European Union and Mongolia hold productive political, economic and human rights dialogue www.eeas.europa.eu

The European Union and Mongolia held a Joint Committee meeting today under the EU-Mongolia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

In 2019, the EU and Mongolia celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The presence of the EU Delegation in Ulaanbaatar since 2017 allows both parties to consolidate, deepen and diversify their relations.

In the meeting, both the EU and Mongolia reaffirmed the importance of further enhancing their relations by discussing priority areas of cooperation in the political, economic and human rights spheres. They exchanged views on regional and global issues and discussed opportunities for strengthening cooperation in the framework of the Europe-Asia connectivity strategy.

The EU and Mongolia discussed further steps in assisting the Mongolian authorities with a possible budget support operation that will contribute to boost employment creation and improve public finance management.
The third EU-Mongolia Human Rights Dialogue was held back-to-back with the Joint Committee. The EU and Mongolia discussed issues related to enhancing cooperation in multilateral fora. While the EU acknowledged the firm basis of the rule of law in Mongolia and the country's good compliance with human rights and fundamental freedoms, recent initiatives in the field of human rights and rule of law risk being contrary to Mongolia's international obligations, such as the independence of the judiciary, the rights of the child and human rights defenders. The EU welcomed the recent statement by the Mongolian Minister of Justice on the country’s continued strong commitment to the abolition of the death penalty. As is the case for all human rights dialogues, the EU met with civil society representatives ahead of the Dialogue, which contributes to a regular engagement with such groups.

The Subcommittee on Trade and Investment, held prior to the Joint Committee reviewed the state of trade and economic cooperation with a focus on the improvement of the business climate and the diversification of Mongolia's economy. It also reviewed the state of implementation of the EU Trade-Related Assistance to Mongolia (TRAM) project that assists Mongolia in the diversification of its economy and capacity building, as well as support for business intermediaries. The Joint Committee decided to establish a dialogue on sanitary and phytosanitary related issues.

Prior to the Joint Committee, dialogues took place in the context of EU’s special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance (GSP+). The EU and Mongolia discussed how to make better use of these trade preferences as well as the effective implementation of international conventions on human rights, labour rights, environment and good governance. Agreed follow up actions include the adoption of the revised labour law, enforcing child protection, and ensuring the independence of the judiciary.

The Mongolian delegation at the Joint Committee was headed by Mr Tsogtbaatar Damdin, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The European Union's delegation was headed by Mr Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service.

The EU and Mongolia agreed to hold their next Joint Committee meeting in 2020 in Brussels.

Mongolia exported 3.5 million tons of iron ore from January 2019 www.qazaqtimes.com

For the first 6 months of this year, Mongolia exported 3.5 million tons of iron ore totaling $ 207.5 mn, reports the country's main customs administration. At the same time, this figure increased by 720.9 thousand tons compared to the same period of the previous year. According to experts, China remains the main export destination for Mongolia. The share of China in 2018 accounted for 66% of total exports of Mongolia. In 2018, Mongolia exported 7.4 million tons of iron ore.

Biodiversity and Adaptation to Climate Change-III project agreement signed www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ On June 26, Ch.Khurelbaatar, Minister of Finance, Stefan Duppel, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to Mongolia and, Petar Gjorgjiev, Director of the Office of German Credit Institute for Reconstruction (KfW) in Ulaanbaatar signed intergovernmental and financial agreements on the third phase of the ‘Biodiversity and Adaptation to Climate Change’ project and the Mongolia-Germany Joint University of Minerals and Technology establishment project.

Trump gift to coal industry won’t halt decline – report www.mining.com

Since peaking in 2008, US coal consumption has fallen 39% to the lowest level in 40 years.

Japan secures rare earth supply for longer through Lynas funding www.mining.com

Australia’s Lynas Corp (ASX: LYC) has signed a 10-year loan extension on easier terms with its powerful Japanese backers, which means the Asian nation now has a larger and lengthier hold on the company’s rare earths output amid China’s threats to use its market supply dominance as a weapon in the trade war with the United States.

Government to issue bonds using blockchain technology www.zgm.mn

Government bonds that were needed in the domestic market will be more accessible to citizens and investors by combining traditional and advanced methods in the coming year. The Ministry of Finance is planning to sell government bonds based on blockchain technology and at the Mongolian Stock Exchange (MSE). Preparations for forming government bonds with blockchain technology started last year. In this regard, the government adopted a regulation on trading securities based on blockchain technology in February 2018. “If we use such platforms, civilians and businesses will have the wider opportunity to get government securities,” said Minister of Finance Khurelbaatar Chimed. The Australian government also has the experience of issuing bonds worth USD 6 billion via blockchain technology. The blockchain-based bond trading platform was created by a Mongolian entity ICT group.

