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BCM MAY 2022 MONTHLY MEETING RECAP
The Business Council of Mongolia (BCM) held a regular Monthly Meeting on 27 May 2022 in cooperation with the United Nations in Mongolia under the theme “Changing Landscape: Role of the Private Sector to Enable Sustainable Development in Mongolia through Strategic Partnerships with the United Nations.” The meeting was held at the Shangri-La Hotel both in-person and online, with BCM Chair Mr. Ts.Tumentsogt hosting.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Tumentsogt touched on how the situation in Mongolia’s two neighbors is negatively impacting Mongolia’s economy, namely the Russo-Ukrainian war and trade hindrances at the Chinese border. These two issues are contributing to high inflation and logistics difficulties, which in turn are slowing economic recovery. However, the focus of the BCM’s May Monthly Meeting was how the private sector can engage in sustainable development and how they can partner with the United Nations.
Addressing the audience, Mr. Tapan Mishra, Resident Coordinator of the UN in Mongolia, emphasized that the private has to be fully on board. Governments, NGOs, and civil society alone cannot achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) without the direct involvement of business and the private sector, as the UN sees them as key partners in contributing to innovation, technology, financing, and other important facets of development. In May, the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework was signed with the Mongolian government, outlining collaboration in Mongolia for the next five years. The 2030 SDGs are an important milestone for achieving the government’s “Vision 2050,” said Mishra. He made four appeals to the private sector: think outside the box; think big; think bold; and think about the people of Mongolia, especially the most vulnerable.
After the Resident Coordinator’s address, a panel discussion was held on the topic of “Human Development and Well-being.” Moderated by BCM Chair Mr. Tumentsogt, on the panel were:
- Ms. Ayako KAINO, Deputy Country Representative, UNICEF
- Mr. Koji KURUSHIMA, CEO, MobiCom
- Ms. Byambaa, IOM Mongolia
- Dr. Khalid SHARIFI, Head of Office of UNFPA Mongolia
- Ms. Osorpurev TSERENNADMID, Senior Manager, Communities and Social Performance, Oyu Tolgoi LLC
Heads of UN bodies as well as Mongolian businesses shared what their organizations have been doing in Mongolia to accelerate development. Many businesses are already cooperating with UN bodies, such MobiCom partnering with UNICEF on a project to improve sanitary toilet in rural areas as well as education programs. As a multi-billion-dollar mining project, Oyu Tolgoi implements many projects at the soum, provincial, and national level. “We don’t see ourselves as simply financiers; we involve ourselves technically,” stated Ms. Tserennadmid, Senior Manager of Communities and Social Performance at Oyu Tolgoi.
After a brief Q&A with the audience, a second panel discussion was held on the topic of “Green, Inclusive, and Sustainable Growth.” Chaired by UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Tapan Mishra, the panel featured:
- Ms. Bavlai ERDENEDELGER, Deputy CEO, Khan Bank
- Mr. Yasin JANJUA, Economist, UNDP
- Ms. Cristina MARTINEZ, Senior Specialist and Asia Pacific Coordinator, Environment and Decent Work, ILO
- Ms. Gungaa MUNKHBOLOR, National Coordinator, UNIDO
- Ms. Gombo NYAMJARGAL, Assistant Representative, FAO
 Heads of the international organizations on the panel elaborated on the global and domestic goals of their organization, as well as what sorts of partnerships they are seeking with the private sector. There was a common sentiment among panelists that business principles and government policies should be more aligned with the SDGs. Ms. Erdenedelger form Khan Bank noted how the company has rolled out special green lending products for electronics that are more eco-friendly, and also that the bank has a loan policy for herders.
Near the end of the meeting, Ms. Dolgor Soyolmaa, Development Coordination Officer for Communications and Advocacy at the UN, gave a presentation on “How the Private Sector Can Engage in the SDG Open Day.” The UN is holding an open day in September, where businesses as well as other organizations can meet with representatives of UN bodies to inquire about opportunities for collaboration. The event will feature fun and interactive activities for youth and children, art performances, SDG action awards, and other interesting activities.
After the meeting, a networking event was organized in cooperation with Lemon Spice. Lemon Spice is organizing a three-day food festival in Ulaanbaatar at the end of July. Click here to purchase early bird tickets!
Photos from the meeting can be found from the BCM's Facebook page.
More information can be found from the Editor's notes and presentations linked below.
Links:
- Editor's notes (English)
- “How the Private Sector Can Engage in the SDG Open Day” by Dolgor Soyolmaa, UN Development Coordination Officer for Communications and Advocacy
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