On 13-14 June 2023, TURKPA delegation led by Secretary General Mehmet Süreyya Er took part at the Trans-Altai Sustainability Dialogue held under the theme “Gender and Sustainability” in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The event was co-organized by the State Great Hural (Parliament) of Mongolia, Ban Ki-moon Foundation For a Better Future, Stanford University of USA and Ewha Womans University of the Republic of Korea.
The international forum kicked off with an opening ceremony addressed by Chairman of the State Great Hural of Mongolia Gombojav Zandanshatar, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea Kim Young-joo, Director of the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Senior Fellow of the Stanford University Gi-Wook Shin, and the eighth Secretary General of the UN, Chairman of the Ban Ki-moon Foundation For a Better Future Ban Ki-moon.
The work of the event continued with panel sessions titled “International Perspectives on Trans-Altai Studies”, “Women’s Empowerment and Leadership”, “Gender Equality in the Labor Market”, “Gender Equality in Education”, “Gender-Based Violence and Human Rights” and “Gender Equality and Sustainable Development”.
Secretary General Mehmet Süreyya Er addressed the Session “International Perspectives on Trans-Altai Studies” along with the Chairman of the State Great Hural of Mongolia Gombojav Zandanshatar, Former President of Mongolia Enkhbayar Nambar and prominent representatives of academic community.
In his speech, Secretary General touched on the relations between Mongolia and Turkic states necessitated by the close roots, geographical neighborhood, commonalities in terms of culture and traditions. Mentioning Altai as a point of contact between the Turkic and Mongolian peoples, where the common values were formed, Secretary General noted that researches in this field were important in terms of shedding light on the history of relations between the peoples and the values that bound them. He talked about the important place of Altai in the history of the Turkic world bearing the indelible traces of our ancestors. Secretary General assessed Altai as a geographical, historical, cultural and spiritual phenomenon and a priceless treasure in terms of history, ethnography, culture and nature. He noted Altai as an example of positive interaction of diversities and an environment of genuine dialogue of cultures, and stressed that this factor was of great importance against the backdrop of global trends and the promotion of intercultural dialogue.
On 14 June, the event featured a nature trip to Terelj National Park, Naadam and cultural performances. The participants were demonstrated traditional folk songs, dance concert, nomadic culture and tradition, Mongolian national wrestling, national archery, horse racing, as well as an award ceremony of the winners of the Naadam competitions. The event was concluded by a closing ceremony.
As a subregional special event of the Trans-Pacific Sustainability Dialogue held annually in Asia, the Trans-Altai Sustainability Dialogue aimed to contribute to the sustainable development agenda. The dialogue also focused on culture, history and tradition of Trans-Altai region.
