World news story

UK Statement on Mongolia, 22nd Session of the Universal Periodic Review, Geneva, 4 to 15 May 2015

The UK delivers its statement on the Universal Periodic Review of Mongolia, 5 May 2015.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government
The UPR takes place at the Palais des Nations, Geneva

The UPR takes place at the Palais des Nations, Geneva

Thank you Mr President,

The UK thanks Mongolia for its participation in the Universal Periodic Review and recognises the progress made since the last review including the establishment of a new Human Rights division in the Department of International Legal Affairs to coordinate accession to and implementation of international treaties. We hope that this leads to the reforms necessary to ensure domestic laws conform to international obligations, especially in relation to freedom of opinion and expression.

We are pleased that Mongolia has maintained a moratorium on the Death Penalty since 2010, and that the revised draft of the Criminal Code excludes capital punishment. We encourage Mongolia to swiftly move from a moratorium to abolition.

We also welcome the provision in Mongolia’s revised draft of the Criminal Code to criminalise discrimination of members of minority groups including on the grounds of sexual and gender orientation. We are concerned that discrimination against LGBT persons is still prevalent in Mongolia and would encourage the government to introduce as soon as possible comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation, including accession to international treaties, to protect the human rights of all members of minority groups.

We have 2 recommendations:

  1. Introduce a complete abolition of the death penalty through legal reform;
  2. Introduce comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation that would protect the rights of all members of minority groups including LGBT persons.
Published 6 May 2015