As Mongolia faces frequent dzud—an extreme winter condition that devastates livestock and livelihoods—herder families and their children are increasingly vulnerable. The harsh conditions often force herders to focus on immediate survival, leaving children at risk of neglect and without support. We work in remote Mongolian districts to safeguard the well-being of Mongolian children during challenging winters.

According to the UNDRR, climate change and environmental degradation are leading to increased violence against children and adverse effects on children's physical and mental health. In times of hardship, herder parents and caregivers often prioritise other emergency concerns, leading to a rise in child neglect. We are addressing the educational, health, and child protection needs of herder families affected by the dzud (severe winter conditions) in the remote areas of Bayan-Ölgii and Khovd provinces in western Mongolia. The local Children's and Family Development and Protection Offices of these provinces were entrusted with delivering the project services. As a result, multi-disciplinary child protection teams from 18 selected soums (districts) were trained and delivered child protection services.

"One of our three children has cerebral palsy," says Mrs. Jamiya from Bayan-Ulgii. "Because of his health, we prefer to live near the hospital in the soum (district) centre. While my husband stays with our livestock in the countryside, I stay at home, looking after the children and raising cattle. We received a visit from a child protection team last summer; they assessed our situation and gave advice; we ceased leaving our young children at home unsupervised. Now, we ask for help from relatives when needed. There are no services or facilities in our soum for children with disabilities, which makes things very difficult."

Our teams visited 270 remote herder households, conducting child protection risk assessments and providing on-site guidance and resources to over 800 children and parents. We also visited dormitories in the 18 participating soum schools to guide dormitory staff, principals, and social workers on ensuring a safe study environment for children. Recognising the needs of these remote communities, we also distributed educational supplies, nutritional supplements, and books to support the development of nearly 3,400 children living in dormitories and herder households. Acknowledging the financial burdens faced by these families, the project also provided one-time cash assistance to the 270 herder households to help meet their children's educational and health needs.

"I learned that it's important to communicate properly with children and maintain a warm and positive family atmosphere," says Mrs. G.Saruulzaya, a herder from Khovd province.

The pace of climate change in Mongolia is accelerating; the average temperature has increased by 2.1°C over the last 80 years. This is twice as fast as the global average, and it is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of the country's devastating dzud events. According to the National Statistics Office, last year's dzud resulted in the loss of 8.1 million livestock animals across the country, further intensifying the child protection challenges faced by vulnerable herders. Recognising the gravity of this issue, other international organisations and the Mongolian government have also taken proactive steps. In addition to the adoption of the "Child Protection During Disasters and Emergencies MNS 6948:2021" national standard, which ensures that child protection is addressed at all levels during disasters, the revised Child Protection Law, approved earlier this year, also includes provisions addressing this issue.

"We used the money to buy clothes, school uniforms, and other supplies for our three daughters," says Mr. D.Byambadorj, a herder from Khovd province

Over the past 10 years, around 700 children have lost their lives in natural disasters and related accidents and domestic incidents across Mongolia. This is largely due to a lack of parental supervision, insufficient access to kindergartens and schools, and the absence of safe places for children to spend their free time, according to the National Emergency Management Agency. The "REACH- RESILIENCE, EDUCATION, AID FOR CHILDREN AND HERDER FAMILIES IN MONGOLIA AFFECTED BY DZUD" project findings shed light on these key risks facing children in herder households - the vulnerability of being left unsupervised while their parents tend to livestock or visit neighbours, children riding motorcycles, or being looked after by other children.

Notably, the project's child protection experts, who are typically accustomed to reacting to reported cases, have emphasised the project's unprecedented focus on proactive risk assessments for herder households. For the first time, dedicated resources and collaborative efforts have united provincial child and family protection specialists and soum-level teams to address these issues and safeguard the well-being of herder children.

"Every child involved in the project is very happy; this project is the first to include all the children in our dormitory." says Mrs. J.Alima

People in Need (PIN) implemented the "REACH" humanitarian aid project in Bayan-Ulgii and Khovd provinces with financial support from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Club of Friends of PIN.

"Thanks to the project, we were able to buy the things we needed and get clothes for our two daughters. Thank you for giving me such a beautiful ger, mongolian traditional yurt," says Mr. B.Kauarkhan.

