In connection with Human Rights Day on December 10, Christer Telin of the United Nations Human Rights Committee and Patrick Mutzenberg of the NGO Center for Civil and Political Rights are in Mongolia to monitor implementation of UN recommendations made at a 2010 UN Human Rights Committee meeting in New York. The recommendations include 27 provisions for addressing human rights issues in Mongolia. The deadline for compliance is March 2012. 

On Thursday, the Ministry of Justice and Internal Affairs organized a discussion entitled “To Implement Recommendations of United Nations Human Rights Committee,” with the aim of fostering cooperation among state agencies and civil society groups to implement the recommendations.

Representatives of foreign human rights NGOs noted that attention needs to be paid to the judiciary in Mongolia. They suggested that the transparency and independence of the courts should be improved, and that the courts are prone to corruption.

Patrick Mutzenberg of the Center for Civil and Political Rights said that information from the Human Rights Committee should be available not only to the Government, but also to public and civil society organizations. He said that would make it easier for civil society to monitor the government. He noted that, since Mongolia has joined the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, it should implement all provisions of it.

During the discussion, some citizens demonstrated outside the Ministry of Justice and Internal Affairs, holding signs that read “Human Rights Are Much Violated in Mongolia” and “Justice and Internal Affairs Minister Ts.Nyamdorj Must Resign.”