A/HRC/43/51/Add.2 60. In Saynshand, the Special Rapporteur received concerning information that representatives of the Hamryn Hiid Monastery had not been consulted prior to the granting of a mining licence to exploit not less than about one third of a recognized protected area where the Monastery was located. After the monks, together with the local community, engaged in peaceful protests against the company settlement, the local governor reportedly announced in early 2019 that the licence had been revoked. However, at the time of the visit of the Special Rapporteur, the mining site was reportedly still in operation, albeit with only a few employees, which may adversely affect the right to freedom of religion and belief of those visiting the place. 61. In Zuunbayan, the information provided by the mining company Orano, which exploits resources in the vicinity of the village, did not clear up the doubts that some community members have regarding the contamination of their water sources. The Special Rapporteur visited the sites of Zoovch Ovoo and Dulaan Uul, where he could speak with the representatives of the company who are engaged with local communities, including those protesting against the company’s work. The Special Rapporteur is convinced that the apparent lack of trust between some herders and the company in this area can only be solved by ensuring that the company, as well as independent inspectors, provide the public with the results of environmental impact assessments on a regular basis. 62. The Special Rapporteur is convinced that the adoption of a national action plan on business and human rights, based on international human rights norms and standards, would prove useful in disseminating and implementing the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, articulating the State’s priorities to protect against business abuses and regulating the relationship between companies and communities. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the establishment of a working group to draft the national action plan on business and human rights, composed of representatives of government departments, agencies, the National Human Rights Commission and civil society. He further praises the announcement made by the Government, at the end of a consultation on business and human rights, organized in May 2019 by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, that it would complete the drafting of the national action plan on business and human rights by 2021. The Special Rapporteur encourages the Government to work closely with civil society organizations and affected communities, as well as representatives from the business community, in the drafting of the plan so that the work of businesses can benefit the whole population. 63. In the same vein, the Special Rapporteur believes that international financial institutions could play a role in identifying and refusing to work with irresponsible businesses that do not respect the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. 5. Journalists, media workers and whistle-blowers 64. Journalists, bloggers, media workers and whistle-blowers are probably among the human rights defenders most at risk in Mongolia. According to the data compiled by a human rights organization that conducted a survey in the period 2018–2019 on the safety of journalists, half of all journalists or their family members report being threatened, intimidated or insulted. These data also include the censorship of publications or attempts to ban programmed broadcasts, damage to or confiscation of equipment, obstacles to the accessing of information and pressure to reveal sources of information. Internalized as part of a working routine, these acts, which may affect family members of journalists, are reportedly rarely brought to the attention of the authorities; hence they contribute to an atmosphere of self-censorship. 65. Journalists operate in a difficult context characterized by a strong media concentration in the hands of a few private entrepreneurs who protect the interests of their owners. Although media pluralism exists in Mongolia, several media outlets are majorityowned by politicians or private companies that are not necessarily independent or just not interested in distributing independent information. In a national context where politics has lately grown increasingly fractious with populist and divisive discourse, with accusations of corruption in all classes of power, reporting news independently is becoming increasingly challenging. 14