Secretary-General Congratulates Mongolia on Fiftieth Anniversary of United Nations

Membership, Praises Country’s Active Role in Organization’s Work

 

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message on the fiftieth anniversary of Mongolia’s membership in the United Nations:

It is a great pleasure to congratulate the Government and people of Mongolia on the fiftieth anniversary of the country’s membership into the United Nations.

United Nations agencies first became engaged in Mongolia in the early 1960s.  Today, 11 agencies are working with Mongolians to achieve the country’s development goals and to improve the lives of all Mongolians.

We are also pleased to have witnessed the country’s successful and peaceful transition to a democratic society.  Indeed, Mongolia has been at the forefront of promoting democracy as evidenced by its current leadership role in the Community of Democracies.

Mongolia has been an active member of the United Nations.  It has ratified and acceded to more than 140 international treaties and conventions.  It is taking action against climate change and desertification.  And it has declared itself a nuclear-weapon-free zone, and played a critical role in creating the annual observance of Disarmament Week.

Mongolia has also become a generous contributor to United Nations Peacekeeping, and is expanding its capacity and role through the Peacekeeping Training Centre and generous contributions to operations in Darfur and South Sudan.  The country’s proposal to establish an international think tank for landlocked countries will give further voice to these nations as they face a set of unique challenges.

I had the immense pleasure of visiting Mongolia in 2009, and saw first-hand the country’s natural beauty, its traditional culture, and above all, the commitment of the Government and people to building peace and prosperity for all at home and around the world.

Congratulations again on this milestone.  I thank Mongolia for being such an enthusiastic and supportive partner over the past half century.  We look forward to strengthening our ties in the years ahead.

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For information media • not an official record