Pact Mongolia Country Office opens

The start of February saw the Mongolia Country Office of American non-government organization PACT emerge as an independent body.

Washington DC-based Pact has been working in Mongolia since 1999 to implement the Gobi Regional Economic Growth Initiative (Gobi Initiative) in partnership with Mercy Corps. It has been developing information systems and services to facilitate economic growth and development in the Gobi region.

The Gobi Initiative works with leaders in the fields of business, herding, government, media and non-government organizations to create an environment that fosters entrepreneurial activity.

With its multimedia facilities, Pact oversees the communications component of the Govi Initiative, producing the Rural Business News magazine, television programs, radio series and Market Watch information.

Pact has also been working with the National Center for State Courts to implement a nationwide campaign to educate Mongolians about the country's judicial system. It is also producing a 26-part, year long television series called Legal Hour in collaboration with GTZ.

Future Mongolian programs include distance-education pojects with World Vision.

With its slogan "Building capacity worldwide", Pact has been helping to strengthen local organizations in dozens of countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America since 1971. It is currently working in 14 countries.

Pact's projects are based on grassroots democratic participation in a range of different fields, including food supply, HIV/AIDS, environmental protection, conflict resolution and human rights.

Its focus is on capacity-building, networking, developing coalitions and alliances, information-sharing, and corporate adn community engagement.