Autor: Amarjargal Dagvadorj (Head of Programmes), Togtokhmaa Zagir (MEAL Manager), Purevbat Bolorchuluun (Communications Officer)

M bank, a pioneering Mongolian digital bank, is excited to announce a strategic collaboration with Visa, a global payment technology company. This partnership aims to enhance cross-border payment processes for businesses and consumers, making international transactions faster, more secure, convenient, and cost-effective.

In a rapidly evolving financial landscape, M bank strives to provide its customers with easier access to global markets and seamless payment experiences. By integrating Visa’s robust payment platform, M Bank will enhance its offerings by allowing users to send and receive funds internationally with ease at a more cost-effective rate.

This partnership enables M bank to offer a cross-border payment solution to its customers, supporting 35 different currencies across over 180 countries. This streamlined solution is expected to capture some percentage of inbound and outbound transaction volume in the first year generating new revenue streams and reducing operational costs.

Partnering with Visa will also enable M bank to set global interoperable standards and capabilities to deliver innovative new commerce experiences to customers. A global open system will bring consistency to the payment experience in an increasingly globally connected world.

“This partnership marks a significant step forward in improving the digital banking landscape in Mongolia, ultimately contributing to the country’s economic growth and connectivity with the global market,” remarked Temuulen Batmunkh, Acting CEO of M bank.

The government of Mongolia has officially launched a comprehensive energy reform aimed at achieving greater energy independence and sustainability. This initiative comes in response to the country’s reliance on imported energy, which currently accounts for 22 to 23 percent of total consumption at prices higher than those of neighboring countries. However, this initiative has sparked public outrage due to the planned increase in energy prices, which many citizens fear will further burden their households and businesses.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has conducted extensive research on electricity and heat pricing, presenting potential reforms during a briefing led by the commission’s Head E.Tuvshinchuluun on October 29. He outlined that the new pricing structure will consider the unique circumstances of Ulaanbaatar city, rural areas and various enterprises separately. He emphasized that the version presented is based on preliminary calculations and details of the final pricing reforms will be closely monitored, as they will significantly impact both consumers and businesses in Mongolia. ERC will announce its decisions regarding price and tariff increases on November 4.

Historically, energy tariffs in Mongolia have undergone 12 changes since the establishment of ERC in 2002. The last significant increase occurred in 2022, amidst the economic difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the household tariff remained unchanged during that period, enterprise rates were adjusted: a 14 percent increase for those consuming up to 5,000 kWh, a 28 percent rise for those exceeding that threshold, and a 38 percent hike for the mining sector.

Currently, the commission is looking to gradually increase tariffs without a consumption threshold for enterprises, aiming to bring energy prices in line with production costs. E.Tuvshinchuluun stated, “Our main goal is to align energy prices with production costs. We have not calculated any profit in this scenario.”

During a press briefing, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Energy Sector Investments, Tariff Reforms and Mega Projects T.Dorjkhand emphasized the need for reform, stating, “There is insufficient energy to support the construction of factories and subways. Our goal is to provide 100 percent of our energy domestically, while still allowing for imports when necessary.” Despite the government’s intentions, the announcement of impending price hikes has led to widespread criticism.

The energy sector, which has been operational for 101 years, has faced significant challenges, including a consistent increase in demand and the need for additional capacity. Minister of Energy B.Choijilsuren pointed out that electricity consumption per capita in Mongolia is currently about half that of its neighbors. The introduction of new infrastructure, such as the Thermal Power Plant No. 2, is deemed critical for meeting future energy needs.

“The last price increase occurred in 2022, following the pandemic,” B.Choijilsuren explained. “Currently, electricity is produced at 285 MNT but supplied at just 216 MNT. This discrepancy has created financial and technical challenges in the industry.”

The government plans to bring energy prices closer to production costs, establishing a more transparent framework for energy companies. As part of this transparency initiative, energy firms will be required to operate as open joint-stock companies, subject to public scrutiny.

In addition, discussions are underway with Russia to develop a new source of 300 megawatts of electricity and 360 megawatts of heat at the Thermal Power Plant No. 3 facility. However, the high costs of this project remain a concern.

