LocationsThe Ministry of Environment and Tourism and UNDP advocate for collective action in protecting biodiversity in Mongolia
May 22, 2024
Ulaanbaatar, 21-22 May 2024 – The UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Mongolia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), organized a series of events on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity, involving representatives from the government, non-government, and international organizations, to discuss the intersection of various sectors with the protection of biodiversity in Mongolia.
This year, the theme of International Day for Biological Diversity, celebrated each year on 22 May, is “Be Part of the Plan”. The theme is a call to action for all stakeholders to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity by supporting the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
The conference marked a significant milestone in Mongolia’s biodiversity conservation efforts with the introduction of the first draft of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). This draft is meticulously aligned with the Global Biodiversity Framework and national policies, aiming to harmonize Mongolia’s biodiversity conservation efforts with international standards and local priorities.
Highlighting the importance of collective action, Mr. Ganbaatar Myagmarjav, Deputy Minister of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia stated “We are gathered today—to collect your input, ensure the participation of all stakeholders, and make science-based plan implementation a reality. The active involvement of all partners, academics, and citizens is crucial for this endeavor”.
The NBSAP was drafted with support of the “Global Biodiversity Framework Early Action Support project (GBF-EAS) ” funded by the Global Environment Facility and co-implemented by UNDP and MET. The project aims to fast-track readiness and early actions to implement the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework through rapid review of NBSAPs for alignment, assessing monitoring systems, ensuring policy coherence, and exploring biodiversity finance activities.
UNDP Resident Representative in Mongolia Ms. Matilda Dimovska highlighted “UNDP remains committed to supporting Mongolia to accelerate its progress in biodiversity conservation, ensuring that no one is left behind. Together, let us persist in our mission to protect, manage, and appreciate Mongolia's invaluable and distinctive natural treasures.”
The two-day event featured sessions on “Biodiversity mainstreaming”, “Biotechnology and Biosafety”, “Biodiversity Finance”, "Biodiversity Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting", and “Policy, Practice, and Challenges In Biodiversity Research”, where policymakers, biodiversity practitioners, environment protection experts, scientists, and environmental officers presented their findings and shared insights. The feedback, recommendations, and suggestions of the participants will significantly contribute to further improvement of the NBSAP of Mongolia.
UNDP’s three projects working in the natural resource management area: “Ensuring Sustainability And Resilience (Ensure) of Green Landscapes in Mongolia (ENSURE)”, Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN II)” and “Global Biodiversity Framework-Early Action Support (GBF-EAS)” project collaboratively organized the event.
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