On 11 July, MINURSO marked the celebration of Mongolia’s State Flag Day at the Mission’s Team Site Tifariti where one of MINURSO’s Mongolian peacekeepers is posted.

This year, Mongolia celebrates the 20th anniversary of the country’s contribution to the United Nations peacekeeping which started 2002 in MINURSO with the deployment of two unarmed military observers. Today, nearly 900 military and police personnel serve in field missions around the globe. Mongolia’s contributions to UN peacekeeping have been notable for the high number of women throughout their ranks.

The Flag Day is followed by the Nadaam Festival, the main holiday in Mongolia which is listed as an official national day by the UN and, since 2010, is on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.  

The UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity comprises the diverse cultural practices and expressions of humanity, and seeks to raise awareness of the importance of such practices and expressions, encourage dialogue that respects cultural diversity, as well as give due recognition to the practices and expressions of communities worldwide.

“Naadam” is locally called “Eriin Gurvan Naadam” and the celebrations traditionally encompass three traditional sports: racing, Mongolian wrestling and archery.