Ulaanbaatar, June 29, 2023 /MONTSAME/. The Female Foreign Ministers’ Meeting commenced today in Ulaanbaatar, bringing together female foreign ministers of countries around the world, ambassadors for gender equality, and representatives from the UN and other international organizations.

We are presenting the full transcript of the opening remarks by President of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, delivered at the Female Foreign Ministers’ meeting.

Esteemed Foreign Ministers,

Distinguished delegates,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning to you all, who have gathered here to participate in the international meeting of Female Foreign Ministers on this auspicious day.

I wish to express my sincere gratitude to our third neighbors, German Federal Foreign Minister Ms. Annalena Berbock and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ms. Catherine Colonna, for their invaluable co-sponsorship of the meeting.

Historical records dating back eight centuries reveal that envoys and representatives from the East and the West gathered in Karakorum, the ancient capital of Mongolia, to discuss the strengthening of people-to-people relations and solidarity, promotion of understanding among religions, and expansion of trade and commerce.

With utmost appreciation, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the esteemed Female Foreign Ministers and guests who, likewise, have convened from across the globe to address the challenges faced by the global community and in international relations, including peace and security, climate change, and the formidable challenges of food security.

In the 13^th century, the Great Chinggis Khaan, under the principles of statehood and the rule of law, brought peace and harmony to the West and the East, established “Pax Mongolica” in the vast terrain of Eurasia.

During the “Pax Mongolica” era, paramount importance was accorded to the rule of law, and thus fostered an environment where nations coexisted harmoniously, free from conflicts, and thereby laid the foundation for a peaceful life.

Jack Weatherford, renowned American scholar and recipient of the Order of Chinggis Khaan, and other international scholars have extensively documented in their works the important roles played by Mongol women and queens in these historical times.

Nowadays, the role and leadership of women leaders are crucial to ensuring global peace and security, and achieving the sustainable development goals.

We now have less than half the time to achieve the SDGs compared to when it was adopted and the implementation of the 5^th goal of ensuring gender equality still remains still insufficient.

Gender statistics highlight the importance of bolstering female representation at decision-making levels, fostering robust support for women's employment, and empowering women economically as primary areas of concern.

Researchers have concluded that as the proportion of women in national parliaments increases, the likelihood of violence, human rights violations, wars and conflicts decreases.

Hence, fostering a world free of gender inequality stands as our shared aspiration. It is our collective duty and responsibility to collaborate towards its realization.

Strong partnership and close cooperation among women leaders are critical to achieving gender equality.

I am confident that today’s Female Foreign Ministers’ Meeting will contribute to the achievement of the SDGs, in particular gender equality, highlight the importance of women’s participation and leadership in addressing global challenges, and strengthen their leadership and political will.

Distinguished delegates,

Evidence shows that women’s heightened participation in political and public life and decision-making level enhances the prospects of resolving interstate misunderstandings, mistrust, disputes and conflicts through dialogue and consultation, while further increasing the likelihood of its successful implementation and the longevity of peace agreements.

Mongolia has long pursued a peace-loving, open, multi-pillared and independent foreign policy and has actively participated in the strengthening of international peace and security and contribute to peacekeeping endeavors.

Presently, in terms of the number of women peacekeepers, Mongolia ranks 17^th out of 120 countries, which donate military and police forces to the UN Peacekeeping operations, leading the Northeast and Central Asian regions.  

In commemoration of the 20^th anniversary of Mongolia's participation in UN Peacekeeping operations, we took the lead in organizing an international conference entitled “Strengthening the Role of Women in Peacekeeping” in 2022.

Furthermore, during my address at the General Debate of the 77^th session of the UN General Assembly, I proclaimed Mongolia's decision to hold the conference every five years.

We do hope that this decision will fortify the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, while concurrently raising awareness of the importance of increasing the number of women in peace processes.

Therefore, I would like to emphasize the importance of your cooperation, courage and determination and efforts in amplifying women’s leadership and active participation in tackling the global challenges such as fortifying international peace and security, and easing tensions through peaceful means and dialogue.

