Opening Remarks by Ms. Elaine Conkievich

Resident Representative, UNDP Mongolia

“Integration of sustainable financing into Development Bank of Mongolia operations” workshop

7 May 2021

Good afternoon, Ms. Munkhsukh and the Development Bank of Mongolia team

We are pleased to present you the results of the cooperation between the DBM and UN Joint Programme to integrate sustainable financing principles into the bank’s operations.

We commend your efforts and initiatives to adopt sustainable financing principles and integrate them at both strategic planning and implementation level.

During the past three months, we have developed recommendations and action plan for sustainable finance, draft lending policy and guidelines, risk assessment tools and templates for your adoption through our close cooperation with you.

As the bank plays significant role in driving the country’s development, the integration of sustainable financing principles into the bank’s operations has tremendous impact in shifting the weight of the overall financing landscape towards sustainability in Mongolia and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The bank has a great potential to become the sectoral benchmark in the banking and finance industry in Mongolia through your efforts toward sustainability and channel to bring in international pool of concessional capital for Mongolia’s sustainable projects.

Thus, the bank will play a vital role in the implementation of the integrated national financing strategy for sustainable development over the coming years and facilitating Mongolia’s achievement of the SDGs.

Integrated national financing strategy aims to mobilise more funds for sustainable development and provide technical assistance as the one we will be discussing today.

We would like to thank all the partners and stakeholders including Government of Mongolia represented by the Ministry of Finance and UN Mongolia represented by UNDP and UNICEF in partnership with UNFPA, as well as the program sponsor UN Joint SDG Fund.

Thank you for your close cooperation over the past three months and look forward to working together under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator in advancing sustainable financing at the Development Bank of Mongolia and implementing the national financing strategy together to further advancing the country’s sustainable development.