No. 33 (2026)
Nomadic Futures

Invited commentary

The Taij Khairkhan Declaration

Published 2026-11-01

  • Aiza Abdyrakhmanova
    • ,
  • Ariell Ahearn
    • ,
  • Qurbonidin Alamshoev
    • ,
  • Gerelmaa Altangerel
    • ,
  • Tsend-Ayush Amarmend
    • ,
  • Merve Anil
    • ,
  • Meerim Aytkeeva
    • ,
  • N. Baasansambuu
    • ,
  • Wassie Berhanu
    • ,
  • Sumiya Bilegsaikhan Taij
    • ,
  • Oyun-Erdene Chuluunbaatar
    • ,
  • James Correia
    • ,
  • Francisca Cortés Quezada
    • ,
  • Cecilia Dal Zovo
    • ,
  • Yuanhui Ding
    • ,
  • Anujin Erdenebayar
    • ,
  • Tamir Erdenechuluun
    • ,
  • Tamir Erdenetsogt
    • ,
  • Hande Sinem Ergun
    • ,
  • Natasha Fijn
    • ,
  • Bruce Forbes
    • ,
  • Yufang Gao
    • ,
  • Radhika Gupta
    • ,
  • Carmen Hamel
    • ,
  • Chieko Hirota
    • ,
  • Baljinnyam Ishgen
    • ,
  • Dolgorsuren Jamiyan
    • ,
  • Akira Kamimura
    • ,
  • Mari Kazato
    • ,
  • Wahid Khan
    • ,
  • Zafardzhon Kholmurodov
    • ,
  • Oyundelger Khurelpurev
    • ,
  • Muhammad Khurshid
    • ,
  • Ilse Köhler-Rollefson
    • ,
  • Shinya Konaka
    • ,
  • Saverio Krätli
    • ,
  • Timo Kropp
    • ,
  • Sarah Lunacek
    • ,
  • Ganjargal M.
    • ,
  • Malahat Mazinani
    • ,
  • Daniel J. Murphy
    • ,
  • Oyundalai Odkhuu
    • ,
  • Ruona Qi
    • ,
  • Bradley Rappa
    • ,
  • Khatansaikhan Ravdandorj
    • ,
  • Joana Roque de Pinho
    • ,
  • Peregrine Rothman-Ostrow
    • ,
  • Mijid Sainbuyan
    • ,
  • Sadhriany Pertiwi Saleh
    • ,
  • Meriam Sehimi
    • ,
  • Byamba Sharaa
    • ,
  • Nomynbayasgalan Suld
    • ,
  • Jenny Tang
    • ,
  • Moe Terao
    • ,
  • Eric Thrift
    • ,
  • Xiaojie Tian
    • ,
  • Lkhagvadulam Tumur-Ochir
    • ,
  • Tungalag Ulambayar
    • ,
  • Caroline Upton
    • ,
  • Christopher Nelson Wizda
    • ,
  • Ganbold Yandag
    • ,
  • Sarantuyaa Zandaryaa
    • ,
  • Annah Lake Zhu

Aiza Abdyrakhmanova
Aigine Cultural Research Center, Kyrgyzstan

Ariell Ahearn
University of Oxford, School of Geography

Qurbonidin Alamshoev
Pamir Energy / Khorog State University, Tajikistan

Gerelmaa Altangerel
University of Alberta, Canada

Tsend-Ayush Amarmend
National University of Mongolia

Merve Anil
Middle East Technical University, Türkiye / Binghamton University, USA

Meerim Aytkeeva
Aigine Cultural Research Center, Kyrgyzstan

N. Baasansambuu
National Center for Cultural Heritage of Mongolia

Wassie Berhanu
Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

Sumiya Bilegsaikhan Taij
University of Oxford, UK

Oyun-Erdene Chuluunbaatar
National University of Mongolia

James Correia
Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Francisca Cortés Quezada
Universidad de Chile / Universidad Autónoma de Chile

Cecilia Dal Zovo
Institute of Heritage Sciences (Incipit-CSIC), Spain / University of Oxford, UK

Yuanhui Ding
University of Cambridge, UK

Anujin Erdenebayar
National University of Mongolia

Tamir Erdenechuluun
National University of Mongolia

Tamir Erdenetsogt
Word Media LLC

Hande Sinem Ergun
Marmara University, Türkiye

Natasha Fijn
Australian National University

Bruce Forbes
Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Finland

Yufang Gao
Yale University, USA / University of Oxford, UK

Radhika Gupta
Leiden University, Netherlands

Carmen Hamel
University of Cambridge, UK

Chieko Hirota
JSPS / Australian National University

Baljinnyam Ishgen
National Legal Institute of Mongolia

Dolgorsuren Jamiyan
National University of Mongolia

Akira Kamimura
Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Japan

Mari Kazato
Hokusei Gakuen University / Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Japan

