(ADB’sGMSprogram)亚洲开发银行的大湄公河次区域合作规划[1]TheGreaterMekongSub-region(GMS)isabrainchildoftheAsianDevelopmentBank(ADB)comprisingoffivecountriesandoneprovinceKingdomofCambodia,UnionofMyanmarkingdomofThailand,socialistRepublicofVietnam,LaoPeople’sDemocraticRepublicandYunnanProvinceofthePeople’sRepublicofChina.[1]大湄公河次区域是亚洲开发银行(亚行)的创意,它最初由五个国家和一个省份组成-他们分别是柬埔寨王国,缅甸联邦,泰王国,越南社会主义共和国,老挝人民民主共和国和中华人民共和国的云南省。[2]TheGreaterMekongSub-regionGMSisanareawithimmenseeconomicpotentialandrichnaturalresources.Asmanyas70millionpeoplearelivingwithintheMekongRiverBasinareaand260millionthroughoutthesubregion.TheGMSisalsoexperiencingsomeofthefastesteconomicgrowthratesintheworldSustainableandequitabledevelopment,though,ishinderedbypovertyenvironmentaldegradationandlackofhumanresources,aswellasdifferentialsocialdevelopmentandgovernancestructures.Sinceitsinceptionin1992bythe6membergovernments,theGMshadundergoprocessofintegrationunprecedentedintheregion.Throughmultilateralcooperationandfundingbyinternationalorganizations(IOs),non-governmentalorganizations(NGOs),andprivateinvestmentstheSub-regionhasexperiencedaboomineconomicgrowthUntilnow,however,sub-regionalintegrationhasprimarilybeenexternally-driventhroughthefundsofinternationalorganizations,particularlytheADB,andforeigngovernmentsInordertoachievetrueintegrationandcooperationamongthe6membernations,itisnecessarytocreateanewGMSspirit15yearsafteritsinitialinception.Anintensificationofbi-andmultilateralcooperationandanidentificationofGMScitizenswiththeirregionwillpavethewayforsustainabledevelopmentandprolongedpeaceinthehistoricallytroubledregion[2]大湄公河次区域是一个拥有巨大经济潜力和丰富自然资源的区域。七千多万的人民生活在湄公河盆地,整个次区域地区有将近两亿六千万人口。同样,大湄公河次区域经历了世界上最快的经济增长速度。然而,贫穷、环境的恶化和人力资源的缺乏以及不同的社会发展和治理结构阻碍了可持续和公平发展。自六个成员国于1992年开始合作以来,大湄公河次区域经历了空前的整合进程。通过国际组织、非政府组织和私人投资的多边合作和资金支持,大湄公河次区域经历了经济的迅速繁荣。然而,至今大湄公河次区域的整合主要是通过国际组织,尤其是亚洲开发银行和外国政府的资金从外部驱动的。为了在六个成员国之间达到真正意义上的整合和合作,在最初建立的15年后创立新的大湄公河次区域精神是很有必要的。增强双边和多边合作、大湄公河次区域公民对该区域的认同感将为这个历史上麻烦不断的区域提供长期的和平以及为该地区的可持续发展铺平道路。[3]GMS'snaturalresourcesarerichandtheyarethehuman'sendowments.Thelandyieldstimber,minerals,coal,andpetroleum,whilewaterfromthemanyriverssupportsagricultureandfisheriesandprovidesenergyintheformofhydropower.Thecoalreservesofthesub-regionareabundant.Thereareconsiderableoilandreserves.MostoftheseareinMyanmar,ThailandandVietnam.Theseabundantenergyresourcesarestillrelativelyunderused.Thegreatmajorityofpeopleinthesub-regionleadsubsistenceornear-subsistenceagriculturallifestyles[3]大湄公河次区域自然资源极为丰富,他们都是上天的馈赠。陆地上出产木材、矿产品、煤和石油,众多河流的水资源支撑着农业和渔业并为水利发电提供能源。