Mongolia, 2011

My delegation offers

President Al-Nasser its warm congratulations on his

unanimous election as President of the General

Assembly at the current session and pledges its

unconditional support and cooperation in the discharge

of his onerous responsibilities.

I wish to extend my sincere congratulations to the

Secretary-General on his well-deserved re-appointment

and express my deep appreciation for his role in

enhancing the role of the world Organization as a

promoter of peace, security and development. His

unanimous re-election to his high post is a testimony to

his outstanding leadership of the United Nations over

the past five years and a vote of strong confidence in

his future endeavours.

On behalf of the people of Mongolia, I warmly

welcome South Sudan as the 193rd Member of the

United Nations.

Today the international community finds itself in

times of uncertainty. The recovery from the economic

and financial crisis has been uneven and sluggish. Its

social repercussions have been intensified by persistent

unemployment and poverty in many countries. Major

natural disasters occur all too often. Unprecedented

challenges stemming from climate change continue and

remain unaddressed.

The world’s population will reach 7 billion next

month, and it is a cause of great concern that over a

billion still suffer from hunger. The global economic

and financial crisis grossly affected our drive to

achieve the Millennium Development Goals. A number

of international negotiations and mediation efforts on

conflict resolution have yet to produce results.

In today’s globalized world, these challenges

require collective solutions. To this end, the existing

governance structure ought to be improved and

reformed. The involvement of international

organizations is critical to this process. The thematic

discussions on enhancing the role of the United

Nations in global economic governance and dialogues

with the Chairman of the Group of 20, held during the

sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly, were the

first important step. What we need to do now is to

enhance the role and status of the United Nations,

including the Economic and Security Council, in global

economic decision-making.

19 11-50702

It has also become imperative to ensure full and

on-time delivery of the Millennium Development

Goals (MDGs) and to formulate the post-2015

development agenda. That agenda should help ensure

the meaningful integration of developing countries into

the world economy, taking into account the

vulnerabilities of landlocked least-developed countries

and those susceptible to desertification and climate

change. The Doha Development Round of multilateral

trade negotiations, stalled for the past decade, has yet

to produce positive results towards this end.

Every sixth Member of the United Nations is a

landlocked developing country whose remoteness from

world markets and high transport costs are a major

impediment to its development. Along with other

members of this group, Mongolia is endeavouring to

advance our common interests at the United Nations

and in the World Trade Organization. The creation of

an international think tank for landlocked developing

countries, to be set up in Ulaanbaatar, will

unquestionably contribute to greater cooperation in the

implementation of the Almaty Programme of Action

and our relevant MDGs. I therefore call on all the

relevant parties to sign and ratify the multilateral

agreement establishing this institution, which will be

vitally important to landlocked developing countries.

Last year, we reviewed our progress in achieving

the MDGs and agreed to strengthen the partnership.

Yet, as was shown in the most recent MDG Gap Task

Force report, significant gaps remain in delivering on

commitments in the areas of aid, trade, debt relief and

access to new technologies. For Mongolia, 66 percent

of our MDGs are achievable by 2015. But our goals

relating to poverty, environmental degradation and

gender inequality are seriously off-track and will

require stepped-up action on the part of the

Government and the enhancement of our bilateral and

multilateral partnerships if we are to meet these

challenges.

Mongolia has been implementing targeted

policies and activities aimed at poverty reduction.

Alcoholism is one of the serious social ills associated

with poverty. As President, I initiated a nationwide

movement aimed at stopping alcohol abuse, curbing its

consumption and encouraging abstinence that has

enjoyed wide public support. With a view to

encouraging such movements in other countries, it

might be useful to look into the possibility of

promulgating an international convention aimed at

reducing alcohol consumption.

Climate change, drought, land degradation and

desertification have emerged as some of the gravest

challenges facing humankind. Yesterday’s High-level

Meeting on desertification marked an important step

forward in finding collective solutions to these

challenges. It is a matter of great concern that 2 billion

people and about 50 per cent of agricultural land

around the globe are affected by desertification, land

degradation and drought. We should therefore set up an

intergovernmental panel to conduct a comprehensive

study on the effects of these phenomena and to identify

action-oriented recommendations for affected

countries.

We look forward to the seventeenth Conference

of the Parties to the United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Durban,

South Africa, later this year, to discuss a significant

reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the

development of green economies. I believe that the

global transition to a green economy is critically

important for mitigating climate change and halting

desertification, land degradation, ecosystem

destruction and the loss of biodiversity, and that these

in turn will help reduce poverty.

