Committee on the Rights of the Child considers the report of Mongolia

GENEVA (26 May 2017) - The Committee on the Rights of the Child today considered the fifth periodic report of Mongolia on its implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Introducing the report, Mungunchimeg Sanjaa, Deputy Minister for Labour and Social Protection of Mongolia, said that the action plan 2016-2020 contained specific targets aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of the child.  Concrete measures to improve the legal environment included the adoption of a revised law on the rights of the child and the law on domestic violence, as well as the adoption of new laws on child protection, the rights of persons with disabilities, and on childcare services.  A draft law on monetary allowances to mothers and single parents had been submitted to Parliament for adoption.  The quality of social services for families and children had significantly improved and social workers had been employed nationwide in health and education institutions and in law enforcement agencies.  School enrolment rates had improved significantly and in the 2016-2017 school year, 79.2 per cent of children were in pre-school classes, and 97 per cent in both primary and secondary schools.  Mongolia had ratified the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure in 2015.  It had established a child-friendly complaint system, including the 24/7 child helpline which received 15,000 calls per month and provided necessary information and advice on child protection. 

Committee Experts welcomed the advances in developing legislation in Mongolia and inquired about the intentions to adopt a comprehensive law on the promotion and protection of the rights of the child, which would be harmonized with the provisions of the Convention.  Experts were concerned about the negative impact of extractive industries on the rights of the child and asked the delegation about concrete measures taken to address this challenge, including the activities undertaken by labour inspectors, investigations and prosecution of child rights offenders, and the efforts taken to solve the conflict between mining companies and herding communities in terms of resettlement and compensation.  Also of concern was discrimination against children that took place in many areas of life and society with impunity.  While congratulating Mongolia for prohibiting corporal punishment in all settings, Experts were concerned that children continued to be exposed to this form of violence.  The delegation was asked about measures taken to raise awareness among parents and in the society about the harmful effects of corporal punishment, support parents in adopting positive discipline, and in putting a stop to alcohol-driven violence.

Kirsten Sandberg, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur for Mongolia, in her concluding remarks, noted with satisfaction the positive spirit of Mongolia in dealing with children’s rights and said that the situation of children without parental care remained an issue of concern.    

In her closing remarks, Ms. Sanjaa thanked the Experts and said that Mongolia was looking forward to the Committee’s concluding observations.

The delegation of Mongolia included representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, Ministry for Education, Culture, Science and Sports, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Justice, Family, Child and Youth Development Agency, and the Permanent Mission of Mongolia to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The Committee’s next public meeting will be at 10 a.m. on Monday 29 May, when it will review the combined second to fourth periodic report of Antigua and Barbuda under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC/C/ATG/2-4).
 
Report

The fifth periodic report of Mongolia under the Convention on the Rights of the Child can be accessed here: CRC/C/MNG/5.
 
Presentation of the Report

MUNGUNCHIMEG SANJAA, Deputy Minister for Labour and Social Protection of Mongolia, introducing the report, said that the action plan 2016-2020 contained specific targets aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of the child.  Concrete measures to improve the legal environment included the adoption of a revised law on the rights of the child and the law on domestic violence, as well as the adoption of new laws on child protection, rights of persons with disabilities, and on childcare services.  The revised criminal code, the code on criminal procedure and the law on police would enter into force on 1 July 2017.  The law on the rights of the child and the law on child protection clearly defined the powers and responsibilities of public organizations and legal persons engaged in child protection and reflected upon the setting up of the national mechanism to monitor the implementation of the rights of the child.  The revised criminal code contained a new chapter on crimes against children, which criminalized crimes committed against children.

It was a challenge in Mongolia to avoid the reduction of budgetary allocations for children’s health, education and social protection sectors, in light of the current economic situation.  A draft law on monetary allowances to mothers and single parents had been submitted to Parliament for adoption.  The quality of social services for families and children had significantly improved and social workers had been employed nationwide in health and education institutions and in law enforcement agencies.  Mongolia had achieved the Millennium Development Goal target to reduce the under-five mortality rate, which had been decreased four-fold during the 1990 to 2015 period; challenges, however, remained in the form of the extreme continental climate, rapid urbanization, and disparities between urban and rural incomes.  Priority attention therefore was being given to improving and expanding the variety of primary health care services, introducing remote diagnostic, telemedicine, and mobile clinic services, and providing other advanced medical diagnostic techniques in health facilities.  The State policy on health 2017-2026 was in place, while the re-establishment of the health support fund had significantly contributed to improving child and adolescent health in the country.

