International Mechanism Submissions

The Advocates for Human Rights and the National Center Against Violence in Mongolia submitted a joint stakeholder report to the UN Human Rights Council for the May 2015 Universal Periodic Review of Mongolia. This report addresses the issue of domestic violence in Mongolia.

Approximately 1 in 3 women in Mongolia are victims of domestic violence, making it a major problem for the country. The government has made an effort to address the issue, notably with the 2004 Law to Combat Domestic Violence (LCDV). In Mongolia's first Universal Periodic Review in 2011, the government accepted recommendations to strengthen legal protections against domestic violence and improve their enforcement. One step it has taken since then is a 2014 draft revision of the LCDV, which included some improvements but also left victims more vulnerable by mandating reporting of domestic violence.

Mongolia faces a number of barriers to effectively addressing domestic violence, beginning with a lack of public knowledge about domestic violence and about the LCDV. Even if victims know their rights, they face problems such as legal and procedural hurdles, inadequate victim services, and a prioritization of reconciliation over divorce. This prioritization is often dangerous for victims of domestic violence. Most perpetrators of domestic violence are not held accountable for their actions.

The Advocates for Human Rights and the National Center Against Violence suggest three main areas of improvement: Mongolia must strengthen the LCDV; amend the Criminal Code to classify domestic violence as a crime; and improve funding for anti-domestic violence measures.