Mongolia’s experience in integrating mining governance, women’s leadership, human rights, local participation, and land restoration will be presented at the international level during the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17).
As part of COP17, the side event “Women Leading Responsible Mining: Lessons and Pathways for Participatory Governance and Land Restoration” will take place on 19 August 2026, from 10:30 to 12:00, at the UNDP–UNCCD Shared Pavilion in the Blue Zone.
The event will be jointly organized by the United Nations Development Programme, the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, the Women Association of Minerals Sector, and the Council for Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility of Mongolia. A key focus of the event will be to approach mining not only as an extractive activity, but as a sector that must be addressed comprehensively together with human rights, local participation, gender equality, environmental responsibility, and land restoration.
During the discussion, practical experiences, results, and lessons learned from responsible mining governance initiatives implemented in Mongolia will be presented, along with opportunities to scale them up at both national and international levels. In particular, participatory mechanisms such as Human Rights Due Diligence, the Responsible Mining Codex, Participatory Environmental Monitoring, and Deliberative Polling will be highlighted.
One of the main themes of the event will be women’s participation and leadership in the mining sector. O. Batbold, Chair of the Board of the Council for Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility of Mongolia, will present experiences and lessons learned from the “Women and the Mine of the Future” study. The study examines the opportunities and challenges associated with increasing women’s employment, leadership, participation in STEM education, and representation in decision-making in the mining sector. These issues will also be addressed during the discussion. This will help broaden the discussion on women in mining beyond employment numbers alone, toward their meaningful influence in decision-making, technology, vocational education, and sector governance.
The event will not be limited to presentations and discussions. Mongolia’s experiences and knowledge products will also be shared with COP17 participants through short videos, a photo exhibition, a STEM Girls corner, profiles of women in mining, and a digital knowledge hub. These will feature practical examples, stories, and experiences related to responsible mining, human rights, gender equality, local participation, environmental protection, and land restoration.
At the conclusion of the discussion, representatives of government, the private sector, local communities, civil society, and development partners will exchange views on how responsible mining in Mongolia can be taken to the next stage and what new mechanisms for cooperation could be developed.