Minister of Mongolia receives briefing on Global Agenda and PPR Programme

15 February  2017, Rome, Italy

The Minister of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry of Mongolia, H.E. Sergelen Purev, visited Rome  FAO Headquarters this Wednesday 15 February to meet with FAO ADG Ren Wang, FAO Director of Production and Animal Health Berhe Tekola, FAO AGAL Chief Henning Steinfeld, FAO AGAH Chief Juan Lubroth, FAO AGAP Chief Badi Besbes, and members of the Global Agenda Secretariat Eduardo Arce Diaz and the PPR Global Eradication Programme Secretariat Bouna Diop, Jean-Jacques Soulá and Felix  Njeumi.

The Delegation of Mongolia also included H.E. Jambaldorj Tserendorj, Mongolian Ambassador in Rome,  Zandanbal Sanjmyatav, Director General of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry and Dawadash Sambuu, Counselor of the Mongolian Embassy in Rome.

Ren Wang explained the multi-stakeholder nature of the Global Agenda and its main objective to foster practice and policy change at global, regional and national levels, and Berhe Tekola stated the active role of Mongolia in the 2016 Global Agenda activities such as the Panama MSP meeting and the COAG week Side Event, ending with Mongolia’s willingness to join the Global Agenda formally by signing the Consensus Document next 24 February. Henning Steinfeld remarked the opportunities Mongolia will encounter when joining the Global Agenda such as access to knowledge, advocacy for the livestock sector, leverage investment (funding sources through climate change initiatives) and support to establish the Mongolian Agenda for Sustainable Livestock.

Minister Purev described the plans his government has set up to modernise animal health programmes and foster a Mongolian Agenda for Sustainable Livestock by restructuring veterinary services, establishing better monitoring and accountability systems, linked to the national systems. With 61 million heads of livestock H.E. Purev assured they are looking into themselves very critically to be able to implement this new program strategically and effectively. Mongolia is willing to invest but also requests the support of Intergovernmental Organizations such as FAO, OIE and the World Bank to implement this programme. Finally, the Minister expressed the support of his country towards declaring 2020 as the International Year of Pastoralists.

FAO and the PPR Global Eradication Programme offered Minister Purev support by providing a technical consultancy and useful information to define the scope of the national programme, particularly in regard to the new PPR outbreak in Mongolia that is affecting wild antelopes.

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