School enrolment rates had improved significantly and in the 2016-2017 school year, 79.2 per cent of children were in pre-school classes, and 97 per cent in both primary and secondary schools.  The education legislation had been amended in 2016 to include new provisions on teaching Mongolian language, history, culture and tradition to Mongolian children living abroad, creating equal learning environments for children with disabilities, and imposing criminal liability of teachers and tutors for any acts of physical or psychological abuse.  The Laboratory on Training and Diagnostics had been established to improve access to and quality of special schools for children with disabilities: teachers and tutors were trained at the national level and schools were provided with books and materials specially designed to meet the needs of children with mental disorders and hearing impairments.  Mongolia had ratified the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure in 2015 and had established a child-friendly complaint system.  A 24/7 child helpline, established in 2016, received 15,000 calls per month and provided necessary information and advice on child protection.  The Sustainable Development Vision 2030 and Population Development Policy had been adopted in 2016, while a comprehensive national child development and protection programme had been drafted and submitted to Parliament for consideration.

Questions from the Experts

GEHAD MADI, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Mongolia, welcomed the ratification by Mongolia of the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure and the adoption of several laws, particularly over the past two years, which reflected the commitment of Mongolia to the promotion and protection of children’s rights. 

The advances in developing legislation notwithstanding, there were still laws which were not harmonized with the Convention.  What efforts were in place to adopt a comprehensive law on the promotion and protection of the rights of the child?

What was the coordination system in place for activities to promote children’s rights?

With regard to independent monitoring, what was the procedure to appoint commissioners to the National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia, how did it receive children’s complaints, and how did it follow up on recommendations it issued to the Government?

The Committee was concerned about the reports of corruption of Government officials and members of Parliament, particularly in relation to mining and child horse racing; this sometimes prevented the Government from taking comprehensive action to address those issues.

What was the accreditation system for social workers and how were they trained, particularly in rural areas?

How were the provisions and principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child included in the school curricula?

The Committee shared the Government’s concern about the negative impact of extractive industries on the rights of the child, said Mr. Madi.  He asked about concrete measures taken to address this challenge, including the activities undertaken by labour inspectors, investigations and prosecution of child rights offenders, and the efforts undertaken to solve the conflict between mining companies and herding communities in terms of resettlement and compensation.

Another issue of concern was discrimination against children that took place in many areas of life and society, with impunity.  Why was it taking so long to adopt the anti-discrimination law?  What other measures, in addition to this law, were being taken by the Government to protect children from all forms of discrimination?  A 2014 study had found that children living in dormitories were exposed to abuse and discrimination – what concrete steps had been taken to address the findings and recommendations of this recent study?

What steps were being taken to ensure that the views of children were taken into account, particularly in court proceedings involving or concerning children?

The Committee Rapporteur commended Mongolia for the important progress made in reducing the mortality of children under the age of five and encouraged it to continue with those efforts.  Concern remained about the high number of children dying in accidents, for example in disasters, industrial accidents, horse-back riding or car accidents.  What was the accident prevention strategy and programme in Mongolia?

What was the birth registration system in Mongolia?

What steps were being taken to provide nationality to stateless persons, including through the ratification of the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness

KIRSTEN SANDBERG, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur for Mongolia, noted that no complaints had been submitted by children for ill treatment or torture by the police and wondered how children were informed about the existence of complaint mechanisms.

Ms. Sandberg congratulated Mongolia for having prohibited corporal punishment in all settings, but noted with concern that children continued to be exposed to this form of violence.  What was being done to raise awareness among parents and in the society about the harmful effects of corporal punishment and to support parents in adopting a positive discipline?

What efforts were being taken to put a stop to alcohol-driven violence?

The new law on the protection of the child had entered into force in September 2016. The delegation was asked to explain the child protection system in place or under development, measures taken to increase the number of social workers, and steps taken to ensure continuity in public institutions for child protection regardless of the results of the elections.

With regard to the helpline, the delegation was asked whether it ran 24/7, if it covered the whole country and if all children had access to a telephone.

Other Committee Experts noted that the high income from mining was not equally distributed throughout the country and asked about steps taken to ensure that this income was translated into development for all areas of the country.  Mongolia had started results-based budgeting, Experts noted and asked how this process would ensure that budgets were sensitive to the needs and how they would address children’s rights.

