Opening Remarks by UN Resident Coordinator at the UNSDCF Joint Steering Committee meeting 2025

State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), L. Munkhtushig,

Director-General of the Multilateral Cooperation Department, MFA, Ms. B. Mandkhai,

Head of Social Development Division, Ministry of Economy and Development, B. Mungunsukh,

Distinguished JSC Members and UN Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

It is an honour to welcome you to this Joint Steering Committee meeting for the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023-2027 - my first as the UN Resident Coordinator to Mongolia since my arrival in early January. Today, we gather to reflect on our progress, celebrate our achievements, and reaffirm our commitment to advancing Mongolia's sustainable development agenda. 

Mongolia is at a pivotal stage in its development journey. As it strengthens its upper-middle-income status, the country’s abundant natural resources present vast opportunities for economic growth and shared prosperity. However, we must also acknowledge the significant challenges Mongolia faces. These include the increasing frequency of natural hazards, such as the devastating dzud of 2023-2024, pollution, infrastructure deficits in the ger districts, and growing socio-economic disparities. Urbanization pressures have strained essential services, while rural communities face isolation and limited access to healthcare and education. The United Nations, through its Cooperation Framework with the Government of Mongolia, has been working to address these issues by improving social protection systems, enhancing disaster preparedness, supporting sustainable livelihoods, and promoting inclusive governance. 

Mongolia is also facing significant food security challenges due to the accelerating impacts of climate change, which are affecting both crop and livestock production. In response, the United Nations is supporting the Government of Mongolia in transitioning from traditional land management practices to a Landscape Management Plan. This plan is essential for ensuring food security as it adopts a holistic and sustainable approach to managing land, water, and biodiversity, thereby ensuring long-term agricultural productivity. Through this initiative, the UN has facilitated the development and implementation of sustainable landscape management across more than 33 million hectares of land, including all three aimags in Eastern Mongolia, Selenge and Khovd. This effort is helping to enhance resilience and strengthen food production systems in Mongolia. 

When Mongolia was considering energy reform, the UN emphasized the importance of a just energy transition to ensure that the shift to green energy is equitable and inclusive. The National Human Development Paper on Just Energy Transition highlighted the need for inclusivity, particularly regarding access to green technologies, infrastructure, and opportunities for all. Concurrently, the UN piloted innovative renewable energy solutions for heating in ger districts, focusing on women-headed families, with significant potential for scaling up in line with the Government’s Action Plan. Additionally, a baseline study for a national carbon market was conducted to guide the strategic implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, enhancing Mongolia’s readiness for international carbon trading. 

Over the past year, the United Nations in Mongolia has continued to work closely with the Government of Mongolia, civil society, and international partners to navigate these challenges. Through the Cooperation Framework, we have made notable strides across key areas—empowering people, fostering inclusive economic growth, promoting climate action, and strengthening institutions. In 2024 alone, our efforts contributed to improved healthcare, education, and social protection for over 500,000 vulnerable individuals, a 3.9% reduction in maternal mortality, and expanded access to safe drinking water for 200,000 people. We also supported a 10% rise in private-sector investment, a threefold increase in camel milk exports, and the restoration of 49,000 hectares of degraded rangelands. Additionally, women’s representation in Parliament reached 25.4%, marking significant progress in inclusive governance. Notably, our collaboration during the recent dzud crisis demonstrated the strength and coherence of our partnership. Together, we provided emergency support to over 25,000 herders, safeguarded livelihoods, and laid the groundwork for more resilient, sustainable communities. 

Furthermore, Mongolia’s active participation in shaping the global Pact for the Future reflects its commitment to advancing global solidarity and collective action on pressing challenges such as climate change, inequality, and conflict prevention. The Pact, adopted last year in New York, represents a renewed effort to strengthen multilateralism and revitalize the global social contract. The UN in Mongolia proudly supported this endeavor by organizing a series of inclusive dialogues with the Government, academia, civil society, and stakeholders, ensuring Mongolia's voice and perspectives contribute meaningfully to shaping a sustainable and equitable global future. The UN in Mongolia has been privileged to support these efforts, organizing dialogues and consultations with the Government, academia, and stakeholders to ensure that Mongolia's perspectives are well-represented. 

Naturally, challenges remain. Despite achieving a record 25% female representation in the 2024 parliamentary elections, women's participation in leadership roles is still limited. At the ministerial level, only three out of 22 ministers are women, and none of the governors are women. This underrepresentation in decision-making bodies highlights ongoing barriers to women's leadership and suggests that further efforts are needed to achieve gender equality in political representation. Gender-based violence remains a critical socio-developmental challenge in Mongolia, particularly with the growing concern of technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Addressing this issue requires holistic, multi-sectoral approaches that seek to address violence and change social norms and attitudes at all levels of society. 

As we continue implementing the Cooperation Framework, we remain committed to strengthening our collaboration to support Mongolia in achieving its Vision 2050 and the Sustainable Development Goals. Our collective efforts are not just about meeting targets—they are about building a more inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous Mongolia, ensuring that no one is left behind. One that is enabled through forward-looking, inclusive and resilient policy choices. 

Today, the UN Mongolia team will present the results of our work in 2024 and share our priorities for 2025, demonstrating our continued commitment to supporting Mongolia's sustainable development. 

I look forward to our discussions today and to the continued partnership and dedication of all stakeholders as we strive to make a meaningful impact on the lives of the people of Mongolia. 

Thank you.