GMS Contents

This issue of the Journal focuses on the seminal research undertaken by Social Research Institute of Chiang Mai University (SRI-CMU) on the question: How does community-based tourism (CBT) impact on poverty? Five research papers were selected from the SRI-CMU project. The overview article, Tourism: Blessings for All?, by Mingsarn Kaosa-ard, discusses the returns from tourism and how these returns are being shared from a national perspective. The benefits and the potential negative impacts of tourism are weighed.

This Midterm Review of the 10-year Strategic Framework of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS–SF) (i) assesses whether the GMS–SF is still relevant and appropriate, considering the progress made and the changing regional and global environments; and (ii) puts forward recommendations to improve its overall impact.

At the core of the Mekong region are the 320 million people who share a common culture and are nourished by the same great river. More connected than ever before, lives are changing as the meaning of community expands beyond borders. The photographs in My Mekong take us into the heart of that community, as seen through the eyes of its young people.

The 9th Meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion Working Group on Human Resource Development was held in Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China, on 20-21 May 2009.

The Special 12th RPTCC meeting (RPTCC-12-A) was held mainly to continue discussions on the inter-governmental MOU to establish the Regional Power Coordination Center (RPCC), which will oversee the evolution of the GMS power market toward a more open, but appropriately regulated competitive market.

Over the past 20 years, the Greater Mekong Subregion Program has achieved substantial success in improving regional connectivity through investments of $15 billion as well as more than 180 technical assistance projects.

This collection of images illustrates the progress and challenges of 20 years of work in the Greater Mekong Subregion.