Ulaanbaatar
Mongolian Volunteers Forum Takes Place
Society
Ulaanbaatar, December 5, 2023 /MONTSAME. The celebration of International Volunteer Day began in December 1985 when the United Nations General Assembly approved its observance on December 5th each year. The theme of this year's International Volunteer Day centers on the power of everyone - collective action - if everyone did, meaning if everyone volunteered the world would be a better place.
On this Day, the Mongolian Volunteers Forum was held on December 5, 2023. Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Mongolia, Ministry of Education and Culture of Mongolia, National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia, Mongolian Red Cross Society (MRCS), and representatives of the United Nations and the Peace Corps in Mongolia took part in the Forum and exchanged views on legalizing volunteering.
Volunteer activities in Mongolia are regulated by government regulations approved in 2019 and only procedures of volunteering during disaster relief and registration of volunteers are regulated while volunteering is regulated by an independent law.
The Forum focused on the issue of
child protection discussing how to ensure the participation of local citizens
and improve the management, organization, and legal environment of youth
volunteering.
During the forum, a national survey on volunteering in Mongolia was presented. According to the survey, volunteer organizations are engaged in the following areas:
- 48 percent in youth development
- 50 percent in education
-75 percent in community development
- 36.5 percent in healthcare
- 32.6 percent in environmental protection
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, participation in remote volunteering has increased. Volunteer work in community development, which includes youth development and education, is most common in Mongolia. The survey shows COVID-19 pandemic drove people to acknowledge the value of volunteering.
There are approximately 20 thousand volunteers in Mongolia. In the future, more than 500 volunteers will work in child protection and education at the national level.
"We have a disaster protection team of 15 people in each aimag, and we have been working following special procedures to protect and assist residents in case of floods, droughts, zud, and other natural disasters. Recently we have been cooperating with the Volunteer Center of Mongolia," said B. Munkhjin, Head of Youth Program of MRCS.
