Mekong River Commission (MRC)

The MRC is an international, country-driven river basin organisation that provides the institutional framework to promote regional cooperation in order to implement the 1995 Agreement. The MRC serves its member states by supporting decisions and promoting action on sustainable development and poverty alleviation as a contribution to the UN Millennium Development Goals.  The Mekong River Commission (MRC) was formed on 5 April 1995 by an agreement between the governments of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam. The four countries signed The Agreement on the Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin and agreed on joint management of their shared water resources and development of the economic potential of the river. The MRC has been built on a foundation of nearly 50 years of knowledge and experience in the region starting from 1957 when it began life as the UN-founded Mekong Committee. In 1996 China and Myanmar became Dialogue Partners of the MRC and the countries now work together within a cooperation framework. The MRC supports the Mekong Programme, a Regional Cooperation Programme for the Sustainable Development of Water and Related Resources in the Mekong Basin owned by its member countries.     Strategic Goals 2011-2015:  The MRC Goals for 2011-2015, formulated in alignment with the organisation’s two main focus areas for the period of this Strategic Plan, are: Support for the implementation of the IWRM-based Basin Development Strategy to address the urgent needs and priorities for the integrated management of water and related resources of the Mekong River Basin towards 2030; and Transition towards the implementation of the MRC core functions and increased Member Country contributions to the delivery of these tasks.     The Mekong Programme:  The MRC's Mekong Programme is a Regional Cooperation Programme for the Sustainable Development of Water and Related Resources in the Mekong Basin. Its goal is to achieve more effective use of water and related resources to alleviate poverty while protecting the environment. Using the concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), the MRC believes a well-balanced, peaceful, equitable and sustainable development process can be facilitated for the mutual benefit of all Mekong riparian countries.    The MRC's goal is to encourage balanced and coordinated developments and investments in the areas of:  Irrigation and drought management Navigation Hydropower Flood management Fisheries Watershed management Environment Tourism   Developing the economic potential of the Mekong River system for food, domestic uses, power generation, transport and tourism is a key to fighting poverty and increasing people's welfare in the region. Through cooperation and planning, MRC is working to discover the best path for the region's long-term development.