Opening Remarks by Ms. Nashida Sattar

Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Mongolia

16 September 2020

Blue Sky Hotel

Good morning, Distinguished participants, representatives, policy makers of the Ulaanbaatar City, Ladies and gentlemen

Today, we are met with a rare opportunity to discuss and exchange best practices and policy approaches that could translate into a groundbreaking development trajectory for the Ulaanbaatar City. Through results based, integrated, and systems approaches in policy planning, we will look into how we can achieve the SDGs.

It could mean the poorest are lifted from poverty and have access to clean water and fresh air, it could mean a gender-balanced representation in the decision making processes, it could mean addressing domestic violence.  It could also mean a green and a sustainable city with healthy citizens who have equal access to quality education and life opportunities. As we all can agree, these are just some of the phenomenal outcomes we could see by striving to realize SDGs.

UNDP Mongolia is pleased to co-organize today’s seminar to support the Ulaanbaatar City in ensuring strong alignment of Sustainable Development Goals in the City’s development objectives, targets, and implementation plan in the next 5 years, also in line with Mongolia’s Vision 2050 and Government’s Action plan for 2021-2024

Mongolia like many other countries in the world are facing unprecedented challenges due to Covid19. This impacts Mongolia’s ability to meet the SDGs. Additional efforts are needed to gain what we have lost and build forward better and make our cities more resilient.

Without a doubt, local governments will have to play a vital role in the coming years in mitigating and addressing these challenges, especially given that 65% of the 169 targets underlying the 17 SDGs will not be reached without proper engagement of and coordination with local governments.

Today’s seminar is a step forward in this direction. It provides an excellent opportunity for us to work together to localize policy making processes by considering subnational contexts in the achievement of long-term goals.  It is an opportunity for key officials of the City to come together and envision the future development trajectory.

I would like to congratulate the Governor’s office for translating and integrating the SDGs into the Ulaanbaatar SDG Roadmap 2030 and the attempt to develop the first medium-term development plans at district levels, namely Songinokhairkhan and Nalaikh. This clearly demonstrates your strong commitment to explore shared solutions to local challenges and to achieve the SDGs.

As we commend your commitment to further advance progress on achieving Sustainable Development Goals, we also would like to stress the importance of a successful implementation. The successful implementation can only be achieved through continued engagement, strong partnerships, exchange of ideas and experiences, integrated and systems approaches, and most importantly unwavering commitment from all of us.

UNDP Mongolia is pleased to assist Ulaanbaatar City to rethink and shift development trajectories to accelerate sustainable development and we assure you of our continued support.

Thank you for your active participation and I wish you all a successful seminar.