该区域煤的储量也极为丰富,还有大量的石油和天然气储量。这些资源大多分布在缅甸,泰国和越南。这些丰富的能源相对来说还未被开发利用。该区域的大多数人民仍然过着自给自足或近乎自给自足的农耕生活方式。[4]About300millionpeoplelivewithintheGMSregion.TheircommonlinkthemightyMekongRiverwindsitswayfor4,200kilometersthroughtheirmidst.Thegreatmajorityofthesepeopleliveinruralareaswheretheyleadsubsistencesemi-subsistenceagriculturallifestyles.Morethan75percentofthepopulationofLaoPDR,forexample,isrural.EveninThailandthemosturbanizedoftheMekongcountries,thereremainlargeagriculturalcommunities,particularlyinthenorthandnortheasternpartsofthecountry.[4]大约有三亿人居住在大湄公河次区域,其间蜿蜒穿行4200公里的巨大的湄公河是他们共同的联系纽带。其中大多数人居住在农村,仍然过着自给自足或半自给自足的生活方式。例如,超过75%的老挝人口是农村人口。即便是在湄公河流域所有国家中都市化程度最高的泰国仍然保留有大型农业社区,尤其是在它的北部和东北部。[5]Withtheonsetofpeaceinthe1990s,GMScountriesexperiencerapidchangesandimprovementsintheirlivingstandardsandconditions.GMScountriesareundergoingatransitiontomodernizationandindustrializationtheMekongcountriesaregraduallyshiftingfromsubsistencefarmingtomorediversifiedeconomies,andtomoreopen,market-basedsystems.Inparallelwiththis,thereisgrowingcommercialrelationsamongthesixMekongcountries,notablyintermsofcross-bordertrade,investment,andlabormobility.Naturalresources,particularlyhydropower,arebeginningtobedevelopedandutilizedonasub-regionalbasis(notnationalbasis)TheMekongregionhasthepotentialtobeoneoftheworld'sfastestgrowingareas.Yet,despitesignificanteconomicgrowth,povertyiswidespread.Thegrossdomesticproduct(GDP)percapitaisabout$1adayinmostoftheregion[5]随着二十世纪九十年代和平时代的来临,大湄公河次区域国家的生活水平和生活条件迅速地改变和提高。他们正经历着向现代化和工业化转型的过程。湄公河流域国家逐渐从自给自足的农耕方式转向了更多元化的经济方式,转向更开放的市场经济体系。以此同时,六个湄公河流域国家的商贸关系也在不断发展,在跨境贸易、投资和劳动力移动方面的发展尤其引人注目。自然资源,特别是水电资源,开始在次区域(而非在国家)基础上开发和利用。湄公河区域具有潜力成为世界发展速度最快的地区之一。然而,尽管经济增长显著,平穷仍然很普遍。在该区域的大多数地区,人均国民生产总值一天只有一个美元。[6]Thechallengesincludereducingdisparitiesbetweenurbanandruralcommunities;narrowinggrowinggapbetweenrichandpoor;givingmoreattentiontothespecialneedsofethnicminorities;addressinggenderinequities;improvingaccesstobasichealthandeducation;protectingtheenvironmentonwhichtraditionallivelihoodsdepend[6]所面临的挑战包括:减少城乡社区的差别;缩小贫富之间日渐增长的差距;关注少数民族的特殊需要;重视性别不平等的问题;加强普及基本医疗条件和基础教育;保护人们一直以来赖以生存的环境。[7]Since1992,thecountriesofGMShaveembarkedonaprogramofeconomiccooperation(theGMsProgram)thataimstopromotedevelopmentthroughclosereconomiclinkages.TheGMSProgram,withsupportfromADBandotherdonors,helpstheimplementationofhighprioritysub-regionalprojecttransport,energy,telecommunications,environment,humanresourcedevelopment,tourism,trade,privatesectorinvestment,agriculture.[7