The Ministry of Health reported today that 338 СOVID-19 infections and three deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours. In detail, 213 cases were reported in Ulaanbaatar city, with 124 cases in 21 provinces and one imported case.

Today, the cumulative infection tally in Mongolia has increased to 385,814, with the death toll to 1,953. Currently, 3,898 people are receiving hospital treatment for COVID-19 whilst 7,301 people with mild symptoms are being treated at home.

The coverage of 1st dose has reached 69.5 percent (2,262,343), 2nd dose – 66.2 percent (2,155,006) and 3rd dose or a booster shot of COVID-19 vaccines – 24.0 percent (776,437) of the total population.

Ulaanbaatar (December 8, 2021) The Millennium Challenge Account, Mongolia (MCA-Mongolia) and the U.S. government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) held a public event to introduce MCC’s updated Counter-Trafficking in Persons (C-TIP) Policy.

On October 18, 2021, MCC approved an updated version of its Counter-Trafficking in Persons (C-TIP) Policy. The C-TIP policy guides the efforts of MCA-Mongolia and its contractors to ensure zero tolerance for trafficking in persons in the MCC-Mongolia Water Compact, from project design to construction. In less than three decades, the population of Ulaanbaatar has nearly tripled in size; however, the water supply has remained the same, creating the conditions for a severe water crisis. The MCC-Mongolia Water Compact will build the critical infrastructure necessary to sustain this limited natural resource, positively impacting more than 55 percent of Mongolia’s population.

The updated MCC C-TIP policy specifically references both sex trafficking and forced labor, and it makes C-TIP Minimum Compliance Requirements a central part of the policy. “We expect the C-TIP Minimum Compliance Requirements to have positive impact on our enforcement efforts by clearly spelling out what all actors in MCC-funded programs must do,” explained Fatema Z. Sumar, MCC’s Vice President for the Department of Compact Operation.

“This policy also fits into a U.S. Government-wide effort aimed at countering trafficking in persons,” explained Gregory May, the U.S. Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, and “it reinforces the Government of Mongolia’s anti-trafficking efforts.” The State Department’s 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report states that, “the Government of Mongolia demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period.”

The Millennium Challenge Corporation is an international development agency of the U.S. Government, working to reduce global poverty through economic growth. Created in 2004, MCC provides time-limited grants and assistance to countries that meet rigorous standards for good governance, fighting corruption and respecting democratic rights.

ULAANBAATAR (8 December 2021) – A UN human rights expert today commended Mongolia’s significant progress in passing legislation to combat gender-based violence against women, saying the challenge now was to ensure effective implementation of the laws throughout the country.

In the past 10 years, key pieces of legislation on domestic violence, trafficking in people, gender equality, and witness and victim protection, among others, have set a legal framework to tackle gender-based violence, said the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Reem Alsalem, in a statement at the end of an official visit to the country.

“They offer a solid basis for continuing with legal reform, including that needed to align national legislation with international standards,” she said.

“It is welcome that services for victims, like shelters, one-stop service centres and multidisciplinary teams, have been progressively expanded, including at provincial level. More needs to be done however to ensure their availability and viability, particularly for women in remote or rural areas.”

There is also a need to promote a gender-sensitive approach by these services, especially those designed to target women victims of domestic violence, Alsalem said. Currently, service providers, particularly State-run, place actions related to women victims of violence under the broader heading of family-related interventions or combine them with actions aimed at preventing violence against children.

The expert also called on the Government to widen the scope of its policies and services to explicitly identify, include and reach vulnerable groups who are particularly exposed to gender-based violence such as victims of trafficking, members of the LGBTI community and sex workers.

“Service providers, law enforcement and the justice system need to respond to the needs of all groups of women and girls, and to all types of violence they experience, not only domestic violence,” Alsalem added.

To be truly effective, prevention activities need to tackle the deep-seated harmful gender stereotypes that exist in Mongolian society and that normalise violence against women and blame victims.

“Bold, courageous campaigns, as well as human rights education, are necessary, including to address alcoholism, a triggering factor in many cases of violence,” the expert said.

During her 10-day mission, Alsalem met Government officials, members of Parliament, the Supreme Court, independent state institutions, international organizations, donors, financial institutions, civil society organizations and victims.

The Special Rapporteur will present her findings to the Human Rights Council in June 2022.