Deputy Prime Minister T.Dorjkhand stressed the importance of uniting across political lines to support this necessary reform. “Energy reform is not just about increasing electricity tariffs. It is a critical step toward reducing our dependence on imports and ensuring a stable energy supply for future development,” he said.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday met with Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene, who is in Shanghai to attend the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE).

Li said that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China and Mongolia have maintained sound, stable momentum in their bilateral relations in recent years. China values its friendly cooperation with Mongolia highly, and considers Mongolia a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, he noted.

He said that both sides should implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state to deepen practical cooperation for the benefit of the two peoples.

Li noted that China will synergize its development strategy with Mongolia further, step up trade and investment cooperation, and enhance cooperation on infrastructure construction in such areas as port connectivity, mining and hydropower stations.

The premier encouraged both sides to tap into the cooperation potential of emerging industries such as the high-tech and green development sectors, and support more capable Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Mongolia.

China will work with Mongolia and other Asian countries in the pursuit of peace, solidarity and cooperation, and enhance exchange and coordination within the frameworks of multilateral mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Oyun-Erdene said that Mongolia abides firmly by the one-China policy, and is willing to maintain mutual respect and support on issues bearing on each other's core interests.

Mongolia stands ready to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with China in such areas as energy, urban planning and desertification control, and explore cooperation in new fields including artificial intelligence, green development and human resources, he said.

China said it is willing to strengthen cooperation in port connectivity, mineral development and infrastructure construction with Mongolia, Chinese official news agency Xinhua said.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, when meeting with Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, said late on Tuesday that China would support more “qualified enterprises” to invest in Mongolia, and in return hopes for a stable and predictable business environment for Chinese firms.

(By Liz Lee and Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Air Passengers rises 27% from previous year

In the initial 10 months of this year, a total of 125.3 million passengers were transported across all modes of transportation, including:

121.7 million by road

1.9 million by air

1.6 million by rail

Air passengers rose by 27% compared to the same period last year. And cargo transport also had growth, with 107 million tons moved by all modes from January to October 2024:

70.5 million tons by road

36.5 million tons by rail

8.5 thousand tons by air

Overall, cargo transport increased by 20.5% compared to last year, with road freight rising by 24.2% and rail by 14%.

Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has been awarded Mongolia’s State Supreme Decoration, the Order of Chinggis Khaan. In honoring Ban, Ulaanbaatar paid special recognition to his contribution in strengthening Mongolia’s democracy and its support for global peace and security.

On November 2, President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa presented the Order of Chinggis Khaan award to Ban in a special ceremony in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Ban’s award ceremony coincided with Mongolia’s National Pride Day, which celebrated the 862nd anniversary of Chinggis Khaan’s birth.

The Order of Chinggis Khaan is a supreme decoration and has only ever been awarded to one other foreign national, esteemed historian and author of multiple books on Mongolia’s history, Jack Weatherford.

In his remarks at the award ceremony, Khurelsukh said that Ban’s “dedication to world peace, human rights, freedom, justice and equality, [and] environmental protection has been instrumental in advancing green development policies and enhancing cooperation between Mongolia and the United Nations.”

In his acceptance speech, Ban expressed “immense honor and gratitude” for the award. He added, “While this is a recognition of personal achievement, more importantly, it is also a celebration of the rich history and enduring spirit of the Mongolian people,” before going on to praise the legacy of the award’s namesake.

“Chinggis Khaan, a name that resonates far beyond the borders of Mongolia, is a symbol of strength, vision, innovation, and unyielding determination,” Ban said. “Indeed, in a world that often feels divided, Chinggis Khaan’s ability to unite diverse peoples under a common vision serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of collaboration, diversity, and understanding in harmony with strong leadership.”

The State Supreme Decoration symbolizes Mongolia’s recognition of Ban’s long support for the country’s democracy, as well as his dedication in supporting Mongolia’s missions within the United Nations, especially peacekeeping operations. Ulaanbaatar’s participation in the United Nations is key for the country to conduct its multi-pillared, peaceful foreign policy in a growing hostile environment.

Moreover, Mongolia’s efforts in promoting peace in the Korean Peninsula are close to Ban’s heart as a South Korean native.

