A project Promoting Sustainable Tourism in Mongolia Through UNESCO Cultural and Geo Heritage was launched on September 16, 2024, in Ulaanbaatar.

The three-year project supported by the Rio Tinto Mongolia will be implemented through the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, based in Beijing, China, and a dedicated team in Mongolia. UNESCO will establish a Project Management Unit (PMU) recruited under the project, based in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. 

The project aims at protecting cultural heritage sites, promoting sustainable tourism in Mongolia through the country’s cultural and geo heritage, and improving the livelihood of local communities. Under the cooperation of the project parties and based on their expertise and resources, the first geopark in Mongolia is planned to be established within the framework of the project.

The launching ceremony was attended by Battsetseg Batmunkh, Member of the State Great Khural, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chair of the UNESCO National Committee of Mongolia, Shahbaz Khan, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, Tapan Mishra, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mongolia, and Amarjargal Khenchbish, Country Director of Mongolia at Rio Tinto.