Elbegdorj Tsakhia

Public Service Career

Elbegdorj began his political career in 1990 as a leader of the Mongolian Democratic Revolution which ended 70 years of Communist rule in the country. He was a founding member of the Mongolian Democratic Union which played a pivotal role in facilitating Mongolia’s transition to a multi-party democracy. Elbegdorj also co-drafted Mongolia’s 1992 Constitution, which guaranteed democracy and freedom for Mongolian citizens.

Elbegdorj served as both Prime Minister and President of Mongolia. As a public servant, he worked to strengthen the rule of law, promote social justice and anti-corruption measures, and was a strong advocate of environmental sustainability. During his time in office he implemented a number of significant socio-economic reforms,  notably the abolition of the death penalty in Mongolia in 2016. 

Elbegdorj established the Asian Partnership for Democracy initiative under the auspices of the Community of Democracies, over which Mongolia presided in 2011-2013. Within this forum Elbegdorj developed a plan to promote civil society and advocate for women’s political rights.

Activity after Public Life

Having founded the Elbegdorj Institute in 2008 to promote and safeguard democratic values in Mongolia,  Elbegdorj has continued to work to improve public policy, governance and democracy in Mongolia. The Institute initiates projects focused on public policy research, training and capacity building for civil society organizations, and advocacy efforts.

Elbegdorj also works with the Green Belt Foundation which brings together stakeholders to develop solutions to climate change challenges such as air and soil pollution.

Since 2023, Elbegdorj has been a Bernard and Susan Liautaud Visiting Fellow at Stanford University Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, where he contributes to examining paths to strengthening Mongolia’s development as a democratic state and its options for pursuing independent foreign policy in the midst of geopolitical shifts.

Elbegdorj holds a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University John F Kennedy School of Government (2002) and a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Land Forces Military Academy of Lviv of former USSR (1998).

Affiliations and Memberships

• Founder, The Elbegdorj Institute
• President, the World Mongol Federation
• Member, Club de Madrid
• Member, The Elders
• Commissioner, International Commission against Death Penalty
• Patron of World Sustainable Development Forum
• Bernard and Susan Liautaud Visiting Fellow at Stanford University Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies