Environmental performance reviews : Mongolia

"ECE/CEP/182"

The Environmental Performance Review (EPR) of Mongolia kicked off today, 22 May 2017, with a field mission beginning in Ulaanbaatar. Fifteen experts from different countries and the United Nations secretariat will work in Mongolia for 10 days to review the country's progress in improving environmental policies over the past three decades. The EPR is being conducted by UNECE in cooperation with UNESCAP upon the request of the Government of Mongolia. It is part of a joint exercise by the two regional commissions, whereby UNECE leads the EPR process and UNESCAP develops the Sustainability Outlook of Mongolia. The two products will feed into the Pathways for Implementation of Internationally Agreed Commitments of Mongolia - a road map for the country's efforts to achieve sustainable development. Asked to comment, UNECE Executive Secretary Christian Friis Bach noted that the EPR of Mongolia will be the second review organized by UNECE outside the UNECE region. "We feel a double responsibility for making this EPR a success," Mr. Bach said, "as it is among the first EPRs to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals into the review process, and the recommendations will be able to assist national efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development". The EPR of Mongolia will evaluate the country's efforts to abate air pollution, improve water management, reduce waste, conserve biodiversity and combat desertification. It will also focus on Mongolia's progress in greening its economy, in particular the forestry and health sectors. In addition, experts will examine the progress made by the country on environmental education and risk management of natural and technological hazards. During the field mission, the team will meet governmental officials and representatives of international organizations, NGOs, business and academia and visit various sites such as wastewater treatment plants and protected areas. The team aims to get a complete picture of Mongolia's performance in the environmental field and come up with policy recommendations to the Government of Mongolia. The outcomes of the EPR will be peer reviewed by the UNECE Committee on Environmental Policy in November 2017, with the participation of high-level officials from the Government of Mongolia.