WARSAW, 8 June 2022 — The OSCE Chairman-in-Office (CiO) and Poland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Zbigniew Rau, concluded his visit to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia.

In Kazakhstan, Rau met President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Chairmen of the two chambers of parliament, Maulen Ashimbayev and Yerlan Koshanov, and the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Akan Rakhmetullin. Minister Zbigniew Rau also talked with Human Rights Commissioner Elvira Azimova and civil society representatives.

During the talks, Minister Rau reaffirmed the OSCE’s support for the ongoing reforms in Kazakhstan, including the constitutional referendum that took place on 5 June. The head of the Polish MFA emphasized that the OSCE Programme Office in Nur-Sultan is engaged in supporting further reforms of the police and the judiciary, local governments, and strengthening the institution of the Human Rights Commissioner.

“The reform programme by the president of Kazakhstan includes at all its stages crucial improvements related to human rights, civil liberties and institutional responsibilities, in line with OSCE commitments,” said Minister Rau. He added that a concrete example of these are amendments to the constitution put forward for a nationwide referendum held last Sunday. Moreover, the head of the Polish MFA discussed the dynamic security situation in Central Asia.

In Uzbekistan, Minister Rau talked with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Norov, the Chairwoman of the Senate, Tanzila Narbayeva and the First Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Parliament Akmal Saidov.

The chief of Polish diplomacy emphasized the positive contribution of the OSCE to efforts related to the implementation of President Mirziyoyev’s reform agenda in Uzbekistan. He also presented ideas on how to strengthen the involvement in the region. He encouraged the consolidation of dialogue between government and civil society and the further promotion of human rights.

“Uzbekistan's ties with the OSCE have a long tradition. The OSCE highly values Uzbekistan as an active member of the Organization since 1992. On the 30th anniversary of the accession of Central Asian countries to the OSCE, I would like to confirm the OSCE’s continued support for Uzbekistan and declare my readiness to further strengthen this co-operation and consolidate partner relations,” emphasized Minister Rau. He also thanked his interlocutors for their promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan, building trust and good neighborly relations in the region, as well as solidarity with the most vulnerable. Support to the civilian population is one of the priorities of the Polish OSCE Chairmanship.

During his visit to Mongolia, the OSCE CiO met with Mongolia’s President Uchnaagijn Chürelsüch and Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh.

Poland’s chief diplomat emphasized that the OSCE recognizes Mongolia’s political and constitutional reform processes, which include substantial achievements in the areas of human rights, civil liberties, as well, as institutional responsibilities in line with the OSCE commitments. He encouraged the country to enhance co-operation with the Organization and to benefit from its potential of supporting the government in implementing further reforms.

While congratulating Mongolia on the tenth anniversary of its participation in the OSCE, Minister Rau noted that the current turbulence undermining the region’s stability makes it even more important for all participating States of the Organization to act together for the sake of peace and security.

Ulaanbaatar: A late Oday Dabbagh penalty saw Palestine secure a narrow 1-0 win over Mongolia in their opening AFC Asian Cup 2023™ Qualifiers Final Round match at the MFF Stadium on Wednesday.

Following a largely uneventful first 45 minutes, Palestine sprung into life after the interval and missed several chances of note early in the second half before substitute Dabbagh ultimately wrapped up a hard-earned three points from the spot seven minutes from time.

The match marked both sides’ first competitive game of the year with Palestine last turning out at the FIFA Arab Cup™ at the end of 2021 and hosts Mongolia – who did play a pair of friendlies against Laos and Bangladesh in March – taking to the pitch a year and a day after stunning Kyrgyz Republic 1-0 in the previous round of qualifiers.

Looking to advance to their third consecutive AFC Asian Cup, Palestine started the brighter of the sides and had their first chance of note in the 10th minute when Mahmoud Wadi headed Tamer Seyam’s corner from the right straight at goalkeeper Munkh-Erdene Enkhtaivan.

Palestine controlled the majority of possession in the first half but, with star forward Dabbagh left on the bench, struggled to find a spark up front as a resolute Mongolia remained firm at the back before starting to offer more of an attacking threat as the half wore on.

The Palestinians came out full of intent after the interval and came close in the 52nd minute when captain Seyam’s cross found Saleh Chihadeh, who laid the ball back for substitute Mohammed Rashid to fire just wide.

The same trio combined less than a minute later when the lively Rashid’s cross was flicked on by Seyam and then headed over by Chihadeh as Mongolia held out once more.

