Mongolian government urged by UN independent expert to close the gap between policy and practice when it comes to LGBT people in the country.
Mongolia has established important legal and institutional foundations to ensure full equality for LGBT persons, said the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Graeme Reid, on Friday 29th May 2006.
“The challenge moving forward is to ensure that these protections are consistently implemented in practice so that everyone, including LGBT people, can live free from violence and discrimination,” Reid said in a statement at the end of his visit to the country.
The Independent Expert welcomed Mongolia’s growing legal and policy framework relating to equality and non-discrimination, including protections within criminal law, labour legislation, data protection and broader development policy. He also noted constructive engagement by a range of State institutions and increasing openness to dialogue on issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity.
Reid expressed concern regarding persistent discrimination, instances of violence, barriers to access to justice, data gaps, and difficulties experienced by LGBT people in areas including health care, education, employment and interactions with law enforcement authorities. He highlighted the implementation gaps between formal legal protections and lived realities.
“Public education, institutional training, and sustained engagement with civil society are crucial in advancing substantive equality and strengthening trust in public institutions,” the expert said.
A full report will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2027.
Before his appointment as Independent Expert, Reid acted as director for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Program at Human Rights Watch, an organization he joined in 2011.
He has taught as a lecturer in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies and Anthropology at Yale University and at the School of International Public Affairs at Columbia University. Reid is the founding director of the Gay and Lesbian Archives of South Africa.
Homosexuality has been decriminalised in Mongolia since 1993, but same-sex relationships are not recognised under Mongolian law. Since 2017 discrimination on the basis of sexuality and gender identity has been illegal.
