Myanmar, development partners vow to finalise action plan

The Myanmar government and its development partners have voiced their commitment to finalise the Nay Pyi Taw Accord Action Plan approved last year to ensure the continued implementation of the accord, according to a joint statement issued at the end of the two-day Second Myanmar Development Cooperation Forum (MDCF) Tuesday.

Parties attending the forum at Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar's capital, also vowed to ensure continued support for Myanmar's Framework for Economic and Social Reforms and the National Comprehensive Development Plan, Xinhua reported.

They also pledged to strengthen government capacity to lead Myanmar's development efforts and engage with public and private actors in the planning and implementation process.

Development assistance in Myanmar will work most effectively when all citizens, including the most vulnerable, can benefit from and be involved in shaping Myanmar's transition, the statement said.

The statement also said progress will be reported at a mid-term review meeting later in 2014 and again at the third such forum to be held in 2015.

The forum was attended by Myanmar President U Thein Sein, Vice President Sai Mauk Kham, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, the UN's Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP) Under Secretary General and Executive Director Noeleen Heyzer as well as related ministers, parliament members, representatives of development partners, donor countries, local and foreign non-governmental organisations and social organisations.

Strategies for future progress, peace process, Myanmar's reform agenda and issues of aid effectiveness were also discussed at the forum.

The forum was held under the theme, 'Accelerating actions for progress through enhancing inclusive coordination'.

The first Myanmar Development Cooperation Forum was held in Nay Pyi Taw in January, 2013, in which the Nay Pyi Taw Accord Effective Development Cooperation was approved.

Development partners then agreed to prioritise implementation of specific sectors including achievable programmes under the Economic and Social Reform Framework.