REMARKS BY PRESIDENT KHURELSUKH AT THE PRESENTATION CEREMONY OF THE ORDER OF CHINGGIS KHAAN
Dear fellow citizens of Mongolia, the guardians of the hearth and home of the Great Mongol Empire,
Dear Mongolian brothers and sisters from around the world,
Honorable Mr. Ban Ki-moon, the Eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations,
Distinguished guests,
I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you on the occasion of the Mongol Pride Day and the 862nd anniversary of the Birth of the Great Chinggis Khaan, truly the Man of the Millennium, one of the founders of the modern world, the king of kings, the khaan of khaans.
The Great Chinggis Khaan is a manifestation of Mongolia’s independence and existence. He is a symbol of our unity and values. He represents the golden bond connecting our past, present, and future as well as the source of our spiritual strength and the memory of our statehood.
Chinggis Khaan’s history is not only a Mongolian history, but also is the history of the world.
The Great Chinggis Khaan and his successors extended their immense influence and power across the vast expanse of Eurasia, establishing the Great Mongol Empire, making themselves known throughout the history of mankind. They put an end to wars and conflicts among various Asian and European nations, ushering in the era of “Pax Mongolica”. His remarkable achievement lies in strengthening peace and relations among nations, creating favorable conditions for the advancement of spirituality, religion, trade, culture, art, and science, allowing societies to flourish and prosper during that time.
The glory, wisdom, and accomplishments of the Great Khaan hold a special place in the development and prosperity of the world. Resonating through centuries in the history of the humankind, Chinggis Khaan’s legacy made a historical and invaluable contribution to the founding of the modern world.
Scholars and historians appreciate and acknowledge that “Pax Mongolica” embodied progressive ideals that served as a cornerstone for the collective efforts of countries towards peace and sustainable development of the humankind.
There is an honorable tradition for the President of Mongolia to confer the State Supreme Decoration, Order of Chinggis Khaan to distinguished national and foreign state and public figures and citizens in recognition of their exceptional contributions to the unity and prosperity of humanity, consolidation of global peace and security, promotion of Mongolia on the global stage, development and strengthening of Mongolia’s foreign relations and cooperation, and advancement of social, economic and spiritual wellbeing.
This year, we have awarded the Honorable Mr. Ban Ki-moon, the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chairman of the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future, in recognition of his significant contributions for his leadership in guiding countries and fostering consensus on the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, which serve as a roadmap for human development, as well as his pivotal role in the adoption of the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. His dedication to world peace, human rights, freedom, justice and equality, environmental protection has been instrumental in advancing green development policies and enhancing cooperation between Mongolia and the United Nations.
On behalf of the people, State and Government of Mongolia, I extend my sincere congratulations to the Honorable Mr. Ban Ki-Moon on receiving the State Supreme Decoration, Order of Chinggis Khaan”.
Distinguished guests,
We, Mongolians, take great pride in Mr. Ban Ki-moon’s election as Secretary-General of the United Nations, where he served two terms as the second representative from the Asia-Pacific region to successfully lead this esteemed organization.
During his tenure as UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon prioritized gender equality and women’s empowerment, making valuable contributions to the establishment of UN Women.
To promote world peace, achieve sustainable development and promote leadership and participation of women in addressing global challenges, Mongolia in cooperation with the United Nations has hosted several events, including the inaugural international conference on women peacekeepers themed “Women, Peace, and Security” in 2022, the Female Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in 2023 and the World Women’s Forum: Towards a Green Future in 2024.
On this festive day, I am pleased to recall that during his visit to our country in 2009 as the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon emphasized the United Nations’ deep appreciation for the contributions of Mongolian blue helmets to peacekeeping operations. He recognized that the Mongolian soldiers honorably serve at the international level, helping maintain world peace and stabilizing the situations in war-torn and conflict-ridden countries.
Also, within the framework of your official visit to Mongolia in 2009, you inaugurated the International Think Tank for Landlocked Developing Countries. Today, this Think Tank has evolved into an independent intergovernmental organization, continuing to play a crucial role in identifying solutions to the challenges and development issues faced by landlocked developing countries.
Furthermore, I am pleased to note that your contribution and support was pivotal in strengthening the cooperation between Mongolia and the United Nations on addressing climate change, desertification, and land degradation.
In this regard, I am pleased to share that Mongolia has initiated and is implementing the “Billion Trees” national movement throughout the country. Additionally, we are preparing to host the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in 2026 in Ulaanbaatar.
Since 2022, the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future, under your leadership, has organized the “Trans-Pacific Sustainability Dialogue” international conference, focused on advancing the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
This international platform for dialogue has expanded its scope and successfully organized the “Trans-Altai Stability Dialogue” in Ulaanbaatar in collaboration with the Parliament of Mongolia and Stanford University in 2023 and 2024 respectably.
I would also like to express my deep gratitude to Mr. Ban Ki-Moon for his significant contribution to the expansion and strengthening of cooperation between Mongolia and the United Nations, as well as for providing important support to the social and economic development of our country through the foundations and organizations he leads.
I wish you, Honorable Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, great success in all your future endeavors for the protection of mother earth, world peace, human rights, justice and equality. I also sincerely extend my best wishes for happiness, good health, and well-being to you, your beautiful family, and the friendly people of Korea.
On behalf of the people, the State and Government of Mongolia, I would like to once again congratulate the Honorable Mr. Ban Ki-moon on receiving the State Supreme Decoration of Mongolia, Order of Chinggis Khaan.
May the Eternal Blue Sky bless us forever!