The 68th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women held in New York, United States of America

Representatives from Mongolia, led by Member of Parliament and Minister for Labour and Social Protection H.E. Mrs. Bulgantuya Khurelbaatar, participated in the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. 

The sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) was held from 11 to 22 March 2024, with the closing plenary session held on March 27th. The session focused on the following themes:

• Priority theme: Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective
• Review theme: Social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls 
• Emerging issue: Artificial intelligence to advance gender equality: challenges and opportunities.

Additionally, discussions centered around within this overarching theme, including social security systems, access to public services, infrastructure provision, and the impact of artificial intelligence on gender equality.  

On March 11, 2024, Minister Kh. Bulgantuya, in her speech during the session's general discussion, emphasized the need for the Government of Mongolia to implement gender-sensitive budget planning to improve gender equality, reduce gender-based violence, empower women, and eliminate the gender-based wage gap. Her Excellency, also introduced policies to reduce unemployment, increase income, and coordinate measures to support employment.

Minister Kh. Bulgantuya and delegates also participated in a themed event organized by the Friends Group for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls, which includes 96 UN member states, including Mongolia. During this event, they presented policies, measures, and challenges implemented in Mongolia and other countries to prevent violence against women and girls. High-ranking officials, Amina Mohammed, Deputy UNODC; UN-Women Executive Director Sima Bachus; and Melissa Fleming, UNODC Deputy for Global Relations, attended this event.

In addition to her participation in the main panel discussion at CSW68, Minister Kh. Bulgantuya also served as a keynote speaker in a side-event convened by Mongolia, "Improvement of the Situation of Women and Girls in Rural Areas," in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank.

The panel discussion featured esteemed panelists such as the Honorable Ms. Patty Hajdu, Member of Parliament and Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency of Northern Ontario; H.E. Ms. Bulgantuya Khurelbaatar, Member of Parliament and Minister for Labour and Social Protection of Mongolia; Dr. Liu Qinghua, Senior Advisor of the Office of the Working Committee on Children and Women of the State Council, People’s Republic of China; and Ms. Kanta Singh, Deputy Representative with UN Women India. Moderating the panel discussion was Ms. Samantha Hung, Director of Gender Equality Division, Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department at ADB. Concluding remarks were provided by Ms. Shoko Ishikawa, Deputy Director of Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Support Division, UN Women. This side-event provided a platform for CSW68 participants, including high-level government officials, academia, civil society, and representatives of international organizations and financial institutions, to engage in discussions focused on identifying possible strategies to improve the situation of women and girls in rural areas. Specifically, the discussions centered on ensuring equal access to quality public services and promoting economic empowerment.

Minister Kh. Bulgantuya also engaged in bilateral meetings with Ambassador Geeta Rao Gupta, US State Department Special Envoy for Global Women Initiative, and held bilateral meeting, discussions with Ms. Diene Keita, Assistant Secretary General, Deputy Executive Director, Programme of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Ms. Natalia Winder Rossi, Director, Social Policy and Social Protection Programme Group of UNICEF, and Ulrika Modéer, Assistant Secretary- general, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) UNDP. 

Furthermore, young representative N. Urin participated in the youth discussion for the first time with support from the United Nations Population Fund in Mongolia. In her speech, she emphasized the transformative power of education and social media in addressing social and economic challenges. Ms. Urin highlighted Mongolia's progress in youth development through initiatives such as establishing youth development centers, promoting youth participation in decision-making, and improving access to high-quality education and mental health services to overcome global challenges and create a better future collectively.

During the closing of the 68th session, UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bachus emphasized the need to showcase the advantage of the multilateral system and take action to address poverty and inequality affecting women globally.