What were the results of the cost-analysis of services for children who were victims of violence and how would they affect the policy on the provision of such services?

How was the best interest of the child taken into account in practice?

With regard to access to information and the right to privacy, the delegation was asked whether research had been undertaken into the risk and potential harm of the Internet for children; whether there was a law on the protection of the privacy of children in the media; and how children, particularly victims of crime or abuse, were protected from having their images published in the media.

Responses by the Delegation

Responding to questions raised about child protection, the delegation explained that the plan of action 2016-2020 contained important provisions for the protection of children, who were a population group to which the Government attached the greatest attention.  The plan of action included the commitment to establish a child protection system, measures to ensure that children with disabilities enjoyed the same protection as other children, and called for the development of legislation, including the amendment of the pre-school education law and the revision of the family code.

In terms of independent monitoring, the law on human rights would be revised with the aim of improving the independent monitoring of human rights issues in Mongolia.  There was an intention to develop a law on a human rights envoy and child rights inspectors.  The child protection law and the law on children’s rights provided for the assigning of a child envoy, while the national councils for child issues would oversee the implementation of the legislation.  The National Children Council was headed by the Prime Minister and had local branches.  It was in charge of monitoring the implementation of the legislation.

The Family, Child and Youth Development Agency was being restructured and in the future it would incorporate social workers; it was estimated that some 600 new social workers would be active and would start delivering services at the local level.  The agency’s budget was steadily increasing.

The children hotline was staffed with 22 people and included interpreters and child issue specialists.  Calls were received in two languages and there were four channels.  Since 2013, more than 430,000 calls had been received and most related to advice and information on the availability of services, and only one per cent were related to the violation of children’s rights.  This hotline was now being integrated with another hotline run by the police department, with technical assistance from the United Nations Children’s Fund.  The hotline received about 15,000 calls per month

With regard to violence against children, the delegation said that serious measures were being taken to address this phenomenon, including the revision of the law on domestic violence in 2016 which clarified the rights and obligations of each stakeholder so that coordinated efforts in child protection would be facilitated.  All violence against children was subject to the administrative code and the criminal code.  The revised criminal code, which would enter into force on 1 July 2017, introduced a new chapter which criminalized corporal and psychological violence against children.

The Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs had conducted a number of successful training sessions to introduce the new law on domestic violence among the population, the police and other institutions.  Some 1,500 social workers had been trained in the implementation of the law on domestic violence, and activities to raise awareness had been conducted among the educational staff.  Some 480 local child right working groups, headed by the district governors and composed of social workers and the police, operated throughout the country and were also involved in raising awareness about the law on domestic violence.

A social worker had been deployed in each of the 706 schools in the country, including in children dormitories, where they played the very important role of the substitute family member.  Child rights protection was a core issue of their mandate and their job description.  Teachers and tutors were also involved in ensuring children’s rights.  In children dormitories, there were mechanisms to file a complaint and to prevent violence from occurring. 

In schools, one hour per week was dedicated to child rights issues to be taught in social sciences.  The role of the family and parents was emphasized as a key factor in ensuring children’s rights.

Mongolia was a party to international treaties which guaranteed the right to freedom of expression.

Budgeting in schools was done with the participation of parents and students, who could thus develop their capacities for citizen participation from early on.

A very favourable environment on freedom of information had already been established in the country.

In 2015, the national programme of the Mongolian child had been developed, and it had been implemented in two stages.  It focused on promoting self-confidence, expression, talents and skills of children.  More than 500,000 hours of after-school activities had been conducted under this programme.  More than 300 television programmes had been developed for children, two children movies had been produced, and those had reached every corner of the country.  They were designed to deliver news and information to children and promote the creativity of children and promote their desire for expression.

Currently, there were 513 dormitories in Mongolia, with 34,593 children, and the demand was on the increase.  More than 26,000 children or 71 per cent, came from herding families and communities.  There were no records of child rights violations in dormitories, and complaint mechanisms were available in each one of them.  In 2006, a methodology for the evaluation of dormitories had been developed, and regular evaluations had led to the improvement of conditions there.

In response to the reasons behind the high number of dormitories, the delegation explained that Mongolia was a very scattered country, with a very low population density, and that this was a way to ensure access to education for children from remote communities.