Financial assistance and expertise are vital to

developing countries, including my own, in their

efforts to develop a green economy through the

introduction of green technologies and by building

national capacity in energy production, construction

and agriculture. I trust that the United Nations

Conference on Sustainable Development will produce

results that can take us further down this road. As a

country highly vulnerable to the impact of climate

change, Mongolia is supportive of global efforts to

combat its negative effects. With that in view,

Mongolia will host the Asia-Europe Environment

Ministers’ Meeting on Sustainable Water and Forest

Management in 2012.

The past year has witnessed dramatic

transformations. The Arab Spring has brought freedom

to millions, but it is far from over. The revolution for

freedom is not the hardest social change to make.

Building and developing a free, open and fair civic

society is even more difficult. That is what our

ancestors taught us, and these lessons have been

reinforced during our own democratic transformation

11-50702 20

over the past 20 years. Let me cite here the visionary

teaching of the founder of the great Mongolian State,

Chinggis Khaan, who was rightly chosen as the Man of

the Millennium. Chinggis Khaan once said that

conquering the world on horseback is easy; it is

dismounting and governing that is much harder. The

revolution for freedom is fought and won by the

combined efforts of thousands of people. However, in

one way or another, it is each and every person who

pays the price for freedom. It is my firm belief that

notwithstanding any challenges it faces, freedom is the

future of all humankind.

Beginning in July, Mongolia assumed the

honourable and responsible duties of President of the

Community of Democracies, an organization geared to

promoting and strengthening democratic norms and

values around the world. During its presidency over the

next two years, Mongolia will give priority to

promoting education for democracy and good

governance, eliminating corruption, building

partnerships with civil society and consolidating

regional cooperation.

Over the past 20 years of our own democratic

changes, Mongolia has fundamentally transformed its

former political, social and economic systems and laid

down all the necessary foundations for new democratic

governance, promoting and protecting a market

economy, free elections, freedom of the press and civil

society. We feel rightly proud of these

accomplishments.

We are fully aware, however, that many things

are far from perfect and that a lot more must be done to

nurture democratic values in every citizen. Most of all,

we must consolidate accountable and transparent

governance, free from corruption and secured by an

independent judiciary. Such governance should be

more responsive to the needs of ordinary citizens, serve

them, abide by the rule of law and the principle of

impartiality, and have proper checks and balances. In

short, we are striving to develop a system of

governance that values its people and treats them with

dignity and respect.

To address these challenges and threats to

democracy and an open society, we are implementing a

Mongolia-specific MDG 9 on democratic governance,

human rights and zero tolerance for corruption. Within

this goal, we are endeavouring to make our governance

open and transparent; hence our full support for the

Open Government Partnership initiative. I would also

like to call on all Member States attempting to improve

their governance at the national level to join the Zero

Tolerance for Corruption Campaign.

The Arab Spring will be followed by the Arab

Challenge. Although the democratic process is a

homegrown phenomenon, it should be supported by

international cooperation. Here, I have a message for

the industrialized democratic countries: Do not

withdraw from the battle. Democratization does not

mean Westernization, however. Democracy should

develop naturally, in line with the historical, cultural

and development specifics of a given country.

Nonetheless, respect for freedom, justice and human

rights and strict observance of the rule of law are

common to all successful and responsible democracies.

Bad governance is the worst problem of all, and any

aspirations to improve and streamline it should

therefore be strongly supported at all times.

Libya has entered a new era as a result of the

relentless courage and patience of the rebels, who

persevered for many months in their struggle for

freedom, human rights and democracy. Colonel

Al-Qadhafi called his fellow countrymen “rats” who

should be brutally hunted down and exterminated. Now

he himself is being hunted like a rat from hole to hole

and trench to trench. That is the fate that awaits anyone

who represses people’s love for freedom and their

desire to live in dignity. Respectful of the aspirations

of the Libyan people, Mongolia has recognized the

National Transitional Council and offers its full support

to Libya’s transition towards democracy, justice and

human rights.

The international community should not shy

away from condemning the regime of Syria’s Bashar

Al-Assad, who has inhumanly and brutally chosen the

way of bloodshed to crack down on peaceful, freedom-

and justice-craving protesters by using combat

vehicles, snipers and military force. Let us

unanimously demand that he end his atrocities. We

must make the necessary decision to that effect without

delay, and help the courageous people of Syria, who

are losing dozens of their brave sons and daughters

every day.

