A delegation of Mongolian parliament members participated in the Open World program in the United States on February 25 to March 2, 2016. The goal of the program was for political leaders to meet with counterparts to learn about U.S. policies and build professional relationships.
Open World Leadership Center in Washington D.C and Open World Leadership Center and the Pacific and Asian Affairs Council (PAAC) in Hawaii conducted the program, with support provided by staff from the U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar.
Over the first six days in Washington, D.C., the delegation participated in meetings with Congress members. They also participated in discussions about a range of foreign and national policy issues and learned about the structure and procedure of parliamentary sessions. The highlight of the D.C. portion of the exchange was observing the budget subcommittee session on Department of State budget led by Secretary of State John Kerry.
During the Honolulu, Hawaii portion of their trip, the group met with representatives from public and private institutions such as Ambassador Lauren Kahea Moriarty and Political Science Professor Colin Moore from the University of Hawaii, to learn about local politics, economy, culture and the state of Hawaiian government. The delegates also conducted a site visit to a garbage management facility in Honolulu to observe the applied solutions that could be relevant to similar waste management issues in Ulaanbaatar.
The Open World program provided the participants with insight into the U.S. legislative structure and facilitated sharing of possible solutions to shared problems such as environment, air pollution and renewable energy, as well as exchange of best practices.
To learn more about Open World, visit www.openworld.gov.