Portugal-based Dabbagh, scorer of four goals in the previous round of qualifiers, was introduced midway through the second half as Palestine sought to make their dominance count.

Seyam had another sight on goal with just over 15 minutes to play after being picked out by Mahmour Abuwarda but chose the tricky option of trying to chip Enkhtaivan and saw his effort from 10 yards comfortably held by the custodian.

A shot from distance from Yaser Hamed called the goalkeeper into action once more soon after but yet again he was equal to the challenge as Mongolia continued to frustrate the Palestinian frontline.

Then with 10 minutes to play substitute Bader Mousa missed the best chance of the game when, unmarked in the centre, he headed Abuwarda’s inch-perfect delivery over the crossbar.

But in the 83rd minute Palestine were awarded a penalty after Munkh-Orgil Orkhon was adjudged to have handled Seyam’s delivery from the byline and Dabbagh duly converted into the bottom left corner two minutes later to hand Palestine all three points.

With the earlier Group B game between Philippines and Yemen ending goalless, Palestine move to the top of the standings, with Mongolia the only team without a point after the opening round of fixtures.

The teams will return for their second games on Saturday, when Palestine take on West Asian rivals Yemen and Mongolia face Philippines.

In the age of green capitalism copper is the “new oil.” Since Mongolia has plenty of it, the country’s ruling class has initiated a violent transition that brings the precarious existence of nomads to the fore – and thus a starting point for common struggles against the economic-ecological complex, as Shuree Sarantuya shows in her text to the BG series “After Extractivism.”

Urban people are becoming homeless, houseless, and stateless, while the non-sedentary population modernizes to establish economic security. Forced and voluntary transition of both de- and re-nomadization occurred through violent urbanization, for the price ofthe comfort of modern living, capitalism-induced environmental catastrophes, and sedentary war-mongering of bordering resources. The “savage” metropolitans hurry to sign up for deals without reading its terms and conditions. Simultaneously, the urban poor are re-wilding in the parking lots, underneath a bridge, or between the highways.

During a student exchange program in Shanghai, a cashier at a convenience store was curious about my nationality; when I explained that I am a Mongolian, she asked why “we are nowadays so many, so suddenly.” According to the International Organization for Migration, “every eleventh Mongolian live abroad for economic reasons.” If one can, they would study, live, and work abroad, like I was privileged enough to do so. However, the immobile city Mongols voice their frustration via a “pop-up youth protest” or full-blown “riots” on their present economic issues. Most of Mongolia’s financial success comes from companies that venture into “trades and services or mining and quarrying.” Yet the entire nation cannot comprehend its struggles and is not able to produce solutions on its own.

Sedentarism by labor extractivism

During the “political repression,” Mongolia lost almost 3% of its population, predominantly Buddhist monks. This number does not include those who fled to China and Russia, missing or changed their identity and those sent to Gulags. By becoming a satellite state of the USSR, Outer Mongolia (State of Mongolia) secured its independence from China, which engulfed Inner Mongolia (Autonomous Region of China). Officially, Mongolia was “never part of the Soviet Union,” yet one will frequently hear “we” in the capital when talking about Stalin’s Soviet Union and Putin’s Russia. Repression as an instrument of sedentarization was remarkably effective. Shortly everyone appeared to unite under the promise of a modern nation. In the contemporary stance, non-sedentary people are regarded as “Mowgli” to be rescued by someone from a jungle of savageness and beastliness. By pinpointing who is not suited to join, the majority can rush to the town where everyone is the same and equal to an actual modern human.

The capital city Ulaanbaatar, built by the brotherhood of the USSR and the Mongolian People’s Republic, is where residents settled shoulder to shoulder. Inside the contemporary metropolis – mixed with soviet “Khrushchyovka” – the city inhabitants call themselves “we” and look down onto the “they” which lives in the overgrowing slum surrounding the city center. “Yurt District” is an organically emerging sedentary settlement of nomadic individuals who permanently choose to be immobile but cannot access housing. Slum-dwellers came in forced and voluntarily because the rest of the country is not altogether metropolitan. Today, semi-nomadic herders are still living in the wilderness and are pushed to sedentarize due to the exclusion of modern essentials such as secure income, education, and health care.

In the recent decade, extreme weather events are occurring increasingly and interrupting the intricate ecosystem of the land. “Over exhausting grazing land from cashmere goats” favored mono-livestock herding, resulting in devastating grassland desertification. The rest of the world offered the last nomads of Mongolia only two options. Either immobile by a property – Ulaanbaatar’s dream is to possess a house or apartment. Or immobile by security – occupation in trade and service or mining and quarrying.

