Ulaanbaatar, October 23, 2025 /MONTSAME/. The 9th East and North-East Asia Multi-Stakeholder Forum on the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) commenced in Ulaanbaatar from October 22 to 23, 2025. 

The Forum is hosted annually by countries in Northeast Asia, bringing together regional governments, civil society, private sector representatives, and development partners to exchange insights, share best practices, and strengthen collaboration on achieving the SDGs.

The regional dialogue is co-hosted by the Government of Mongolia and the Ministry of Economy and Development, with the support of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) and the East and Northeast Asia Subregional Group of the Asia-Pacific Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (AP-RCEM).

The year’s event focuses on accelerating progress toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development amid growing environmental and economic challenges, including:

Goal 6: Clean water and Sanitation

Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Mongolia’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was reflected in the perspectives shared by government and civil society representatives during the Forum.

Khongorzul Bayarnyam, Senior Specialist at the Sustainable Development and Social Policy Department of the Ministry of Economy and Development, emphasized Mongolia's systematic approach to development planning. The Ministry formulates national policy across long, medium, and short-term timeframes in accordance with the Law on Development Policy Planning. The Vision 2050 strategy guides long-term goals, supported by a 10-year development plan, five-year strategic directions, and the Government Action Plan for 2024-2028. Annual action plans ensure implementation. All planning documents are aligned with the SDGs to promote inclusive and sustainable growth.

Civil Society Calls for Stronger Cooperation to Achieve SDGs

Urantsooj Gombosuren, Head of the Center for Human Rights and Development and General Coordinator of the Civil Society Network for Sustainable Development, underscored the urgency of accelerating progress toward the SDGs. Many targets may not be reached by 2030 – a concern echoed across countries, not just Mongolia. Achieving the SDGs requires inclusive implementation through strong multi-stakeholder cooperation. To ensure meaningful and sustained progress, the need to improve policy coherence and secure diverse financial sources is emphasized. 

The forum will continue on October 23, 2025. At its conclusion, civil society organizations from East and North-East Asia will collaboratively draft a regional statement, which will be submitted to the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) and the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in February 2026.