Find out about her impressions of Mongolia in the following interview:
What are your impressions from your visit to Mongolia? I had the great pleasure of visiting Mongolia as a tourist in 2003 and to spend several weeks in the countryside. At that time, I was not yet working for SDC and was not aware that Switzerland was about to launch its first international cooperation program in Mongolia. It was very exciting to return to Mongolia after 19 years, this time, with SDC. I hardly recognized Ulaanbaatar while, at first sight, it seemed life in the countryside hadn’t changed much. However, through various discussions with project partners, the many changes across the whole country quickly became visible. I was impressed to meet so many experienced and motivated people and organizations who proactively contribute to the country’s development.
What have been the main changes over the past 20 years? Apart from urbanization, mainly in Ulaanbaatar and to some extent in province capitals, I was impressed by the high level of digitalization across the county. It’s not just the fact that many people have a digital device and that the network coverage expands across the country, but also the increasing digitalization of public services, such as renewing an identity card. In terms of results from SDC-supported programs, it became once again clear that reaching relevant and sustainable results takes time. It entails a lot of discussion and participation from various stakeholders to define the most relevant goals and approaches, to implement programs and constantly adapt them to the changing context, and change laws and policies accordingly. It’s not up to SDC to define the project but to facilitate the process. The SDC implemented the 17-year Green Gold Animal Health project, which is an excellent example.
What should be given more focus in the coming years? Fast developments, like digitalization, bring a lot of opportunities but also challenges. A question that needs to be asked constantly is who benefits from progress and who is left behind? And then define measures to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities to access information and services. The measures may need to be different, for example, for Ulaanbaatar or for the rural areas. More specifically, for Switzerland, who will end its bilateral cooperation in Mongolia in 2024, it is important to ensure the sustainability of results. Knowledge sharing becomes increasingly important as projects are gradually phased out. Therefore, its central to systematically capitalize experiences from the projects and share them with stakeholders in Mongolia and beyond.
