On 2 July 2013 The National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Governance Programme of UNDP successfully held a Forum on “Reporting to the international human rights treaty bodies”. 

Mongolia is a party to at least 30 international human rights treaties and conventions.  As such, it is obligated to prepare and deliver periodic reports to the treaty bodies on the implementation of treaty provisions, as well as treaty body recommendations and conclusions.  

The forum was attended by officials from each Government ministry responsible for the development and delivery of treaty body reports, as well as representatives of government and non-government organizations that work in the field of human rights, and international organizations.  Guest speakers presented on Mongolia’s current procedure for preparing and delivering UN treaty body reports, and the participants discussed and shared their own experiences of preparing and delivering Mongolia’s reports, including the experience of appearing before the UN Human Rights Council.

Chief Commissioner Byambadorj Jamsran of the National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia opened the one-day forum with Mr. Mandakhbileg Birvaa, Director of the Department of Law and Treaty, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Ms. Sezin Sinanoglu, the Resident Representative of the United Nations’ Development Programme. During the forum, Tsogtbaatar Damdin, former Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade discussed his previous experience of representing the Government of Mongolia in the session of the UN Human Rights Council that discussed the country report of Mongolia. In addition, the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Justice, the National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia, and “Globe International” NGO presented on topics such as “the current system of preparing and delivering the reports of the Government of Mongolia and emerging problems,” “the current role of the Ministry of Justice in preparing and delivering the reports and challenges,” and “Cooperating with the National Human Rights Commission and civil society in preparing and delivering national reports”.

Participants put forward various proposals on preparing and delivering the national reports in a timely manner, such as developed a unified database, developing a website, improving the coordination and collaboration of the ministries and agencies, including treaty body reporting within the job description and contract of civil servants, and retraining civil servants in human rights. Co-organising organizations of the event including National Human Rights Commission will now prepare and deliver the proposals to the relevant government organizations for consideration and implementation.