ENDS

Ms Reem Alsalem (Jordan) was appointed as Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences by the UN Human Rights Council in July 2021, to recommend measures, ways and means, at the national, regional and international levels, to eliminate violence against women and its causes, and to remedy its consequences. She holds a Masters in International Relations from the American University in Cairo, Egypt (2001) and a Masters in Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2003). She is an independent consultant on gender issues, the rights of refugees and migrants, transitional justice and humanitarian response.

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organisation and serve in their individual capacity.

On the afternoon of December 7, the new Cuban ambassador of Cuba in Mongolia, Jorge Ferrer Rodríguez, handed over to the Deputy Foreign Minister of that country, His Excellency Mr. Munkhjin Batsumber, the Copies of the Credential Letters, which accredit him as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba in that nation.

The ceremony, which took place at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was also attended, on the Mongolian side, by H.E. Mr. Anand Amgalan, new Director General of the America, Middle East and Africa Department, as well as other officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Both parties highlighted the happy coincidence of this act with the 61st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which began on this same date in 1960.

They also expressed that their respective countries are honored by the fact that Cuba was the first country in Latin America and the Caribbean to formalize diplomatic ties with Mongolia and it is the only nation in that region that has an Embassy in the Mongolian capital. while Havana hosts the only diplomatic mission of this Asian country in that region of the western hemisphere.

The Mongolian Deputy Foreign Minister recalled the visit to Cuba in 1972 of the then party leader and Mongolian president, Umjaagiin Tsedenbal, who was received by the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Commander in Chief, Fidel Castro Ruz.

When reviewing the state of the ties between the two countries, the two interlocutors recalled the existence of important bilateral agreements and mechanisms and agreed to qualify the relations as friendly and the cooperation as fruitful in various areas, among which they highlighted the training of more than 100 Mongolian professionals in Cuban universities for several decades.

The Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs wished the new Cuban Ambassador success and expressed his willingness and that of the Foreign Ministry to support the performance of his duties in the country.

(Cubaminrex-Embassy of Cuba in Mongolia)

Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN)(OTCQX: IVPAF) said on Wednesday it had secure $300 million in stream financing for its platinum group and gold Platreef mine in the South African province of Limpopo.

The Canadian miner said its subsidiary, Ivanplats, closed a $200 million gold stream financing agreement with Orion Mine Finance and Nomad Royalty Company, as well as a $100 million palladium and platinum streaming facility for Platreef.

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Ivanhoe said the proceeds will be used to advance the first phase of Platreef’s mine development, which is expected to begin commercial production in 2024.

As part of the gold deal, Ivanplats will deliver a total of 80% of contained gold in concentrate until 350,000 ounces have been delivered, at which point the stream is reduced to 64% of contained gold in concentrate for the remaining life of the facility (until 685,280 ounces of gold have been delivered).

Under the platinum agreement, Orion Mine Finance will receive a total of 4.2% of contained palladium and platinum in concentrate until 350,000 ounces have been delivered, after which the stream falls to 2.4% for the remaining life of the facility, or the delivery of 485,115 ounces of palladium and platinum.

The definitive feasibility study for Platreef’s phased development plan, which will provide updated production forecasts for the initial mine and subsequent expansion, is nearing completion, the company said, with release expected in the first quarter of 2022.

Ivanplats has also signed documents relating to offtake arrangements for 100% of Platreef’s Phase 1 platinum-group metals (PGMs) concentrate production, which is expected to exceed 40,000 t/y containing six payable metals – palladium, rhodium, platinum, nickel, copper and gold.

The offtake arrangements are with Northam Platinum and Heron Metals, in a joint venture in which commodity trader Trafigura has a majority shareholding.

A three-phase project

Ivanhoe is developing the multi-billion dollar platinum project in three scalable phases. “The phased development approach has worked extremely well at Kamoa-Kakula and we consider it to be the optimal strategy to accelerate our growth and diversification across commodities,” the company’s president, Marna Cloete, said in the statement.

The company said it sees the first-phase, 700,000-tonne-per-annum operation as its “starter mine”, one that will establish a strategic production foothold on South Africa’s Bushveld PGM Complex, and support potential future expansions.

“Future expansions to 12 million tonnes per annum and beyond, as demonstrated in previous studies, would position Platreef among the world’s largest and lowest-cost nickel and PGM mines, producing more than 24,000 tonnes of nickel and 1.1 million ounces of palladium, rhodium, platinum, and gold per year,” Ivanhoe said.