Ban Ki-moon served as U.N. Secretary-General from 2007 to 2016, seeking to “mobilize world leaders around a set of new global challenges, from climate change and economic upheaval to pandemics and increasing pressures involving food, energy and water.”

Meanwhile, Mongolia’s international contributions to U.N. goals – including the Climate Change Summit of 2007, the Millennium Development Goals, U.N. Women, and the Sustainable Development Goals – have been a significant part of Mongolia’s democratic approach to development and enhancing Mongolia’s position on the world stage. Considering Ban’s almost decade-long stint as the U.N. leader, he had a role to play in Ulaanbaatar’s successful implementation of many of the U.N. agendas.

Moreover, during Ban’s time as U.N. secretary-general, he established relationships with previous three Mongolian presidents – Enkhbayar Nambar, Elbegdorj Tsakhia, and Battulga Ukhnaa – and visited Mongolia in 2009 and 2019.

In 2009, Ban made a special visit to the Five Hills Peacekeeping Training Center and met with Mongolian peacekeepers who were preparing to deploy to Africa. He thanked the Mongolian leaders for their participation.

Even after leaving the secretary-general role, Ban remained an important figure in Mongolia’s relations with the United Nations, security matters in the Korean Peninsula, as well as Mongolia-South Korea relations. In 2021, Ulaanbaatar and Seoul became strategic partners. In 2023, Ban attended the Trans-Altai Stability Dialogue on Gender Equality and Sustainable Development in Ulaanbaatar.

Mongolia is overcoming the challenges stemming from its landlocked position through relationship building. Having strong relationships with global leaders like Ban is viewed as a positive for Mongolia’s foreign policy.

The decision to award the Order of Chinggis Khaan to someone so active in supporting Mongolia’s transition to a thriving democracy with strong participation in global affairs sends a message about the country’s direction. As a nation, Mongolia is looking to the future and understands how being an active member of the global community can help meet its future challenges. Likewise, Ban’s remarks at the award ceremony portrayed a Mongolia ready to expand its diplomatic influence to promote its values of democracy and peace.

BY Bolor Lkhaajav

Bolor Lkhaajav is a researcher specializing in Mongolia, China, Russia, Japan, East Asia, and the Americas. She holds an M.A. in Asia-Pacific Studies from the University of San Francisco.

The little-known Mongolia is increasingly coming into the public view. US Secretary of State Blinken was in Ulan Bator in August and proposed a third, virtual, border with the United States. Hopefully he did not have any more military bases in mind, because Mongolia is geostrategically centrally located between China, America’s “systemic rival” – as if competition were not good for business – and the alleged “evil empire”, Russia.

Putin was also in the country in September to renew the decades-long friendship from Soviet times and to conclude new agreements in the energy sector. The French President was there in May, because the numerous nuclear power plants in France require a lot of uranium, one of the many natural resources that Mongolia has in large quantities.

In West Africa, Macron had to put relations on hold following a coup in Niger, the previous supplier of uranium ore, because of accusations of neo-colonialism. And even the Pope was in Ulan Bator a year ago at the invitation of the government, for the first time in history, which had a very long prelude.

After the western campaigns of Genghis Khan and his successors in the first half of the 13th century, panic broke out in Europe. And after the sudden withdrawal of the Mongolian troops in 1241 because of Ögedei Khan’s death, papal emissaries were sent to the Mongolian court to assess the situation. In 1246, the Franciscan John de Plano Carpini attended the enthronement of Genghis Khan’s grandson Güyük near Karakorum and delivered two papal letters full of accusations about the campaigns against Christian Eastern Europe and demanding submission.

Of course, the new Khan rejected this request in a sharp tone. The French King Louis IX had another reason for contacting the Mongols. He was looking for allies for the Crusades against the Muslims in the Holy Land, who had brought Jerusalem under their control, and hoped, briefly even successfully, for a Mongolian military alliance.

