Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. On August 11, a consultative meeting under the theme ‘UN75 Initiative: 2020 and Future’ was held with representatives from United Nations Agencies in Mongolia in attendance. 

The meeting was officially inaugurated by opening remark of the UN Resident Coordinator in Mongolia Mr.Tapan Mishra. As he highlighted in his opening remark, “On the occasion of UN’s 75th anniversary in 2020, the UN Secretary General has launched the “UN75 Initiative” which is one of the biggest ever global conversations on the world's next 25 years of future development, under the theme “Building the future we want”. While all of UN member countries are invited to this initiative of global dialogue and nearly all of them had taken part, Mongolia also graciously welcomes this initiative. Since Mongolia has become a fully-fledged member of the United Nations on October 27, 1961, it has been actively participating and contributing to its activities. I am very pleased to see Mongolia’s strong commitments to implement the Sustainable Development Goals throughout the country first through the Sustainable Development Vision 2030 and now through Vision 2050.”

“The UN75 initiative seeks to engage in dialogue with all segments of society, including UN colleagues, government agencies, private sector, civil society, academia, think tanks, youth, local communities, herders, elderly people, people with disabilities, and media, based on its core development principle of “leaving no one behind.”

“It is vital that peoples’ voices are heard at this crucial time for the world and therefore it is crucial to have our UN Agencies are engaged in this dialogue in terms further disseminating and promoting UN75 initiative to wider public. We value the great potential of UN Agencies in Mongolia as well as those local communities and herders whose voice is often not well heard at the international level dialogue. In fact, all of you as part of the UN Agencies in Mongolia are considered as the key trusted partners to the Government of Mongolia in terms of achieving the SDGs by 2030 and the ambition and promise of leaving no one behind. UN Country Team in Mongolia are also leaders and professionals with expertise, who transforms the expected outcomes into substantial achievements, which have been agreed between the Government of Mongolia and the United Nations in Mongolia as stipulated in the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). Therefore, we also need your precious comments and recommendations on the next 25 years of development plan.”

During the meeting, participants were engaged in discussion in accordance to the three guiding questions as follows; 

1) What are the obstacles and challenges that hinder the global and national development vision? 

* Negative impact of pandemic to socio-economic development 

* Global climate change and environmental degradation

* Poverty and inequality

* Shifting demographics 

* Unpredictable new trends in digital technological development

* Issues of investment required for the health sector 

* Dangers to peace and security 

* Issues of trust between governments and people.

2) How can global cooperation – particularly the UN – better manage these challenges? What can the UN do differently and how can the UN change and reform? How can the UN better work with other actors?

3) What are the potential impact of the engagement, cooperation and role of the government agencies in addressing the challenges you have identified?

The consultative meeting was successfully finalized after participants presented their comments, critiques, recommendations, and initiatives in respect to potential ways of resolving the following challenging issues in cooperation with multi-stakeholders, in specific with the government agencies and those issues were prioritized in accordance to their short term timeframe with pressing needs, medium term, and long term feasibility based on prerequisite of investment, infrastructure and establishment of respective legal framework.

UN Mongolia