28-30 November, 2024
Local peacebuilders from throughout Northeast Asia gathered in Mongolia for the tenth annual Ulaanbaatar Process (UBP10) between November 28-30, 2024. Convened by the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) Northeast Asia regional network and hosted by the Mongolian NGO Blue Banner, this process aims to strengthen the position of civil society, and support it to enhance and maintain inclusive and sustainable peace in the Northeast Asian region. Approximately twenty practitioners from Dalian, Hong Kong, Kyoto, Seoul, Siem Reap, Taipei, Tokyo, Ulaanbaatar, Vladivostok attended, including representatives of think tanks, feminist organisations, grassroots peace groups and research institutes, representing broad diversity both geographically and in expertise.
The meeting was opened by H.E. Mr P. Ochirbat, former President of Mongolia, who spoke of the challenging international atmosphere and growing rivalry among the great powers, which is negatively affecting this Northeast Asian region. “The alarming events in the region, including the deterioration of inter-Korean relations and the situation around the Korean Peninsula in general, are involving other states and thus further aggravating the situation. That is why the non-governmental organisations that are local community based and lead by humanitarian and social objectives and promote broader people’s interests should broaden their activities and work closely together to make a difference.”
Dr Mendee Jargalsaikhan, Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies of Mongolia, also joined this opening session, sharing updates on the Ulaanbaatar Dialogue on Northeast Asian Security and discussing Mongolia’s multilateral diplomacy policy, as well as the complementarity of official governmental level processes and civil society initiatives.
The three days featured updates from each part of the region on activities undertaken and how the current regional situation is impacting people’s lives and peacebuilders’ work. Themes covered included the implications of recent political developments including elections in relevant countries, military buildup and the impact of US military bases in the region, Artificial Intelligence and new technologies, common security, support of young peacebuilders, the climate crisis, increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and Cross-Strait relations. Many remarked on the alarming tensions in the region, and how increasing militarisation, belligerent rhetoric, and global geopolitical concerns are impacting regional civil society activities. This includes limitation of possibility of direct participation from partners in Pyongyang, who were not able to join in person, however shared input and expression of commitment to continued involvement in the UBP. UBP Participants reaffirmed their ongoing efforts to ensure participation from Pyongyang in the future as an important voice in the process, and the importance of maintaining the UBP as an open, inclusive platform for citizens from the entire region to come together.
Participants also joined a half-day, interactive Peace Games on the theme of Women, Peace and Security. This experiential learning opportunity, developed by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) in cooperation with GPPAC, allows participants to creatively imagine what kinds of regional cooperation may be possible even in the midst of complicated, intractable conflicts. Following discussion of the idea of such a Peace Games at the UBP in 2023, through AFSC’ leadership this simulation has now been piloted 20 times in 7 countries, with a total of 400+ people joining. Participants discussed the possibilities of the Peace Games as a tool for experiential learning in their own contexts, and future scenarios including regional sustainability concerns such as desertification and marine protection.
Marking the tenth such meeting, UBP10 participants also reflected on the unique value of the process, and what has been achieved to date. Referring to an external evaluation conducted earlier in 2024, it was noted that significant progress has been made in establishing a sustainable network for inclusive conflict prevention and peacebuilding; meaningful involvement of women and youth leaders; and complementing official dialogue processes. Particularly, the process “gives hope to a whole region where the militarism and peace-by-force narrative needs a counterbalance.” Looking forward, recommendations considered included continuing to challenge this militarism rhetoric with hope, optimism and creativity; and strategising in order to continue to “hold the line.” The impacts of the UBP may be seen as ‘seeds’ of change rather than ‘signs’ of change which represents the long-term nature of such peacebuilding.
With this in mind, participants discussed what civil society can do to deescalate tensions and break through the current situation. Namely, they explored how civil society can work together for more effective and meaningful peace-oriented policy advocacy, including dialogue with legislators and parliamentarians both domestically and regionally; how to maintain and enhance communication and coordination among civil society to strengthen preventive action, and highlighted the importance of intersectionality in all such work.
Amidst these tensions, but maintaining hope in the role civil society can play to break through political tensions, we look towards the year 2025 as a decisive time to take concrete preventive action. This year will mark many significant anniversaries, including 80 years since the end of World War II, liberation of the Korean Peninsula and other areas in the region from Japanese colonial rule, and the tragic atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In addition, it will mark 20 years since the official launch of both GPPAC and of Blue Banner, and 10 years of the Ulaanbaatar Process itself. This will thus be an important time to take stock, to step up, and to move forward in concrete action towards a more peaceful, sustainable and nuclear-free Northeast Asia.
There is a Mongolian saying, that “a true friend comes in Winter.” The coming together of minds the Mongolian winter on this occasion, overcoming various political and material challenges, deepened the bonds of partnership and the shared ownership in the Ulaanbaatar Process of all participants, reminding that finding common ground in friendship and solidarity is at the heart of all efforts toward building lasting trust and peace.