9th Session of the Universal Periodic Review Working Group
UPR Session for Mongolia
Statement by the Delegation of the United States
Delivered by Osman N. Tat
UN Human Rights Council, Geneva, Switzerland
November 2, 2010
Thank you Mr. President:
The United States welcomes H.E. Damdin Tsogtbaatar and the delegation of Mongolia to the 9th Working Group of the UPR. Mongolia is a country which has worked to make the promotion of human rights a national priority under democratic rule. We have 6 recommendations and we note that you have already addressed some of them in your statements.
Nonetheless, we remain concerned about discrimination against women and girls and recommend that Mongolia take stronger measures to combat discrimination in both the public and private sectors while promoting greater women’s participation at the highest levels of decision-making. The United States is also concerned that incidences of domestic violence remain high, but we are encouraged by increasing rates of prosecution and conviction for child abuse, domestic violence, rape, and incest. The United States recommends that Mongolia strengthen existing legal protections and enhance enforcement to combat discrimination against and mistreatment of women and girls.
The United States remains concerned that individuals continue to face discrimination based on their disabilities. Persons with disabilities frequently are unable to exercise the right to vote, given a lack of Braille ballots and wheelchair accessibility at polling stations. We recommend that Mongolia increase awareness regarding disability rights and make all appropriate accommodations for disabled voters. Moreover, some children with disabilities are segregated into alternate educational institutions, such as vocational training centers, which do not provide for core educational needs. The United States recommends that Mongolia design and implements educational programs promoting greater inclusiveness in classrooms.
The United States also remains concerned about human trafficking in Mongolia and of Mongolians abroad. The trafficking in Mongolia of young girls and women into the sex industry, as well as involuntary child labor in the construction, mining, and industrial sectors remain areas of concern. Mongolian men and women who migrate abroad for work continue to find themselves in forced labor conditions, and Chinese laborers brought into Mongolia face similar problems. The United States recommends that Mongolia increase efforts to prosecute sex and labor trafficking offenders, as well as assist and protect victims of trafficking.
Finally, the United States is concerned that minority religions have had difficulty registering and building places of worship. To that end, the United States recommends that Mongolia establish clear national guidelines that allow all faiths equal access to registration.
Thank you Mr. President