Sedentarism by copper extractivism

Before I left Mongolia, a few of my acquaintances in their mid-twenties moved to South Gobi to work for the recently opened copper mine “Oyu Tolgoi” due to a scarcity of well-paid job opportunities in the capital. By working in the mine, the employee acquires a stable income, the possibility to take courses for further education, daily meals plus takeouts, company housing, and even an auto. Since the surrounding area is middle of nowhere except for a few sedentary towns, other mines, wild animals, and nomadic herders, the campus of the copper mine is a true Shangri-la. According to the biggest shareholder, “Rio Tinto”: “Oyu Tolgoi is the largest human-made construction built in Mongolia. It is also the biggest known copper and gold deposit in the world.” The entire country hopes to be someday the next Saudi Arabia since copper is the “new oil” in the era of “green capitalism.” As the world’s wealthy demand green living, developing countries go under “solid” extractivism with “liquid” investors that promise “long-term” cooperation. Particularly in the case of mining, there is never longevity as all mines perish of old age.

In the course of the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the ‘inflation’ in Mongolia has taken a toll on the “we” and “they” of Ulaanbaatar. Be it sustenance, energy, or pharmaceutical – 21st century Mongols are entirely dependent on their two borders being open. Besides having rich metals and minerals underneath, Mongolia has “twenty-three times” more livestock than its three million human occupants. People might even say that livestock has a better life than humans because it has security for at least food and water. Nonetheless, in the city, the price of groceries is at the point of not being able to afford them. As of June 2022, one liter of packaged milk costs approximately 1.10 Euro in a supermarket in Ulaanbaatar, the exactitem can be bought in Germany cheaper.

How can a country with millions of livestock experience food insecurity of such epic proportions? From a colonial to colonized, feudal to socialist, nomadic to capitalist country, from 20th to 21st century: Mongolia is in perpetual lateness and in great hurry. Young adults of Mongolia also received only two alternatives to reach Western “modernity” – either relocate to another country or wait until it catches up. The copper mine is a “temple” of the hopes and dreams of those who could not leave Mongolia. Metal and mineral ores are tucked away under the earth’s crust, ignored or forgotten by the nomads for centuries. Once they stopped and looked at their land, they only noticed wealth and richness that needed to be extracted by somebody.

Re-wilding after extractivism

From Chloe Zhao’s 2020 film “Nomad land” (adapted from a book by Jessica Bruder that shares the same title), we can experience the Western transition from “solid to liquid modernity,” resulting in poverty-driven re-nomadization of sedentary people. Re-nomads are only houseless, not homeless, due to access to mobility and a moveable space. For easterners, affordable housing is worrisome in heavily populated metropolises expanding violently. Beijing “rat tribes” dwell in the old bomb shelters; in South Korea, there is tiny housing “gosiwon,” and in Japan “doya-gai” slum lodge for men. While the nomads are rushing to toss their tent homes on fire, the rest of East Asia cramped up in urban settlements with no way of re-wilding.

For nomads, home is the native land, and a house is not more than a shelter – “a Yurt or a Teepee.” As the partially urbanized Mongolia is busy trying to catch up with modernity and its latest update, no one sees warning signs of the future. Because of the rush, nomadic people went through a transition. Some became “techno-nomads.” These new nomads are equipped with the latest devices, living self-sufficient via clean energy, and living off the grid without getting disconnected. Furthermore, most significantly, the birth of the “techno-nomads” is a direct outcome of the abnormality of its territorial extremities, such as size, climate, and landscape, that preserves the land from adapting altogether non-natural environment.

Today, economically inferior but resourcefully rich countries are waving their hands to invite the old sedentary nations that depleted their resources by becoming wealthy. The expansion of mono-culture economies in third-world countries signified the elimination of intergenerational security. Territories are utilized, disposed, and re-habilitated from the sedentary viewpoint. This one-dimensionality projects a mono-civilization that acquires its primary resources from parasitic extractivism.

Anglo-Australian company “Rio Tinto operates in thirty-five countries” – from diamond to aluminum, from South Africa to Canada. Most of its mines and smelters employ ethnic minorities, Indigenous – first nation – Aboriginal, and nomadic people. For them a stable economy means entitlement to their land rights, conservation of the cultural heritage sites or wildlife, attracting back the youth or migrated population, and having long-term security in their communities. While the final sedentarization of the nomads finishes, simultaneously the rest of the world undergoes forced and voluntary nomadism. When do we tell the people who just spent the last two generations urbanizing that this is a dead-end and we must turn around?

