On 11 July, MINURSO marked the celebration of Mongolia’s State Flag Day by hoisting the national flag at the Mission HQ next to the UN flag.

This year also marks the 23^rd anniversary of Mongolia’s involvement in United Nations peacekeeping, which started in 2002 with the deployment of two unarmed military observers to MINURSO.

Today, around 885 Mongolian military and police personnel are serving in UN missions worldwide. Mongolia is especially recognized for the significant participation of women in its peacekeeping forces.

Flag Day celebrations are followed by Mongolia’s major national holiday, the Naadam Festival. Recognized by the UN as a national day and inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2010, Naadam showcases the country’s cultural identity. The celebrations traditionally include three traditional sports: racing, Mongolian wrestling and archery.

Mongolyn ündesnii bayaryn mend khürgeye !