ULAANBAATAR: Preparations for the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP17) have reached a major milestone as Ulaanbaatar completes the construction of 12 temporary venue facilities.
Newly appointed Capital Governor and Mayor of Ulaanbaatar Byaruuzanyn Purevdagva confirmed that critical utility networks, including electricity, water, sewage and high-speed fiber optics, are fully installed and operational.
The sprawling temporary complex was constructed by the French-based main contractor GL Events Live, with support from local and international subcontractors NBIK and LIRI Group.
These facilities will serve as the operational heart of the summit, hosting plenary sessions, official state negotiations, high-level ministerial meetings, media centres and exhibition spaces.
In tandem with the venue assembly, the city is rapidly completing broader infrastructure and greening initiatives. Roadway and parking developments surrounding the site are currently 80 per cent finished, with western lot paving actively underway. Furthermore, dedicated bicycle paths are 98 per cent complete.
As part of a massive exterior landscaping effort aligned with the summit’s environmental focus, city crews are planting 4,500 new trees of nine different species and safely transplanting an additional 100 mature trees.
Scheduled to take place on August 17-28, COP17 is projected to bring between 8,000 and 10,000 international delegates from 196 countries to the Mongolian capital.
Mayor Purevdagva underscored the critical nature of the event, noting that the global forum will extend beyond standard government negotiations.
Instead, it will function as a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder platform uniting policymakers, scientists, businesses and civil society to forge actionable solutions on global land degradation, sustainable rangeland management and climate change adaptation. - Go Go Mongolia/ANN