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This text is a contribution to the Berliner Gazette’s “After Extractivism” text series; its English version is available on Berliner Gazette. You can find more contents on the English-language “After Extractivism” website. Have a look here: https://after-extractivism.berlinergazette.de

Shuree Sarantuya

Shuree Sarantuya is an artist and activist living in Cologne since 2019. She was born and raised in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. After completing her bachelor's degree with a focus on film and broadcasting director in 2016 at the Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture, she is currently studying media arts at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne. Most of her work deals with ethnic minorities, the last nomadic tribes and indigenous peoples in North, East, and Central Asia. Her work is based on extensive research that leads into an experimental practice in which she uses diverse media to depict the constant transition/migration of a nomadic household to a sedentary lifestyle due to the demands of the current capitalist system.

The Bank of Mongolia purchased six tons of gold from legal entities and individuals in the first five months of this year. The bank’s average gold purchase price was MNT 193,114 per gram as of May.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Mongolia’s forex reserves fell to 3.3 billion dollars in April, down 32.2 percent from the same period last year.

Buying gold is one of the key ways for the central bank to ensure the country’s economic stability by consistently increasing foreign currency reserves. The central bank purchased 20.9 tons of the precious metal last year and plans to buy at least 24 tons of gold in 2022.

Gold Reserves in Mongolia averaged 4.89 Tonnes from 2000 until 2021, reaching an all time high of 23.40 Tonnes in the first quarter of 2020 and a record low of 0 Tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2005.

Mongolia has the biggest known coal reserves in the world, the second largest reserves of uranium after Russia and one of the largest occurrences of silver. Its gold reserves are estimated to amount to 3,000 tonnes, copper reserves to over 30 million tonnes.

Mongolia reported 90 new coronavirus infections, the coronavirus statistics as of June 9 showed.

48 of them were revealed among persons who had contact with the infected in Ulaanbaatar, 42 other cases were detected in regions.

No new imported cases of COVID-19 were reported.

The death toll remains at 2,116 as no new deaths related to COVID-19 were reported during the past day.

Ulaanbaatar - 09 June 2022: For many developing countries including Mongolia, financing its national development priorities and sustainable development goals remain a key challenge. To discuss possible solutions and international best practices, the Government of Mongolia led by the Ministry of Finance and UN agencies led by the UNDP and UNICEF are co-organizing "Financing the Future We Want: Rolling out integrated SDG Financing in Mongolia" workshop with representatives from the public and private sector, international financial institutions, donors, civil society organizations and investors.

The workshop is being organized at a crucial time for Mongolia as the increased budget deficit and foreign debt burdens in addition to the Covid-19 pandemic and global geopolitical crises are pressuring Mongolia's fiscal space for financing its development priorities as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs.) According to Government of Mongolia, a total of MNT 100-120 trillion is needed to achieve the "New Recovery Policy 2021-2030" highlighting the urgent need for additional financing resources for the country.

Her Excellency Ms. Mungunchimeg Sanjaa, Vice Minister of Finance, said "As public financing alone is not enough to finance our development priorities, the Government, private sector, investors and development partners need to align their policies, activities and financial resources with national and global development priorities, increase their financial resources and increase the efficiency and value of the investment through implementing public finance reform" during her opening remarks.

The main focus of the workshop is the development and adoption of the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) as Mongolia is one of the over 80 countries around the world currently developing it. Mr. Tapan Mishra, UN Resident Coordinator in Mongolia, stressed the importance of INFF and said, "Through the INFF, Mongolia has the potential to chart a path forward to align multiple financing sources with development priorities and to mobilize new financial resources for sustainable development, especially from the private sector."

"The European Union supports the development of INFF Facility globally and in Mongolia since its adoption in Addis Ababa in 2015. The Integrated National Financing Framework will strengthen the government planning processes and help identify and overcome existing challenges to finance the sustainable development to meet the SDGs for Mongolia, especially during this critical time" said Her Excellency Ms. Axelle Nicaise, Ambassador of the European Union to Mongolia.

The workshop featured presentations on multiple milestones including successful piloting of the results-based and SDG-aligned budgeting at four Ministries, SDG Auditing pilot at the Mongolian National Audit Office, publishing of the Sustainability Reporting Guidance for private sector, ongoing development of draft SDG Finance Taxonomy, SDG Investor Mapping, SDG Bond Feasibility and Framework Study, and Debt for Nature Swap study with the support of UNDP and other development partners.