In follow-up questions, Committee Experts asked how child-friendly complaint mechanisms in dormitories were, and they also expressed surprise that no cases of violence had been detected despite the 2014 National Authority for Children’s study into the situation of children’s rights in dormitories which had found serious rights violations.

The delegation said that in order to protect children in the school environment, school administrations had invited comments from children and that 15,000 comments had been received which were then integrated into the school budgeting process.  This was the way to ensure that children were heard and that their best interests were protected. 

As far as court proceedings were concerned, the judges had an obligation to ensure that children were heard, that their views were taken into consideration, and that decisions were made in their best interest.  Children aged seven and above could be involved and voice their opinion on custody, adoption and legal guardianship.   

Questions from the Experts

KIRSTEN SANDBERG, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur for Mongolia, said that there were many children without parental care in Mongolia, including children whose parents were away and working in mines or as herders, leading to an important number of child-headed households.

How were those children supported and protected, what measures were in place to prevent the separation of children from their families and their placement in alternative care, and how were the children in care put in family-friendly environments and not institutions? 

How were child care institutions and facilities monitored?  How often was the situation of children in institutions reviewed to ensure that they were returned to their families as soon as possible?

What was the situation of children living in monasteries?

The Committee was concerned about disparities in the access to and quality of health care between rural and urban areas.  What were the solutions to those issues and what was being done in terms of preventive health?

Mental health of children seemed to be an increasing challenge in Mongolia, with about 15 per cent of children aged six to 12 reporting in one study to have contemplated suicide.  What were the root causes of this phenomenon and what was being done to address it and establish services to provide psychological and mental health support to children?

There was a high number of teenage pregnancies in the country.  What was being done to reintroduce the sexual and reproductive health curriculum?  Did adolescents have access to contraceptive services?

Another concern was the high level of substance and alcohol abuse by children and adolescents, particularly in dormitories.  What was being done in practical terms to protect this from occurring?

The delegation was asked about measures to protect children from air pollution, rapid urbanization and environmental challenges.

Frequent shifts in the governments following elections disrupted the continuity of education and in general it seemed that accessibility of education was on the decline, particularly in rural and remote areas, and for specific population groups such as herders, ethnic minorities, and the poor. 

Children went into dormitories at a very early age, as early as six.  What options were being considered to resolve this issue and ensure that children could receive education during the first years without having to leave the family?  What was being done to improve the quality of dormitories, particularly concerning emotional care and support?

What was being done to improve the quality of education in schools throughout the country and to provide education to Kazakh children in their language?

GEHAD MADI, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Mongolia, turning to the issue of children in need of special protection, asked about the system in place to deal with refugee and asylum seeking children.  What was the outcome of the child labour programme and the contradiction between the age of compulsory education and the age of employment of children?

Despite the laws and regulations to eradicate child labour, many children were still engaged in work, including in hazardous situations.  What was the role of labour inspection in this regard and how many prosecutions for offenders had been initiated?

How many street children were there in Mongolia, what was their situation, and what were the root reasons that brought them into the street in the first place?

The Committee was very concerned about the situation of child jockeys, a dangerous profession which led to school drop-out, injuries and even death of children.  In 2016, over 10,000 children – often aged between seven and ten - had been registered as child jockeys.

The commitment by Mongolia during its last Universal Periodic Review to establish a comprehensive framework for juvenile justice in conformity with international standards was welcome.  What was the progress made in the implementation of this commitment so far?  How did it address the provision of guaranteed and professional legal aid to children in conflict with the law, the establishment of alternatives to detention, and the separation of juveniles from adults in detention?  How many children were in detention with their incarcerated mothers and what was their situation?

In terms of criminalization of child prostitution and child pornography, the law specified that those acts on underage children were prohibited – how old was an underage child in the law?

Other Experts addressed the issue of adoption and noted that between 2009 and 2013 more than 10,000 children had been adopted domestically.  What was the system of control and monitoring of this process, how did a child enter the adoption list, which criteria was used to place the child for adoption, and which institution was the decision-maker?

Experts asked the delegation to provide the total number of children with disabilities, where were they living, how were they cared for, how many were in mainstream schools and how many were in specialized schools.  The law of the rights of persons with disabilities was very good but it was not clear how its implementation on the ground was being carried out. What was the education system for children with disabilities and where were institutionalized children with disabilities placed?

