Ulaanbaatar - IOM Mongolia participated in the joint conference of Mongolians living abroad in Ulaanbaatar on August 2nd, 2024. The joint conference was organized by the "Council of Mongolians Abroad" NGO and supported by IOM Mongolia and the Mongolian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Stakeholders from various organizations had a discussion to bolster the connections between Mongolian diasporas. Following topics were discussed among the stakeholders in the conference: social problems of citizens, families and youth abroad; Mongolian pride, heritage, foreign advertising and sports and art events as well as current situation; Mother language, history and heritage education; and science, technology, and innovation issues.

"Over the years, through the IOM Development Fund projects, IOM Mongolia has been a key player in the migration field and most significantly with reference to supporting the government in diaspora engagement development working with partners in creating innovative concepts and mechanisms," said Mr. Daniel Sam, Programme Manager of the IOM Mongolia, during the opening speech.

Ms. M.Byambasuren, Senior Project Assistant at IOM Mongolia, highlighted the contribution of IOM Mongolia on migration issues saying that "Shown by international cases, it is recommended to have a government unit that is responsible for the diaspora issues to comprehensively combat relevant challenges. Within the framework of the AVRR programme, IOM Mongolia provided reintegration assistance for more than 9,000 vulnerable migrants with an overall value of USD 7.8 million."

Considering that approximately 6.5% of Mongolia's total population is living abroad, the joint conference was a significant opportunity to advocate the rights of Mongolian diaspora and to develop policy suggestions for public sectors. The conference reinforced the relations between the Mongolian citizens living abroad. Moreover, Mongolian diaspora shared their opinions on essential topics including health, education, election right and social issues as overseas Mongolians.

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For more information, please contact Daniel Sam at IOM Mongolia, Email: dsam@iom.int