The Mekong Institute (MI) is a GMS Inter-Governmental  Organization (IGO) with a residential learning facility located on the campus of Khon Kaen University in Northeastern Thailand. It serves the countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), namely, Cambodia, Lao P.D.R., Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the Yunnan Province and the Guangxi Autonomous Region of China.

MI learning Programs and services principally to the capacity building needs of current and future GMS leaders and policy makers on issues around public sector reform and good governance, transnational project management and sustainable development, trade facilitation, and regional cooperation.

MI holds the distinction of being the only GMS-based development learning institute founded by the six GMS Governments offering standard and on-demand human resource development programs with focus on regional cooperation and transnational development issue.


History

TheNew Zeland Goverment created MI as a development assistance project for the GMS counties in 1996, with the intention that it would evolve into a regionally-governed, autonomous institution.

New Zeland Agency for International Development (NZAID), the Thai Government, Khon Kaen University and orther national and international partner agencies funded MI from its inception until 2003. During this period, MI advisory committees, GMS goverment representatives, NZAID and orther stakeholders collaborated to develop the MI Charter.

The Charter legitimized MI as an InteGovernmental Organization (IGO), to be governed by the six GMS countries, when signed in 2003. The Charter transformed MI into an autonomous, international organization.

Guide by the Charter, MI is implementating its Strategic Plan 2005-2010, to transform the institute from a development assistance project into an independent, sustainable training organization.

MI was established to be governed by the GMS countries, for the GMS countries. Its strength lies in its access to local officials and organizations, network of  more than 2,700 alumni and national coordinating agencies, and its  regionally-focused HRD programs.

Over the years, MI has made significant improvement to its programs, established a GMS-focused research network, and intialed regional policy forum dialougues and private sector intiatives in collaboration with GMS business Forum.

On July 17, 2007, the Thai Government approved the MI Headquarters Agreement to recognize the Institute as an IGO under local law. This status places MI in an advantageous position to facilitate regional development, cooperation and intergration through HRD programs, GMS-focused research and policy dialouges.