Experts noted a drop in breastfeeding rates – only 46 per cent of babies up to the age of six months were exclusively breastfed, in contrast to 60 per cent 10 years ago.  This could be due to the shorter maternity leave for women working in the private sector, the shortage of trained staff to support mothers, and the aggressive marketing of substitute milk.  Was the current law on breastmilk substitutes in line with the international code for marketing and what action was taken against publicity for such substitutes which discouraged young mothers from breastfeeding?

Mongolia was bringing down poverty rates and this was a step in the right direction; however, great disparities remained between urban and rural areas not only in terms of income but also in terms of access to health, education, clean water and sanitation. 

It seemed that there was a considerable number of young girls working in massage parlours where they were at risk of sexual exploitation and sex trafficking.  How many cases of sex trafficking of children had been reported and what steps were being taken to protect the children from this scourge, including children from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and China who seemed to be particularly vulnerable?

Responses by the Delegation

In response to questions raised about children with disabilities, the delegation said that 4.1 per cent of the population in Mongolia were persons with disabilities, and this included children with disabilities.  Currently, there were 10,740 children with disabilities and of those 8,362 studied in mainstream primary and secondary schools, 1,600 were in specialized schools, 27 lived in care places, and the rest lived with their families.

A special commission had been established to deal with the specific issues related to children with disabilities, and sub-commissions had been set up at local levels to support the provisions of services to children with disabilities.  A specialized hospital for children with disabilities was in place, with 250 beds and the law on children with disabilities had been enacted to protect the rights of this group.

Air pollution remained a serious challenge.  Mongolia had implemented seven large programmes to address it and had made important budgetary allocations, but no tangible results had so far been achieved.  Air pollution had been identified as the top priority issue for the new Government, which had committed to reducing the pollution by 80 per cent over the next several years. 

The capital city and the adjacent areas were connected to the electrical grid, which provided electricity free of charge at night, thus contributing to cutting the use of coal for heating.  Parents of children under the age of five who suffered of respiratory illnesses were entitled to paid sick leave. 

There were no guarantees that coal would be completely removed from use as most thermal power stations were coal-based and most households still used coal.  The Government was aiming to increase the number of users of the electrical grid and increase the capacity of the grid, introduce more environmentally-friendly stoves, and upgrade thermal power stations to coal to liquid and coal to gas installations.

With regard to changes in public service after the elections, the delegation said that the initiative to change the public service law had been started to ensure the sustainability of public service in the country, make it free from political influence, and ensure that it was merit-based.

Currently, over 116,000 people in Mongolia received disability benefits.  The cost of orthopaedic devices for children under the age of 18 was covered by the Government. 

The major objective of the child labour strategy was to address child neglect and eliminate labour exploitation of children, and its implementation level stood at 87 per cent.  The implementation of the strategy had been hampered by the lack of financial resources.

The Government was working with the private sector to embed child protection principles there, for example on breastfeeding, and breastfeeding rooms had been installed in many private companies.

There were no reports of breach of child rights by extractive industries.  If a child was engaged in gold mining, the provisions of the criminal code could be engaged to prosecute.  The United Nations Children’s Fund had conducted a study on the influence of mining industries on the migration status of children and the Government would attach greatest importance to the findings of that study.

The national programme for the elimination of worst forms of child labour 2011-2016 was aligned to the provisions of the International Labour Organization Convention on Worst Forms of Child Labour.  An independent evaluation had found that the rate of implementation of the programme stood at 58 per cent; this had been caused by insufficient funding and the hard living standards of the population which forced them to engage children in work.  What had been achieved was the passage of the law on child protection, and the adoption of the list of jobs prohibited for children; the inclusion in the list of child jockeys and horse racing competitions as prohibited in the period from 1 November to 1 May every year represented a big step forward.

The revised version of the family law would contain the provision of upholding the best interest of the child and it would also regulate international adoption.

As far as domestic adoption was concerned, there was an intention to increase the control and monitoring of all stages of the process: it would be the local units which would be in charge of the monitoring, while adoption decisions would be issued by the district governors.

In response to questions raised about children’s health, the delegation said that the greatest number of accidents by children happened at home and were due to burning.  An accident prevention programme was in place and a training programme for parents had been launched to reduce the number of household accidents, particularly those related to the use of hotpots.  A new hospital had been commissioned for burn victims and accent was also on increasing the capacity of local doctors to treat burn victims.

