WEBINAR REPORT

“Conference for the Guarantee and Realization of Law”

to improve Mongolia’s rule of law and law-abiding awareness among citizens

 

 

Date and Time: Wednesday, January 11th, 2023, 14:00 ULAT (GMT+8)

Location: Soyombo Hall, Tuushin Hotel (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia)

Topics: Guarantee and realization of domestic law, human rights, role of citizens for peace, international law and the DPCW

Host: HWPL Incheon Branch, Mongolia Branch

Speakers:

-Oyunbaatar Tserendash, Government House of Mongolia, Former Deputy Prime Minister

-Oyuntsetseg Khurts, Mongolian Women Lawyers’ Association, Board Member

-Jachin Choijilsuren, Gurvan Erdene College, Director

-Bulgamaa Rinzaan, Mongolian Association of Lawyer-Instructors, Board Member

-Ariunaa Badamsed, Provincial Citizen’s Assembly, Representative Member

-Khaliunaa Soronzonbold, Civil Rights and Administration Committee, Member

-Zunduidavaa Mijee, Freelance speaker on human rights and freedom

According to recent statistics, Mongolia’s rule of law continues to decline as citizens lack an understanding of domestic law and have a relatively low rate of compliance. Therefore, this conference aims to introduce major laws guaranteed by government for the safety of citizens and national order, to emphasize the importance of citizens’ law-abiding awareness, and to discuss what efforts will be needed to better implement them. Moreover, the understanding and need for the DPCW to supplement the current international legal system to ensure global peace will be covered.

 

“Mongolia has been operating as a democratic country for more than 30 years with the principle of respect for human rights incorporated in its Constitution.
(…) Even today, with the economic, political and legal crisis, Mongolian human rights are still being violated. In 16 chapters of the Constitution, Mongolian people’s right to live, to live in a healthy environment, to protect their health, to speak, and to hold demonstrations are detailed. (…) Because these problems exist in Mongolia, the freedom and justice of Mongolians are being violated, and their right to own natural resources is being attacked.”

-Oyunbaatar Tserendash (Mongolia)

 

Introduction Webinar

In remembrance of January 13th 1992 when the new Constitution of Mongolia was approved as well as to uphold the importance of the rule of law and law-abiding awareness, the ‘Conference for the Guarantee and Realization of Law’ was held on January 11th by the international peace NGO called Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (hereinafter referred to as “HWPL”).

Through the Conference this time, the current status of Mongolia’s rule of law and citizen’s understanding and compliance to domestic laws were introduced, where it was also emphasized that the rule of law “culture” needs to be strengthened involving all walks of life from all social sectors public and private. Furthermore, crucial matters of human rights especially women’s rights, Constitutional freedoms, and the importance of legal education for citizens were pointed out with emphasis on supplementing policies. In line with legal education, the functions of the international legal system to ensure global peace and conflict resolution were introduced together with the role of the DPCW as an instrument that can successfully supplement certain outdated areas.

 

Background Information

Mongolia, as a member state of the United Nations, is a country that respects human rights as a signatory to most of the human rights treaties announced by the UN. However, according to the rankings recently announced by the World Justice Project, Mongolia’s rule of law continues to decline due to citizen’s low rate of compliance to domestic laws, a lack of understanding of the Constitution and laws that exist to ensure their rights and security, and a weak rule of law culture among all walks of life.

Therefore, through this event, HWPL has invited legal experts, organizations, and people from Ulaanbaatar and the many provinces in Mongolia to promote understanding and awareness of laws both domestic and international which serve to guarantee peace and security. Furthermore, since the role of realizing such laws ultimately stand with the people from both public and private sectors to uphold them, this conference becomes the starting point for the strengthening and spreading of the rule of law culture in Mongolia along with peace activities centered on civil society.

About 400 participants—including the current and former government officials, directors and teachers of universities, legal experts, representatives from various provinces and districts, religious leaders as well as journalists and young people from Mongolia—joined the event, and the presentation also suggested a direction to promote rule of law and law-abiding awareness as well as more peace activities based on the core values of the DPCW.

 

Points of discussion

Dr. Ariunaa Badamsed from the Provincial Citizen’s Assembly strongly pointed out that although we want everyone to have equal rights, legal distortions will arise from the omission of the principle of Collective Responsibility. She continued, “In fact, it is necessary that we learn from our ancestors about making merits, welfare of society, and the public responsibility among family and household. Therefore, I would like to say that it is the right time to learn from the heritage of the intellectuals who respected the state, cherished the land and mountains, regarded them as treasures, and put morality and intelligence first.”

Dr. Khaliunaa Soronzonbold from the Civil Rights and Administration Committee emphasized the need for legal education for citizens saying, “Looking back at this period, it was concluded that the legal education of our Mongolian citizens is ‘insufficient’. Because, if you look at the results of international studies conducted in the field of education, there is a conclusion that a citizen lives by making decisions for the rest of his life with the education he receives up to the age of 18.” She continued, “The main principle of ‘rule of law’ is to consider ‘only what is stated in the law’ regardless of the person exercising the power. Therefore, the situation in Mongolia will never change unless we provide children with the best logical thinking, the best rational thinking, and the best analysis and analyzing skills in our education system until the age of 18. Education is the foundation of everything.”

Dr. Zunduidavaa Mijee, freelance speaker on human rights and freedom, said, “I am very vocal about human rights because I worry about the kind of society my children and grandchildren will live in.” He highlighted what are human rights, freedom, independence, and values such as dignity, happiness, expression of opinion, self-development, belief, property, and equal access to information emphasizing the importance of individual responsibility and how one’s rights must be limited by the freedom of others.

 

Highlight

Mr. Oyunbaatar Tserendash (Mongolia): We need to learn from the independence of the law-making and execution of our Korean friends who are concerned about the protection of human rights. Let’s work together and fight for human rights and justice.

Dr. Oyuntsetseg Khurts (Mongolia): The Constitution of Mongolia states that human rights and freedoms are guaranteed by the state organization with its own powers and responsibilities. We believe that the government and law enforcement agencies should work to make the rule of law and law enforcement a norm of daily life at all levels. (…) The government should pass a law and civil society organizations should monitor its implementation. A citizen means the implementation of the principle of respecting the law in the society.

Dr. Jachin Choijilsuren (Mongolia): I understand that Mongolians are a valuable people with a centuries-old history of respecting the rule of law. Mongolians are a people with traditional heritage and culture. (…) If modern peace education can be implanted in the hearts of every person in the world, peace will be achieved in the world. If we can make this peace education a habit now, I think that peace will rise in this world.

Dr. Bulgamaa Rinzaan (Mongolia): Article 1, 2 of the Constitution of Mongolia declares that the rule of law is the basic principle of state activity. In other words, it means that the state and citizens will carry out their activities in accordance with the rule of law. We have gone through more than thirty years to develop a law-abiding society, but the time has come to ask ourselves whether the rule of law has been fully established. (…) If everyone follows the laws regulating social relations with equal rights and respects the rule of law, then the state will develop and the people will live in peace.

 

Next step

We will continue to communicate with the legal experts who participated in the conference for the development of the rule of law in Mongolia. Furthermore, we will conduct various campaigns informing the young people of Mongolia about the importance of abiding to both domestic and international laws based on the core values of the DPCW.

 

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