A/HRC/43/51/Add.2 I. Introduction 1. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders conducted an official visit to Mongolia from 30 April to 13 May 2019, at the invitation of the Government. The main objective of the visit was to assess the situation of human rights defenders in the context of the State’s obligations under international human rights law, including the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (Declaration on Human Rights Defenders). 2. The Special Rapporteur held meetings in Ulaanbaatar, Airag, Saynshand and Zuunbayan. During his visit, he met with the President of Mongolia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Environment and Tourism, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Internal Affairs and the Chief Adviser to the Prime Minister. He also met with the Deputy Governor of the City of Ulaanbaatar in charge of urban development issues, and the Governors of Zuunbayan and Airag. He also had the opportunity to meet with the Speaker of the Parliament and the head of the subcommittee on human rights of the Parliament. Moreover, he met with the Chief Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission, the Director of the Data Protection Unit and the Chair of the General Authority of State Registration. He also held meetings with representatives of the Office of the Prosecutor General and of the Supreme Court. In addition, he met with members of the international community, including the country director of the Asian Development Bank, and representatives of the private sector – in particular, representatives from the company Orano Mining. 3. The Special Rapporteur met with over 100 human rights defenders, including representatives of non-governmental organizations, journalists and media workers, environmental defenders, children rights advocates, trade unionists, herder activists, anticorruption advocates, whistle-blowers, lawyers and individuals fighting discrimination against persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex). 4. The Special Rapporteur is very grateful to the Government of Mongolia for its invitation and its very good cooperation and support throughout the visit. He also thanks the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mongolia for its valuable support prior to and after the visit. He expresses his sincere gratitude to the individuals who took the time to meet with him and share their testimonies, insights and recommendations. 5. The Special Rapporteur also appreciates the dialogue with the Government of Mongolia, which continued after his visit. In September 2019, he notably took an active part in a seminar related to a proposed law on human rights defenders, organized by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. II. International and national legal frameworks A. International legal framework 6. Mongolia is party to most core international human rights treaties and protocols, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its Second Optional Protocol, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty; the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and its Optional Protocol; the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance; the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; and the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols on the involvement of children in armed conflict and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. However, Mongolia has yet to become a party to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. The Special Rapporteur 3