Ulaanbaatar, October 21, 2025 /MONTSAME/. The official launch of the Canada-Mongolia MERIT Project (2025–2030) was held on October 17, 2025, marking the start of a five-year partnership to advance civil service reform in Mongolia. Supported by the Government of Canada, the project is a collaboration to build a strengthened and empowered civil service that delivers high quality, ethical, inclusive and accessible public services to all citizens in Mongolia, with a focus on their needs and rights.

The Project's first Steering Committee (PSC) meeting was held on October 14, during which committee members validated the Project Implementation Plan (2025–2030) and the Annual Work Plan (2025–2026).

In his welcome remarks, Stephen Doust, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Mongolia, emphasized that “the Canada-Mongolia MERIT Project represents a long-term investment in strengthening public service—an investment that reinforces the foundations of Mongolian society and reshapes the relationship between the state and its citizens.”

Mrs.Tsedevsuren Lkhagva, Chairwoman of the Civil Service Council, emphasized in her keynote address: “We expect the project will apply tailored Canadian best practices to establish an ethical, professional, and value-driven Mongolian civil service."

Jennifer Adams, Director of International Services at Catalyste+, highlighted the project’s commitment to building on the achievements of earlier initiatives, including MERIT (2016–2024) and UNDP’s “Towards a Professional and Citizen-Centered Civil Service” (2018–2023). She noted, “This project is about reforming systems and reshaping the relationship between the State and its citizens. We are working towards a civil service that earns public trust not only through performance, but through integrity, ethics and respect for human rights." 

The MERIT Project will work closely with the Civil Service Council, the Cabinet Secretariat, the National Human Rights Commission, the National Committee on Gender Equality, and Governor's Offices and Citizen's representatives in the provinces of Dundgobi, Uvs, Sukhbaatar, and Darkhan-Uul.

The project's expected results by 2030 are: 

1. Strengthened, inclusive legal and policy framework that include human rights and ethics, 

2. Improved capacity of civil servants to implement and enforce inclusive, ethical legal and policy frameworks,

3. Increased accountability of targeted provinces to provide inclusive, citizen-centered services that are accessible and responsive to the needs of citizens, and

4. Increased knowledge and participation of citizens in political processes.

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