LocationsIntegrity Starts with Access: Strengthening Trust in Mongolia’s Mining Sector
April 15, 2026
Integrity Starts with Access
Strengthening Trust in Mongolia’s Mining Sector
Mining is a central pillar of Mongolia’s economy, yet its contribution to sustainable development depends on transparent, inclusive, and accountable governance. Meaningful engagement with local communities is essential to ensure that resource extraction delivers shared benefits and upholds environmental and social safeguards. Where transparency is limited and participation constrained, risks to integrity increase, weakening public trust in the mining sector and its ability to support equitable development.
UNDP’s Integra project, funded by the Governments of Denmark, Luxembourg and the Republic of Korea through UNDP’s Funding Windows mechanism, supports Mongolia in strengthening the integrity of its mining sector, through improved transparency, ethical leadership, and dialogue between communities, public authorities, and the mining industry.
One of the project’s components, the small grants initiative, demonstrates how targeted, locally led actions can reinforce integrity.
Citizens’ right to information: Bringing mining agreements to the public domain
Transparency efforts start with understanding the factors behind communities’ sense of exclusion. Hence the project supported the Independent Authority Against Corruption to assess 817 mining-related agreements. The resulting finding showed that 85 percent had not been made publicly accessible.
Ms. Dulamsuren, Commissioner at the Independent Authority Against Corruption emphasized that the findings reflected more than a technical gap: “Behind these figures is a deeper issue. When citizens are unable to access information, their right to know is effectively constrained, and trust in public institutions gradually erodes.”
This first-ever assessment provided clear evidence and triggered a nationwide effort to improve disclosure and make mining agreements publicly accessible. It reaffirmed that transparency is the foundation of integrity.
Ethical engineers: Embedding integrity in the future workforce
Long-term integrity in the mining sector also depends on the values and decisions of those who will shape it in the years ahead. Future mining engineers, in particular, will influence how responsibly the sector operates and how it responds to social and environmental concerns.
Therefore, the project aimed to embed integrity into the professional practice of future engineers. That was the objective of the small grant initiative, “Fair Mining – A New Generation”, implemented by the German-Mongolian Institute for Resources and Technology. For the first time in Mongolia, a dedicated engineering ethics module was developed and integrated into mining education. The module combines practical case studies, ethical dilemmas, and human rights considerations relevant to real-world mining operations.
A student from the Institute, Ms. Vansemberuu, reflected: “The course changed how I think about my profession. It was not only about becoming an engineer, but about understanding the responsibility that comes with that role.”
The initiative also resonated with industry stakeholders. A specialist from Erdenet Mining Corporation noted the importance of early engagement on ethics: “Open discussion of ethical challenges among engineers is an important step toward the industry’s long-term development.” By embedding integrity into education, the initiative supports a future workforce equipped not only with technical skills, but also with a strong sense of professional accountability.
Civil servants as connectors: From misunderstanding to cooperation
Engagement and access to information are prerequisites for trust. In Mongolia’s western provinces, misunderstandings between herders, companies, and government institutions had built up over many years. These were driven less by opposition to mining itself and more by limited access to reliable information. With support from UNDP’s Integra project, the Western Regional Office of the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority implemented an initiative to improve mechanisms for the participation of herders and provide them with regular access to reliable information. In parallel, the capacity of public servants to effectively support such participation was strengthened.
Ms. Narantuya, Grant Project Lead and Officer at the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority explained: “Local residents and herders are not rejecting mining. The real problem has been their lack of access to reliable information and the absence of clear mechanisms for informing and consulting them. Our experiences showed that participation-based cooperation, rather than confrontation, is the best way to protect landscapes and contribute to local development.”
Through face to face dialogue and joint training, the initiative improved communication between communities and authorities and helped to build mutual understanding. This participation-based approach is now informing more open and trust-based models of mining governance at the local level.
Integrity is built collectively
Together, these experiences highlight that integrity in the mining sector is strengthened when:
• citizens have access to accurate and timely information,
• young professionals are empowered to make ethical decisions, and
• public institutions listen, communicate, and build trust.
Through the Integra project, and in partnership with national institutions, UNDP continues to support practical solutions that strengthen integrity in Mongolia’s extractive sector. When information flows openly and values guide decision-making, mining governance becomes more transparent, more accountable, and more people-centered.
About Integra
UNDP is implementing the Integra project: Promoting Integrity in Public Goods and Services in four countries of Asia and Africa funded by the Governments of Denmark, Luxembourg and the Republic of Korea through UNDP’s Funding Windows mechanism. In Mongolia, the project is focusing on the extractive sector.
About UNDP
is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our a broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet.