The Sustainable Development Vision 2030 had set the primary objective for the health sector to establish the prevention programmes and improve the quality of health services, including in sexual and reproductive health, maternal health, and alcohol and substance abuse.  The use of contraceptives in Mongolia was not very popular, leading to a high rate of teenage pregnancies; this issue would be addressed in the national health policy.

Psychotherapists were employed in medical health centres that provided mental health support to children, and efforts were ongoing to establish structures for mental health support in rural and remote areas.

Follow-up Questions and Answers

In follow-up questions, the delegation was asked about the age for compulsory education and the minimum age for enrolling in employment, and also to explain why the ban on the participation of children below 16 years of age in horse racing from 1 November to 1 May had been removed only a year later.  What strategies were in place to address anaemia, iron deficiency in children under the age of 5, and to prevent vitamin A and D deficiency?  Would the provisions of the international code of marketing of breast-milk substitutes be included in the new law on breastfeeding?

Responding to questions asked about child protection data, a delegate explained that the Ministry of Labour had recently adopted a decision on a database on child protection, and pilot integrated data systems had already been implemented in nine districts of the country.  The kind of data collected referred to children in care facilities and the type of services provided to those children, children in summer camps, children victims of domestic violence, children who received psychological counselling, and children in vulnerable groups.  The major challenge was the integration of this data in the decision-making process. 

The legal framework in place defined the alternative care for children and the system of foster families, which included 3,003 foster parents.  Branches of the Family, Child and Youth Development Agency were present in all 21 districts and were in charge of implementing the laws and also in providing alternative day care services.

With regard to corporal punishment, the law defined the role of parents in eliminating this practice and it was vital that parents were aware of the negative consequences of corporal punishment.

In 2016, there were over 13,000 children who worked as child jockeys.  Horseback riding was a traditional sport in Mongolia.  The Government worked on ensuring proper protection of child jockeys by introducing insurance schemes, access to health services, and eliminating school drop-out for those children.

With regard to juvenile justice, the delegation said that utmost care was taken not to detain children and detention was used as a last resort.  In 2015 for example 1,100 children had been prosecuted and only 78 had been detained during the prosecution period.  Children in detention were separated from the adult prison population and children also enjoyed a higher standard of accommodation and nutrition.

If a woman gave birth while serving a prison sentence, the child would remain with her until one year of age; the revision of the law would extend this period to three years.  In 2015 there were five children in prison with their mothers, four children in 2016 and two in 2017.  Mothers with children had separate facilities where they could stay with their children 24/7 and even cook meals.

Children under the age of 18 could not be recruited in armed service, and students of the secondary school associated with the armed forces were not considered recruits. 

There were 40 stateless children in the country, they had applied for citizenship and the President’s decision was awaited.

In the 2015-2016 school year, over 36,000 students had graduated from high school; 19,000 were girls and of those, six had become mothers during their studies.  The State policy on education had been revised in 2015 in order to provide a sustainable approach to education until 2024.  The survey on dormitories had shown a high degree of satisfaction for this institution.  The law on domestic violence provided certain sanctions for violence in dormitories.

There were several schools for Kazakh children, in which a number of subjects were taught in Kazakh languages and others were taught in Mongolian.  All schools in the country, public, private or religious, had to function according to the accepted laws and standards in order to obtain their licenses. 

Mongolia was dedicated to the life time protection of street children and this winter a registration exercise had been undertaken, during which 78 street children had been registered.  During the registration, it became obvious that many of the children ended up on the streets due to poverty in the family caused by alcohol abuse and that those children who were in the streets for several years often suffered from psychological problems.

Breastmilk supplement marketing was prohibited by the law.

Concluding Remarks

KIRSTEN SANDBERG, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur for Mongolia, noted with satisfaction the positive spirit of Mongolia in dealing with children’s rights.  Laws and policy directives were in place or about to be adopted, but the information on their implementation was not complete.  It was surprising that there were no recorded complaints of violence against children, and the situation of children without parental care remained an issue of concern.    

MUNGUNCHIMEG SANJAA, Deputy Minister for Labour and Social Protection of Mongolia, thanked the Experts and said that Mongolia was looking forward to the Committee’s concluding observations.

CLARENCE NELSON, Committee Vice-Chairperson, thanked the delegation and sent best regard to the children of Mongolia.

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