The love of freedom is the greatest force in this

world. No tyranny, not even the cruellest regime, can

resist it forever. I direct these words to the authorities

21 11-50702

of Yemen and dictators seeking to suppress their

citizens’ fight for freedom.

It was a timely decision to make “The role of

mediation in the settlement of disputes by peaceful

means” the main theme of this general debate. The

main purpose of the United Nations is to settle disputes

by peaceful means. We commend the skilful diplomacy

of the Secretary-General and his envoys in resolving

disputes and conflicts in various corners of the world.

Member States need to work together to strengthen the

United Nations capacity to that end.

North-East Asia is a region where mediation

activities can be vigorously pursued. The region still

lacks a formal mechanism for building confidence and

strengthening regional cooperation. Therefore, we

believe that Mongolia’s proposal to set up a permanent

mechanism to promote peace and stability in North-

East Asia remains valid. We are ready to consult with

relevant countries to move forward with out proposal.

On 11 September 10 years ago, terrorists tore

down the twin towers, but they failed to tear down the

spirit of freedom they represented, and they will never

succeed in doing that. Mongolia stands with the

international community in its fight against terrorism

as a party to all of the United Nations conventions to

combat terrorism.

We need to reinvigorate our resolve to attain a

world free of nuclear weapons and to exploit nuclear

power solely for peaceful purposes. We were reminded

of the urgency and importance of strengthening the

safety and security of nuclear reactors by the tragic

accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant

last March.

We commend the Secretary-General’s initiative to

hold a high-level meeting tomorrow to strengthen

international measures for nuclear safety and security

around the world. The 2010 Review Conference of the

Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of

Nuclear Weapons gave renewed impetus for expanding

nuclear weapon-free zones around the world. The

proposed nuclear weapon-free zone in the Middle East

would contribute to the promotion of world peace.

Mongolia continues to work on further

strengthening its internationally recognized nuclear

weapon-free status. To this end, we are holding

consultations with nuclear Powers. From the highly

esteemed rostrum of the General Assembly, I would

like to underscore that there should be no doubt that

Mongolia will never accede to the dumping of nuclear

waste on its territory. It should go without saying that,

in today’s world, any attempt to enforce such decisions

would undoubtedly fail.

It is of historic importance to us that the

observance of the fiftieth anniversary of Mongolia’s

joining this global Organization coincides with this

session of the General Assembly. On 27 October 1961,

Mongolia became a full Member of the United Nations.

It has opened new frontiers of active engagement with

the international community for the global good.

Furthermore, this year Mongolia is marking the

2,220th anniversary of its statehood, centenaries of

regaining its independence and the establishment of a

modern diplomatic service, as well as the ninetieth

anniversary of the people’s revolution.

Over the past five decades, cooperation between

Mongolia and the United Nations has expanded both in

scope and substance. Today Mongolia is a party to

more than 240 multilateral conventions and enjoys

membership in over 110 international organizations.

United Nations assistance and cooperation have been

instrumental in developing human resources and

capacity-building, developing education, health and

information technology, reducing poverty and

developing an adequate response to natural disasters.

For its part, Mongolia has also endeavoured to

contribute where it could to the joint efforts of the

international community. My delegation is pleased to

recall that, at the initiative of Mongolia, the General

Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Rights of

Peoples to Peace, the principles and guidelines for

international negotiations, resolutions on the annual

observance of Disarmament Week, the United Nations

Literacy Decade and resolutions relating to

cooperatives, rural women and landlocked developing

countries. Mongolian troops have courageously served

in the blue United Nations helmet in many hotspots

around the world, including in the Democratic

Republic of the Congo, Western Sahara, South Sudan,

Eritrea, Georgia, Sierra Leone, Chad and Darfur.

All in all, over the past five decades Mongolia

has been faithful to its obligations under the Charter

and striven to be an active Member State. We stand

strongly committed to further contributing to the

multifaceted activities of the United Nations. I am

pleased to announce our decision to present our

11-50702 22

candidature for a non-permanent seat on the Security

Council for the term 2023-2024 at the elections to be

held at the seventy-seventh session of the General

Assembly, and humbly seek members’ valuable

support.

The contribution and leadership of the United

Nations in maintaining international peace, security

and promoting sustainable development continue to

grow. In this respect, I call on the General Assembly to

develop relevant solutions and decisions at this session

aimed at supporting the aspirations of countries and

peoples to better livelihoods.

The day-to-day activities of the United Nations

are of paramount importance to the cause of creating a

safe, free and just life for humankind, in which

everyone may enjoy integrity and dignity. We are

confident that the United Nations will succeed in its

continued reform efforts to this end.