The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries share common challenges and issues that prevent women from fully benefiting from economic opportunities. Many of these challenges have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The GMS Gender Strategy outlines a regional approach for advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in the subregion. It identifies strategic directions and key entry points to mainstream gender across all operational areas of the GMS Economic Cooperation Program. The strategy adds value to the GMS Program Strategic Framework 2030 and is also designed to complement national initiatives of the six GMS countries to bolster gender equality.

Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) countries face several common challenges in improving the quality of lives of women, and the coronavirus disease pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities. The CAREC Gender Strategy 2030 complements national plans for gender mainstreaming. It provides a regional approach for pursuing gender equality, women’s empowerment, harnessed potential, and strengthened capacity for equal access of women and men to economic opportunities from CAREC investments. Under the overall CAREC 2030 strategy and aligned sector strategies, the gender strategy provides strategic directions and key entry points that will serve as a roadmap to mainstream gender in the CAREC operational clusters.

The North–South Economic Corridor (NSEC), one of the priority economic corridors under the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation Program, was designated as a GMS flagship initiative in 2002. Efforts have been taken since then to develop NSEC but these were pursued mainly on a project-by-project basis. Consultations in NSEC countries were started in the last quarter of 2007 to initiate a holistic approach to the development of NSEC. The strategy and action plan for NSEC is the product of these and subsequent consultations with government officials, representatives of the private sector, and other stakeholders in these countries. Besides providing a vision and framework for developing NSEC, this strategy and action plan is aimed at improving coordination, ensuring effective implementation, and helping the mobilization of resources and the broadening of support for NSEC development. The strategy and action plan for NSEC was endorsed at the 15th GMS Ministerial Conference held in Cha-am, Petchburi Province, Thailand on 17–19 June 2009.

The economic corridor approach was adopted by the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) countries in 1998 to help accelerate subregional development. The development of economic corridors links production, trade, and infrastructure within a specific geographic area. The review of these corridors was conducted to take into account the opening up of Myanmar and ensure that there is a close match between corridor routes and trade flows; GMS capitals and major urban centers are connected to each other; and the corridors are linked with maritime gateways. The review came up with recommendations for possible extension and/or realignment of the corridors, and adoption of a classification system for corridor development. The GMS Ministers endorsed the recommendations of the study at the 21st GMS Ministerial Conference in Thailand in 2016.

The East–West Economic Corridor (EWEC) was launched in 1998 as a flagship initiative of the Greater Mekong Subregion. EWEC has since achieved many of its infrastructure targets and must now be transformed from a transport corridor into an economic corridor. This report reviews and updates the Pre-Investment Study for EWEC conducted in 2001. It consolidates the interests and concerns of stakeholders into a revised and updated strategy and action plan to provide a vision and framework, improve coordination, and assist in mobilizing resources for EWEC development. Preparation of this revised and updated strategy and action plan for EWEC involved a series of consultations with government officials of EWEC countries and representatives of the private sector, nongovernment organizations, and development partners. These consultations culminated in a regional workshop held on 24 April 2009 in Khon Kaen, Thailand. The revised and updated strategy and action plan for EWEC was endorsed at the 15th GMS Ministerial Conference held in Cha-am, Petchburi Province, Thailand on 17–19 June 2009.