable energy in South-east Asia, including Laos, to deliver US$100bil in revenues

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/Asia News Network): Renewable energy generation in South-east Asia, including Laos, can generate US$90 billion to US$100 billion in sustainable revenues by 2030, according to a new report. The report, “Renewable Energy Manufacturing: Opportunities for Southeast Asia”, was published by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and a collection of non-profit organisations – Bloomberg […]

The post Renewable energy in South-east Asia, including Laos, to deliver US$100bil in revenues first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

UN Warns Thousands Trafficked into Online Crime in SE Asia

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — Hundreds of thousands of people are being coerced in Southeast Asia by criminal gangs into carrying out online scams, often under the threat of torture, the United Nations said Tuesday. Many have been trafficked into working in online criminality and face serious violations such as torture or sexual violence, the UN said in […]

The post UN Warns Thousands Trafficked into Online Crime in SE Asia first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

UN talks aim to harness AI power, potential

The United Nations is convening this week a global gathering to try to map out the frontiers of artificial intelligence and to harness its potential for empowering humanity. The UN hopes to lay out a clear blueprint on the way forward for handling AI, as development of the technology races ahead the capacity to set […]

The post UN talks aim to harness AI power, potential first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

Number of IDPs in Myanmar Has Surged Above 1.8 Million

The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) surpassed 1.8 million in war-ravaged Myanmar on June 12, 2023, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Prior to the February 2021 military coup, the estimated number of internally displaced people was 328,000. They were in Kachin, Rakhine, Karen, Shan and Chin states. Between February […]

The post Number of IDPs in Myanmar Has Surged Above 1.8 Million first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

Lancang – Mekong countries augment media cooperation

BEIJING — The 2023 Lancang – Mekong Cooperation Media Summit took place in Beijing on June 27, gathering media agencies from the six countries in the Lancang – Mekong river basin, namely China, Việt Nam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Thailand. The Vietnamese side included representatives of the Nhân Dân newspaper, the Vietnam News Agency, the Radio station Voice […]

The post Lancang – Mekong countries augment media cooperation first appeared on Open Development Mekong.

Vietnam’s Mekong Capital plans Southeast Asia climate fund as early as 2024

Vietnam-focused private equity firm Mekong Capital is looking to build a climate fund worth up to $200 million as early as next year, focusing on investments that will help with the regeneration of forests in the Mekong region. The Ho Chi Minh City-based firm is setting up a team for the fund, which will look […]

The post Vietnam’s Mekong Capital plans Southeast Asia climate fund as early as 2024 first appeared on Open Development Mekong.