Mongolia will improve its online public services for citizens and businesses, boost digital skills training, and increase digital-enabled jobs with a sizable credit from the World Bank.

A statement by the bank on Tuesday said the $40.7 million credit aims to improve Mongolia’s legal and regulatory environment for building trust and cybersecurity in the use of digital technologies, through the Smart Government II Project.

It added that the project is also expected to enable the development of public services, shared use of cloud computing and cybersecurity services in the public sector.

“For the digital economy, the project will provide skills and literacy training to 13,000 civil servants and citizens and create 3,000 new digital jobs for youth and women.

“It will help digitalise 2,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to improve their competitiveness and resilience in the global economy.”

Andrei Mikhnev, World Bank country manager for Mongolia, said it is important that all Mongolian citizens and businesses be able to benefit from the global digital transformation and their country’s digital development efforts.

“It will help SMEs, especially those owned or led by women, increase their competitiveness in the global digital market and build their resilience for future crises,” he said.

(Xinhua/NAN)

In May, the gold purchase of the Bank of Mongolia (BoM) was 2,152 kg, raising the BoM’s total precious metal purchase of 2022 to 6 tons. The figure shows a decrease of 14 percent as compared with the same period of the previous year.

Since the beginning of this year, the BoM branches in Darkhan-Uul and Bayankhongor aimags have bought 193.6 kg and 304.9 kg of precious metals respectively.

In May, the average price of BoM’s purchase of 1 gram of gold was MNT 193,114 last month.

The amount of greenhouse gas leaking from Australian coal mines has been hugely under-reported, a report says.

And unless quick action is taken, it could prevent the country from reaching its emission reduction targets.

The new report analysed methane being released from coal mines, finding the amount is twice the official estimates.

Australia's new government has pledged to cut emissions faster than its predecessor, but it has not ruled out supporting new coal mines.

Reducing emissions from methane - a potent greenhouse gas - is a renewed focus for world leaders.

The US, the EU and Indonesia - the world's biggest coal exporter - were among more than 100 countries that last year promised a 30% cut in methane emissions by 2030.

Australia ranks second for coal exports and is among the world's top methane emitters, but it did not sign on to the pledge.

Methane has more than 80 times the heating power of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. It is estimated to be responsible for almost a third of the globe's warming since pre-industrial times.

In 2019, Australia's coal mines emitted 898,000 tonnes of methane, according to the federal industry department.

But the new report by UK think-tank Ember has found current methods of calculating those emissions are wrong - in the worst case by a factor of 10.

Previous estimates have been based on how much coal is produced rather than measuring how much gas leaked from mines, the report said.

Recent research using satellites have given a more accurate picture of pollution and have been adopted by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

The IEA has estimated Australian coal mines emitted 1.8 million tonnes of methane in 2021, double the latest officially reported figures, the report said.

"Methane leaking from Australian coal mines has almost double the climate impact every year than all of Australia's cars," said Dr Sabina Assan, the report's author.

"At the current level, methane leaking from coal mines will put Australia's modest 2030 climate targets well out of reach."

The country has a 2030 goal of a 43% emissions cut, still short of allies like the UK and US.

The good news is that it is possible to tackle coal mine methane emissions quickly, says the report, which was commissioned by a climate change lobby group.

"[It] really is the low-hanging fruit in the fight against climate change," Dr Assan said.

The first step, it says, is to stop any new coal projects - dozens of which are currently being considered across Australia.

Retiring Australia's "gassiest" mines early will also drastically help, as will banning "venting" - the release of gas build-ups in underground coal mines into the air - and finding sustainable uses or storage for methane.

Existing technologies - if applied to all underground mines - have the potential to cut Australia's methane emissions by about 45%, the report said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government has not commented on the report, but it previously said it will not leave "emissions intensive" industries - like mining - at a disadvantage to their global competitors.

It has also promised it will support new coal mines if they make commercial sense, and that it will not force coal-fired power stations to shut early.

Mongolia reported 109 new coronavirus infections, the coronavirus statistics as of June 8 showed.

59 of them were revealed among persons who had contact with the infected in Ulaanbaatar, 50 other cases were detected in regions.

No new imported cases of COVID-19 were reported.

The death toll remains at 2,116 as no new deaths related to COVID-19 were reported during the past day.