Distinguished delegates,

Climate change, biodiversity loss, desertification, soil degradation, water scarcity and droughts remain high on the agenda of the challenges that humanity needs to address.

Mongolia is one of the countries heavily affected by climate change.

Mongolia is experiencing global warming at a rate twice as fast as the global average. Over the last 70 years, average temperature in Mongolia rose by 2.2 percent and precipitation decreased by about 7 percent.

In order to combat and alleviate the impacts of climate change, desertification and yellow dust storms, while simultaneously enhancing water resources and forested areas, the national movement "Billion Trees" is being effectively rolled out in our country to plant and grow billions of trees.  

I am pleased to note that the "Billion Trees" national movement received support from governments and development partners, international organizations, leading Mongolia to become the first Asian country to participate in the EU's Forest Partnership program in 2022.

With a view to contributing to addressing climate change and mitigating its negative impacts both at the regional and international levels, as well as to protecting the environment, I am pleased to inform that preparations are underway to host the 17^th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) in 2026 in Mongolia.

As Mongolians, our rich cultural heritage is deeply rooted in nomadic traditions and a pastoral way of life.

Regrettably, 77 percent of our land has been affected by desertification and land degradation.

The ever-dwindling rangelands pose a grave threat to the livelihoods of over 200 million people across nomadic civilizations worldwide, including ours, as climate change, land degradation, desertification, drought and the “dzud” winter disasters persistently jeopardize their way of life.

I am pleased to note that in order to protect their interests, improve pasture management and use, preserve ecosystem balance, and provide global food security and supply, Mongolia initiated a UNGA resolution entitled “International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, 2026”, which was adopted in 2022.

Although climate change is affecting everyone on the planet, its impact is disproportionate and varies across age, gender, ethnicity and other socio-economic factors.

UN climate studies reveal that women comprise 80 percent of those displaced by climate change.

According to the analysis of Carbon Brief, 70 percent of the climate and health related researches indicate that compared to men, women face greater vulnerability to health-related consequences resulting from climate change

 Therefore, I wish to underline that international cooperation is essential for the effective implementation of gender-sensitive budgeting at the international, regional and national levels, ensuring women's participation in decision-making processes in the areas of climate change, environment and disaster risk reduction.

Distinguished delegates,

According to a UN statistic, in 2021 one third of the global population faced food insecurity and the number of people affected by hunger globally had risen by 350 million compared to the pre-pandemic period.

International organizations have estimated that by 2030, 670 million people, constituting 8 percent of the world’s population, will still be facing hunger.

Mongolia has been implementing the “Billion Trees” national movement alongside other programs focused on “Food Supply and Security” and “Healthy Mongolians” in order to implement the Sustainable Development Goals and to create a healthy environment, where people would live a healthy life by consuming healthy food.

We express our profound gratitude to the international organizations and countries for their cooperation on implementing these programs.

Women contribute to over 50% of the world’s food production.

Therefore, empowering women in agriculture, fostering their active participation, and embracing innovation and digital technologies to combat food insecurity, alleviate hunger, and reduce poverty stand as the most effective solution to improve food security and reduce hunger and poverty.

In our collective pursuit of a world brimming with peace and harmony, let us unite in the acknowledgment that gender equality and the safeguarding of women's rights, as indispensable components of human rights, serve as primary benchmarks for democracy.

I wholeheartedly extend my warmest wishes to all women and mothers, who bring forth life and embody the nurturing essence, hoping for their utmost happiness and well-being in this world.

The role and participation of women are imperative in ensuring national solidarity and prosperity, and in the well-being of families. In the same manner, I wish to accentuate the indispensable role of women and women leaders in the security and development of humanity.

I truly wish every woman, mothers of life and root of all success, the very best in this world.

Welcome to our beautiful country and I wish you a memorable stay in Mongolia!

I thank you for your attention.