State Secretary D.Davaasuren receives OECD representatives www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs D.Davaasuren received representatives of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) led by the Head of Eurasia Division William Tompson on June 27.

Boeing suffers new 737 Max issue that could delay return www.bbc.com

US regulators have uncovered a possible new flaw in Boeing's troubled 737 Max aircraft that is likely to push back test flights.

Renewable energy sources in the US now outstrip coal www.mining.com

While the United States’ coal industry has been for years losing ground to alternative energy sources, including shale and natural gas, renewables have surpassed the fossil fuel for the first time, official data shows.

People in Need and Mercy Corps support building resilience to disasters in rural Mongolia www.montsame.mn

Ulaanbaatar/MONTSAME/. On June 24, the international NGO People in Need (PIN) in partnership with Mercy Corps Mongolia, organized a closing conference for the Leveraging Technology and Tradition for Resilience in Rural Mongolia (LTT4R) project at the Mongolian University of Life Sciences (MULS). The project funded by the European Union’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), Czech Development Agency (CzDA) and PIN Club of Friends aims to increase herder’s resilience to drought and dzud, and climate change across rural Mongolia.

As a part of the LTT4R project, PIN and Mercy Corps conducted planning and training sessions across 38 soums and 200 baghs, building local capacity to strengthen resilience in the face of disasters and has provided weather forecast information to herder using SMS system.

In order to improve and expand access to weather forecasts, a platform developed by Mercy Corps and now owned and managed by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to share weather and pasture information via SMS services was expanded to serve more provinces. The LTT4R project enabled NEMA and Mercy Corps to take the system nationwide. “Herders in 38 more soums in four provinces are now able to access weather, drought, dzud, and pasture yield information that can help them plan and reduce the risk of livestock losses from disasters,” said Marc Tasse, the Country Director of People in Need in Mongolia.

Through the project, local government officials took part in Livestock Emergency Response Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) training, as well as a program on Dzud Preparation and Recovery Actions at the herder and household levels that supported the leadership capacity of 698 local officials. “The integration of LEGS standards into local planning and response processes has the potential to really make a difference in mitigating some of the most critical dzud risks faced by herder communities and households,” said Wendy Guyot, Country Director at Mercy Corps.

The Dzud Preparation and Recovery Action training focused on preventing dzud risks through preparation, improving the quality of livestock products, and the improvement of pasture management. Training was organized for 3,892 herders from 38 soums in four provinces.

In partnership with the government of Mongolia, a disaster management plan was developed in 38 soums in four provinces where drought, dzud, flood, and forest and steppe fires are frequent. The plan template was approved and is now widely used by the provincial emergency agencies. “The plan is being modified and improved at the soum (local) and provincial levels and it will be the main tool to prevent, reduce the impact and respond quickly to future disasters,” said Marc Tasse.

The project also included research work, such as development of the Multi-Indicator Dzud Vulnerability Index (MDVI), to define the problems faced when experiencing dzud conditions. In addition, a Household Economic Assessment (HEA) report was the outcome of research work conducted in three provinces where the LTT4R project was implemented.
The European Union, with its Member States, is a leading global donor of humanitarian aid. Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), the EU helps over 120 million victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, ECHO provides assistance to the most vulnerable people solely on the basis of humanitarian needs, without discrimination against race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, nationality, or political affiliation.

People in Need (PIN), an INGO based in the Czech Republic, launched programming in Mongolia in 2009, when it provided emergency assistance to herders affected by severe winter conditions (dzud). With the goals of saving lives and protecting dignity, empowering people and supporting sustainable living, PIN established its permanent presence in Mongolia in 2011. Today, apart from providing emergency relief, PIN’s programs in Mongolia focus on urban sustainable development, supporting rural livelihoods through building the capacity of cooperatives, facilitating disaster risk reduction and resilience programs for herders, building the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) and local governments, strengthening higher education, promoting environmental protection, and raising awareness about air pollution.

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Since 1999, Mercy Corps Mongolia (MCM) has been contributing to Mongolia’s rural development by supporting rural economic growth, strengthening civil society, promoting good governance and building capacities of rural communities to respond to and mitigate risks of natural disasters.
source: People in Need