Rock carvings in the Mongolian Altai from the Neolithic period

Mongolia is about four times the size of Germany and has a population the size of Berlin. The country is interesting not only because of its mineral resources and not only for geopolitical reasons, but also because of its little-known cultural treasures. In the Mongolian part of the Altai Mountains there are petroglyphs, rock carvings, dating from 11,000 years ago to around 800 years CE. They were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2011. The Mongolian Altai is located in the border region between China and Russia and is up to four thousand meters high, with numerous, deeply cut valleys running through it. The oldest of many thousands of rock carvings in Tsagaan Salaa document the imagination and life of the Stone Age society of hunters and gatherers in what was then a forested mountain range. In Tsagaan Gol you can find petroglyphs from a later era that document the transition to a nomadic society with livestock farming and horse breeding. They date from the Bronze and Iron Ages to the time of the Turkic peoples in the 8th century AD and are partly of excellent quality.

Cave paintings from the Paleolithic period

This year my life partner, who has her roots in Ulan Bator, and I were once again traveling in the Altai Mountains. We knew from an English travel guide that there are also cave paintings from the Paleolithic period in the Altai region and we took a trip with our guide Jagaa from “Explore the Great Altai” to the Tsenkher Caves, about ninety kilometers south of the district capital Khovd. And indeed, they exist! The main cave is unguarded, hardly developed for tourism and you have to climb into small side caves with good shoes to be able to see the treasures. They are less spectacular than their French or Spanish counterparts, smaller and less colorful, but their existence alone is a sensation, so little known. The caves were discovered in 1951 by the Mongolian geologist Namnandorj, then explored by a Russian-Mongolian expedition in 1967 and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1996. You can see antelopes, lions, ostriches, mammoths, camels and cranes. The images were partly sketched with flint and painted with reddish-brown ochre on a yellowish-white background.

According to official information, the dates so far range from 15,000 to 40,000 years old. Perhaps they should be updated at some point using the uranium-thorium method. For comparison: The famous rock paintings in the French cave of Lascaux are around 17,000 years old, while those on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi are over 40,000 years old. Very close to the caves we were also able to observe the very rare Mongolian saiga antelopes, which were severely decimated by an epidemic in 2017 and 2018, followed by an extremely harsh winter. We all thought about how little the caves in the Altai have been explored so far and how much there is still to discover here. The whole area was inhabited by human beings for tens of thousands of years.

On the Russian side of the Altai Mountains, archaeologists from the Russian Academy of Sciences, Anatoli Derevianko and Michael Shunkov, discovered a fragment of a girl’s finger bone in 2008. Two years later, following a DNA analysis at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig under the direction of Svante Pääbo, it was possible to assign it to a new, long-extinct human species, the Denisovans, an Asian cousin of the Neanderthals. It would not be surprising if such finds were made on the Mongolian side as well, and another chapter could be added to the history of the origins of man. International cooperation could be very valuable here and send a positive signal in turbulent times and a dangerous global situation.

Mongolia behaves wisely, neutrally and confidently

Meanwhile, Mongolia behaves neutrally between the two centers of power on its northern and southern borders. The country belongs neither to the BRICS states nor to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Its small, multi-ethnic, multilingual and tolerant population is increasingly asserting itself confidently and proudly on the world stage. On our return journey back to Berlin, we wondered whether the leadership of our eastern neighbor in Europe, Ukraine, could not have prevented the war, which is also a proxy war, with such a basic attitude – model Switzerland or model Mongolia, as you like.

BY

Peter Gorenflos is a surgeon in Berlin and, among other things, editor of the Mongolian edition of Karlheinz Deschner’s “God and the Fascists”

Mongolian Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene has arrived in Shanghai for a working visit to the People’s Republic of China, where he will participate in the VII China International Import Expo. He attended the opening of the VII China International Import Expo today and delivered a speech.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and China. Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene emphasized that the trade turnover of the two countries reached 17.6 billion USD by 2023. He also said that Mongolia is ready to actively cooperate in leading sectors such as mining, agriculture, new energy, infrastructure, advanced technology, tourism, and cultural creative production.

During his visit, Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene is scheduled to hold an official meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Additionally, he is expected to meet with the leadership of Shanghai and Zhejiang Province.

Mongolian Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene reviewed the operations of Huawei, a global leader in technology research and development, which is generating significant interest among participants at the upcoming VII China International Import Expo, set to begin tomorrow in Shanghai, China. Both parties agreed to strengthen their collaboration by establishing a joint working group focused on advancing 5G systems, smart mining transportation, intelligent traffic management, and green energy initiatives.