Summary

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst, visited Mongolia from 30 April to 13 May 2019. The main objective of the visit was to assess the situation of human rights defenders in the context of the State’s obligations and commitments under international human rights law, including the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

In the report, the Special Rapporteur analyses the legal and institutional framework for the protection of human rights defenders and the environment in which they operate. He finds that a significant number of laws generally guarantees the rights and freedoms of human rights defenders in the country, but he is concerned with the State’s failure to effectively implement these laws in practice. He appreciates that Mongolia is, in general, a relatively safe country for human rights defenders, but he believes this relatively safe environment does not translate into a situation where human rights defenders are encouraged, enabled and empowered in their activities. Obstacles such as stigmatization, pressure, criminalization, hate speech on social media, and recent political discourse and legislative amendments hinder the work of human rights defenders. He concludes that a robust law to protect human rights defenders, which the Government began working on prior to the visit of the Special Rapporteur, would prove to be a powerful step forward for the recognition and protection of human rights defenders in the country.