FM attends CoD Governing Council Meeting

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ A delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs L.Purevsuren participated on March 4 and 5 in the 16th Meeting of the Governing Council of the Community of Democracies in Geneva, Switzerland. The delegation included the Ambassador of Mongolia to the Swiss Confederation and the UN Headquarters in Geneva Mr V.Purevdorj and the head of the Department for Multilateral Cooperation Mr G.Ganbold. Mongolia, who chaired the Community of Democracies in 2012-2013, is an elected member of the Governing Council. Minister Purevsuren addressed the 16th meeting that discussed the draft of “San Salvador Declaration on the New Issues of Development of the Community of Democracies (CD)”, which is to be adopted during the Ministerail meeting of the CD to be held in El Salvador on July 24. In these times of degrading of the space and involvement of civil societies and the rise of oppression, said the Minister, it is right to principally support such a document in light of protecting the civil societies and providing them with opportunities. However, the contents and structure of the Declaration have to be refined, he added and noted that Mongolia has initiated draft resolutions concerning the democracy education and had the 68th UN General Assembly and the 58th General Conference of the UNESCO adopt the resolutions. The FM said that Mongolia conducts various frameworks to shape the democratic values in the community. Mongolia, backed its decision to transfer to democratic order and market economy by its Constitution in 1991, is aiming to engrain the democratic election along with the comprehensive concept of good governance, the human rights, press liberty, rule of law and transparency, he went on. “Our country is chairing the Online Freedom Coalition in purposes to affirm and share the achievements gained in last 25 years with others, and is to hold the Fifth Conference of the Coalition in May 4-5 in Ulaanbaatar. The fundamental rights of humans to speech and expression must be protected in the online world, as well” said the Minister. At the meeting, the Secretary General of the CD, the Ambassador M.Leissner, and the UN Special Lector for the Right to Speech and Expression D.Kay announced their intentions to participate in the Fifth Conference of the Online Freedom Coalition.