Southern Mongolian delegates at the Gathering in Segovia, Spain
Delegates from both Southern Mongolia and Northern Mongolia (independent country of Mongolia)

Led by the members of the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information, representatives from the Southern Mongolian herder's community attended the World Gathering of Nomadic and Transhumant Pastoralist from September 8 to 18, 2007, in Segovia, Spain.

More than 200 pastoral representatives and other actors from 40 different countries gathered together to exchange information and experiences on pastoralism and debated different solutions to the problems faced by nomadic and transhumant herders around the world. Within the framework of the Millennium Development Goal, the Gathering was organized to contribute to the establishment of strong and representative organizations and networks that will be capable of raising the attention to issues relevant to pastoralists and defending their needs before politicians and international institutions.

As planned to coincide with the traditional transhumance of Spanish shepherds passing through Madrid, capital of Spain, all participants of the Gathering from all over the world were able to accompany a migrating herd as it crosses the city of Madrid on the royal shepherd road.

Support by the Spanish Government, the United Nations Development Program and other donors, the idea of organizing the Gathering was brought up two years ago by several Spanish organizations on pastoralism including Plataforma Rural, Red Pastor, Trashumancia y Naturaleza, and Concejo de la Mesta. Later this group has been joined by the World Alliance of Mobile Indigenous Peoples (WAMIP), World Initiative for Sustainable Pastoralism, International Fund for Agricultural Development, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Fundacion Biodiversidad and Christensen Fund.

The aims of the Gathering were:

            1. To provide the space for dialogue between pastoralists from around the world;

2. To foster dialogue between pastoralists and other actors and influence policies at the global, regional and national level;

3. To interact with and learn from Spanish and European transhumance and extensive pastoral system;

The main themes discussed during the Gathering were:

            1. Rights to land and natural resources, mobility, customs and customary structures;

            2. Recognition of the importance of pastoralism for sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity, climate change, food sovereignty;

            3. Provision of mobile services for commercial and social needs (education, veterinary, health, communications, etc.);

4. Self-organization and building capacity of their organizations;

5. Pastoralists access to information and communications, especially about their rights and policies that affect them, to be able to participate in key process and decision making affecting them.

The Gathering concluded with the "Segovia Declaration" on pastoralism on September 16, and was followed by the First Congress of WAMIP to which the members of the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center and the Southern Mongolian representatives were invited to attend as members representing the pastoral community of Southern Mongolia.

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