UNESCO and Rio Tinto have agreed to establish a comprehensive long-term partnership that is specifically designed to foster sustainable development initiatives in Mongolia, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 4 December 2023 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia.

Mr. Ankhbayar Nyamdorj, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, Professor Shahbaz Khan, Director and Representative of the UNESCO Multisectoral regional office in East Asia, Ms. Amarjargal Khenchbish, CEO of Rio Tinto Mongolia LLC, and Mr. Tapan Mishra, UN Resident Coordinator in Mongolia, made the opening remarks.

Within this partnership, UNESCO and Rio Tinto will collaborate on three key areas:

(1) Promoting Mongolia’s sustainable practices both domestically and internationally and raising awareness about the importance of preserving and celebrating cultural and natural heritage, (2) Harnessing their combined expertise, the partners will support better environmental and climate change management practices across Mongolia, and (3) Providing a new generation of Mongolians with specialized technical skills and knowledge, the partners aim to drive sustainable growth and socio-economic progress across the country.