The Canadian miner indirectly owns 64% of the Platreef project through Ivanplats, and is directing all mine development work.

The operation will trial emissions-free machines during its initial development phase, during which it will produce palladium, rhodium, platinum, nickel, copper and gold.

At its weekly meeting on December 8, the Cabinet ordered the working group drafting a package of bills to stimulate economic recovery to complete the task promptly and the Minister of Justice and Home Affairs to present the package at the Cabinet’s next regular meeting.

Issues related to the government’s productivity, checkpoints, energy sector, traffic congestion in Ulaanbaatar, industrialization, and natural resources have become impediments to economic growth in Mongolia. Economic recovery and sustainable and inclusive growth are expected to be achieved once the impediment factors are removed as part of the New Revival policy and a comprehensive set of measures are adopted to improve the workforce participation and productivity that have been on the decline over the last decade.

The drafting of the economic recovery stimulus package is key to implementing the New Revival Policy.

Erdene Resource Development (TSX: ERD; MSE: ERDN) has received approval of the detailed environmental impact assessment for its Bayan Khundii gold project in Mongolia.

The company says it will now begin preparatory work for project construction. A formal construction decision is expected in early 2022.

In 2020, Erdene produced a bankable feasibility study for the project that gave it a net present value at a discount rate of 5% of $100 million and an internal rate of return of 42%, both after taxes. An open pit mine is expected to produce 382,700 oz. of gold during the eight-year first phase of operation at an all-in sustaining cost of $733/oz. of gold. At a gold price of $1,400/oz., the project would pay for itself in less than two years.

Resources at Bayan Khundii are 8.3 million measured and indicated tonnes grading 2.19 g/t gold for 585,000 contained ounces. The inferred resource is 500,000 tonnes at 2.18 g/t gold for 36,000 contained ounces.

In August, Erdene announced a new gold discovery about 300 metres west of the Bayan Khundii deposit. Drilling has continued to expand this discovery with the best hole being UDH-22 that returned 77 metres of 3.2 g/t gold and 71 metres of 0.8 g/t gold, including 27 metres at 8.7 g/t, and within that intersection 1 metre of 156.5 g/t gold.

Follow-up drilling at the Dark Horse Mane target 2.4 km north of Bayan Khundii has confirmed a high-grade oxide gold zone starting at the surface and open along strike and at depth. The best assays came from hole ADD-146 with 17 metres grading 16.7 /t gold, including 8 metres of 33.5 g/t gold.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)

The Ministry of Health reported today that 310 СOVID-19 infections and three deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours.

In detail, 196 cases were reported in Ulaanbaatar city, with 111 cases in 21 provinces and three imported cases.

As of today, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Mongolia stands at 385,476. Furthermore, three new COVID-19 related death has been reported, raising the country’s death toll to 1,950.

Currently, 4,046 people are receiving hospital treatment for COVID-19 whilst 7,635 people with mild symptoms of COVID-19 are being isolated at home.

Of the total patients currently undergoing treatment at hospitals, there are 472 patients in mild, 1947 in serious, 490 in critical, and 69 in very critical conditions.

Annual nationwide livestock census of this year is ongoing. The year-end census of livestock is being organized between December 7 and 17.

The National Statistic Office of Mongolia urges citizens and entities to actively participate in the 40th nationwide livestock census, which has been conducted annually since 1961.

The nationwide livestock census of 2020 found that the head of livestock in Mongolia totaled 67.1 million, of which 4.1 million horses, 4.7 million cattle, 472.9 thousand camels, 30.0 million of sheep, and 27.7 million goats.

On Monday (6 December), Mongolian Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene was elected chairman of the ruling Mongolian People’s Party (MPP).

He received 99.7 percent of the votes from 1,245 party members across the country who are attending the MPP’s two-day congress, which began yesterday. 40–year-old L.Oyun-Erdene graduated from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University with a Masters in Public Policy. During his time as chief cabinet secretary, Oyun-Erdene has dedicated himself to “Vision 2050,” Mongolia’s long-term development strategy.

L.Oyun-Erdene is safeguarding former Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh’s cabinet. On January, the former Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh, offering a grand gesture of accountability following recent protests over COVID-19 measures. Soon after, he announced a his nomination to 2021 Presidential Election of Mongolia. Sure enough U.Khurelsukh claimed landslide victory at the presidential election in June.