Universal Periodic Review of Mongolia

Mongolia continues to face serious human rights challenges due to weak law enforcement, persistent corruption, climate change impacts, and the rapid expansion of carbon-intensive mining. Although policies and legal frameworks exist, poor coordination, limited accountability, and weak implementation significantly undermine their effectiveness. Civil society organizations often fill monitoring gaps, but limited resources and capacity restrict their impact.

Corruption remains a major concern, with only a small proportion of investigated cases reaching the courts, eroding public trust in the justice system. At the same time, climate-related disasters, such as dzud, floods, and extreme cold, are devastating herders’ and farmers’ livelihoods, threatening rights to food, health, income, and an adequate standard of living. Existing insurance mechanisms fail to provide sufficient compensation for these losses.

The continued expansion of coal-based energy and large-scale mining without a clear energy transition plan has increased greenhouse gas emissions and environmental harm, further exposing communities to human rights risks. International recommendations urge Mongolia to strengthen anti-corruption efforts, protect civil society space, address environmental damage, and ensure meaningful public participation. Key priorities include improving accountability and policy coordination, strengthening climate resilience and insurance systems, adopting a people-centered energy transition, and fully enforcing environmental and water protections.

Across multiple Universal Periodic Review (UPR) cycles, UN Member States have repeatedly urged Mongolia to strengthen protection for human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society actors. These recommendations stress the need for a safe and enabling legal environment, the prevention of intimidation and reprisals, and the guarantee that defenders can carry out their work freely and securely.

In response to the 3rd UPR cycle, Mongolia adopted the Law on the Legal Status of Human Rights Defenders in 2021, marking an important step forward. However, implementation remains weak. Many defenders are unaware of their legal status, while state institutions lack the resources, capacity, and coordination needed to provide effective protection. As a result, defenders continue to face harassment, pressure, defamation, inspections, and interference with their work, often without access to psychological, physical, or legal support.

Restrictions on access to information and shrinking civic space further undermine public interest advocacy. Broad use of state secrecy limits transparency on environmental and public health risks, while court practices increasingly restrict public interest litigation. Journalists face additional risks due to the absence of legal protection for confidential sources, exposure to criminal prosecution, and the lack of whistleblower protection, contributing to self-censorship. Key priorities include strengthening implementation of the Human Rights Defenders Law, improving institutional capacity and public awareness, ensuring access to information, protecting journalists and whistleblowers, and reforming laws and court practices that restrict civic space.