Wahid Khan
University of Chitral, Pakistan

Zafardzhon Kholmurodov
Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography, Tajikistan

Oyundelger Khurelpurev
Zoological Society Luujin / National University of Mongolia

Muhammad Khurshid
University of Peshawar, Pakistan

Ilse Köhler-Rollefson
League for Pastoralist Peoples

Shinya Konaka
University of Shizuoka, Japan

Saverio Krätli
IUAES Commission on Nomadic Peoples

Timo Kropp
Masaryk University, Czech Republic

Sarah Lunacek
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Ganjargal M.
National University of Mongolia

Malahat Mazinani
Center for Sustainable Development and Environment (CENESTA), Iran

Daniel J. Murphy
University of Cincinnati, USA

Oyundalai Odkhuu
National Chengchi University, Taiwan

Ruona Qi
University of Oxford, UK

Bradley Rappa
Ithaca College, USA / Film Director

Khatansaikhan Ravdandorj
CITI University

Joana Roque de Pinho
Center for International Studies (CEI-Iscte), Portugal

Peregrine Rothman-Ostrow
Royal Veterinary College / LSHTM, UK

Mijid Sainbuyan
National University of Mongolia

Sadhriany Pertiwi Saleh
Breathe Mongolia NGO / Hasanuddin University, Indonesia

Meriam Sehimi
University of Paris 8, France

Byamba Sharaa
National University of Mongolia

Nomynbayasgalan Suld
Mongolian Criminological Society

Jenny Tang
Tsinghua University, China

Moe Terao
Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Japan

Eric Thrift
University of Winnipeg, Canada

Xiaojie Tian
University of Turku, Finland / Chiang Mai University, Thailand

Lkhagvadulam Tumur-Ochir
National University of Mongolia

Tungalag Ulambayar
Sarangerel NGO / Mongolian Rangeland Association

Caroline Upton
University of Leicester, UK

Christopher Nelson Wizda
Indiana University Bloomington, USA

Ganbold Yandag
Mongolian University of Life Sciences

Sarantuyaa Zandaryaa
UNESCO Division of Water Sciences / Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP)

Annah Lake Zhu
Wageningen University / TU Delft, Netherlands

Abstract

During the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), an international group of 65 social scientists, herders, and practitioners convened at Taij Khairkhan, Mongolia to discuss the future of mobile pastoralism and to issue a set of recommendations directed at ensuring cultural rights, knowledge transmission, and climate resilience. Our strong consensus is that mobility processes, including the institutions that support them, are essential to the health of rangeland-pastoralism systems and must be financed as a whole. To that end, we have collectively authored this Declaration including 10 Calls to Action.

 

Keywords

Nomadism

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References

  1. UN Special Rapporteur report on mobile Indigenous Peoples (2024) https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/a79160-report-special-rapporteur-rights-indigenous-peoples-jose.
  2. League for Pastoralist Peoples (2024) https://www.pastoralpeoples.org/international-workshop-on-camelid-pastoralism/
  3. Cultural Rights, Fribourg Declaration (2007) https://www.unifr.ch/ethique/fr/assets/public/Files/declaration-eng4.pdf
  4. UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001) https://www.unesco.org/en/legal-affairs/unesco-universal-declaration-cultural-diversity
  5. Dana Declaration on Mobile Peoples and Conservation (2002) https://danadeclaration.org/dana-declaration/
  6. Dana + 20 Manifesto (2022) https://danadeclaration.org/dana-20-manifesto/
  7. Statement on Nomadic Ethics and Intercultural Dialogue (2024) https://doi.org/10.67086/nsj.31.29
  8. Global Declaration of Young Pastoralists (2026) https://iyrp.info/sites/default/files/documents/Declaration-ENG-Young-Pastoralists-short-version.pdf
  9. Kathmandu Declaration of Pastoralist Women (2026) https://iyrp.info/sites/default/files/2026-08/Kathmandu-Declaration-Accepted-8-Aug-rev-15-Aug-highlights-removed.pdf
  10. Nomads Red Line Initiative for Sustainable Pasture Rights (2026) https://www.wamaalliance.org/post/nomads-red-line-initiative-for-sustainable-pasture-rights
  11. IYRP Policy Brief (2025) Powered by Variability: Rethinking Climate Policy for Pastoralism. https://iyrp.info/sites/default/files/2025-11/Policy-brief-Pastoralists-and-Climate-change_Final01112025_0.pdf
  12. Rights and Resources Initiative (2026) Rights on the Move: A Practical Reform Guide on the Rights of Pastoralists and Mobile Peoples.
  13. https://rightsandresources.org/publication/rights-on-the-move/
  14. World Heritage Centre. Toolkit on Impact Assessments. https://whc.unesco.org/en/guidance-toolkit-impact-assessments/