Formulation of an agreed regional Strategic Action Program (SAP) is the ultimate outcome of the GEF intervention. The scientific foundation of the SAP is the regional TDA document that was prepared by countries in early 2002. The TDA was translated into Korean, Chinese, Russian and Mongolian to ensure it also reaches non-English speaking stakeholders. Prior to its completion, the TDA was also scrutinised by local stakeholder scrutiny in each of the project areas.

Based on this document, and in preparation for the final SAP document, National SAP Task Forces were established in each country that assumed leadership of the national SAP process.

To assist implementation of the SAP at local level, a total of so far six provincial governors from 3 countries have signed a TumenNET Governors Memorandum of Understanding.

In preparation for the regional SAP document countries negotiated several bilateral Memoranda of Understanding, eg the Tumen River MOU between Russia and China, the Mongolian Plateau Zone MOU between China and Mongolia and the Daurian Steppe Zone MOU between Russia and Mongolia. Countries also negotiated a record of the Tumen River Tripartite Meeting among DPRK, China and Russia, and a record of the Supra Regional Zone SAP Meeting among China, Russia, Mongolia and ROK.

The Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea, is the regional lead agent for the SAP process and they took the lead in drafting the SAP document based on the above inputs. The final SAP document was negotiated and agreed upon by all five countries and a final agreed document prepared for signature by national Environment Ministers by mid October 2002. At the same time the SAP was translated into Korean, Chinese, Mongolia and Russian to ensure involvement of non-English speaking decision makers in national ministries. As of time of this update (20 November 2002), the Governments of the ROK and Mongolia have indicated their Minister’s willingness to sign the SAP document. The governments of China, Russia and the DPRK have advised they require more time to study their national language version of the document.

Countries pledge a total of US$ 96 million in national actions towards implementation of the SAP. This includes a substantial contribution from the private sector. Hankook Titanium Ltd, a South Korean company, pledged to provide 40million dollars worth of chemicals for wastewater treatment plants over the next 7 years. An additional $60 million will be required to fully fund all SAP priorities identified by countries.