Greater food security and increased income from rural development are among the key development priorities in the Mekong basin. NZAID support to a number of regional agencies and institutions such as Mekong Institute and Mekong River Commission support these and other regional priorities. (Photo courtesy of Mekong River Commission)
Greater Mekong Subregion
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Snapshot
NZAID focuses special attention on the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) in Southeast Asia, which comprises the countries of Viet Nam, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and also Yunnan province in China. Like other donors working in Southeast Asia, NZAID is committed to reducing the severe poverty endured by many in this region.
NZAID's GMS programme seeks to support regional programmes and initiatives that enhance education, human resource development and human rights. In a number of instances funding for these programmes and initiatives is drawn from both the GMS programme and relevant country programmes. The GMS programme also accommodates a limited number of other activities in Asia.
NZAID priorities
The primary focus of NZAID's funding to the GMS is on human resource development and capacity building initiatives such as the provision of tertiary scholarships, English language training, and professional development courses.
NZAID on the ground
Education
NZAID supports the Mekong Institute (MI), a training and research facility at Khon Kaen University in Thailand. The institute offers a range of courses and academic programmes to improve the skills of government officials and advance economic integration among the GMS nations.
Substantial support is also provided to a broader capacity building initiative in the GMS, the Phnom Penh Plan for Development Management, which is sponsored and coordinated by the Asian Development Bank and includes fellowships, courses, seminars, and research.
NZAID provides ongoing support towards the in-country costs of Volunteer Services Abroad (VSA) volunteers in Lao, Cambodia, Vietnam and Timor-Leste. Some non-bilateral scholarships for study in New Zealand, primarily for students from South Asia, are also funded under this programme. The programme covers the costs of Myanmar participants on the English Language Training for Officials (ELTO) Programme at Victoria University in Wellington.
Human rights
NZAID supports the multi-donor supported United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking in the GMS. Key components of the project include intergovernmental coordination, research, advocacy, awareness, and capacity building.
Gender equality and empowering women
NZAID has supported phase one and two of a programme designed to ensure the improved integration of gender issues in the work of the Mekong River Commission.
Sustainable livelihoods
NZAID collaborates with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and World Food Programme (WFP) to provide support to multi-donor programmes that provide humanitarian assistance to disadvantaged people in Myanmar with the aim of reducing vulnerability and improving livelihoods. Both the UNDP and WFP work directly with local communities in Myanmar.
Human resource development
English Language Training for Officials (ELTO)
NZAID assists partner countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region to address their human resource development needs through the English Language Training for Officials (ELTO) programme.
The goal of ELTO is to improve the English language capacity of government officials to support sustainable economic development to reduce poverty and contribute to a more secure, equitable and prosperous world.
Each year there are two intakes, each of up to 32 representatives, from four ASEAN (Association of South East Asia Nations) member countries: Cambodia, Myanmar, Lao People's Democratic Republic and Vietnam. These officials will travel to New Zealand for 22 weeks to study English. For more information see the ELTO factsheet (PDF 210kb).
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