* Category includes ratification, accession, or succession to the treaty

The Constitution of Mongolia was approved on January 13, 1992, and amended in 1999, 2000, 2019, and on May 25, 2020 when the latest amendment (Mongolian) entered into force. The constitutional provisions concerning civic freedom and rights are included in the 1992 text and have not been changed by subsequent amendments.

The preamble of the Constitution upholds the “cherishing [of] human rights and freedoms” and aspires towards “the supreme objective of building a humane, civil and democratic society in the country.”

Key constitutional provisions concerning civic freedom are found in Chapter Two: Human rights and Freedoms, which guarantees to the citizens of Mongolia the following:

• Article 16 [Citizen’s rights] (10): “The right to freedom of association in political parties or other voluntary organizations on the basis of social and personal interests and opinion.  Political parties and other mass organizations shall uphold public order and state security, and abide by law. Discrimination and persecution of a person for joining a political party or other associations or for being their member are prohibited. Party membership of some categories of state employees may be suspended.”
• Article 16 [Citizen’s rights] (12): “The right to submit a petition or a complaint to State bodies and officials. The State bodies and officials are obliged to respond to the petitions or complaints of citizens in conformity with the law.”
• Article 16 [Citizen’s rights] (16): “Freedom of thought, opinion, expression, speech, press, and peaceful assembly. Procedures for organizing demonstrations and other assemblies are determined by law.”
• Article 16 [Citizen’s rights] (17): “The right to seek and receive information except that which the state and its bodies are legally bound to protect as secret. In order to protect human rights, dignity, and reputation of persons and to ensure national defense, security, and public order, the information which is not subject to disclosure must be classified and protected by law.”
• Article 19 [Responsibility, Restrictions] (1): “The State is responsible to the citizens for the creation of economic, social, legal, and other guarantees ensuring human rights and freedoms, for the prevention of violations of human rights and freedoms, and restoration of infringed rights.”

Constitutional provisions related to the restriction of human rights include:

• Article 19 [Responsibility, Restrictions] (2): “In case of a state of emergency or war, the human rights and freedoms as defined by the Constitution and other laws are subject to limitation only by a law. Such a law may not affect the right to life, the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, as well as the right not to be subjected to torture or inhuman and cruel treatment.”
• Article 19 [Responsibility, Restrictions] (3): “In exercising one’s rights and freedoms, one may not infringe the national security or rights and freedoms of others or violate public order.”

The government published a draft amendment of the Constitution of Mongolia for public comment on April 14, 2023. This followed the Recommendations from Consultative Polling that took place in January and February 2023 and aimed to strengthen protection of human rights, ensure the guarantee of the right to assembly, and improve parliament’s representation capacity and promote decentralization. The draft amendment was submitted to the parliament for discussion on May 3, 2023, with the only amendments maintained being related to increasing the number of parliament members from the current 76 parliament members to 152 parliament members and to changing the electoral system from a majoritarian to a mixed system. In June 2023, the draft constitutional amendment was passed, and the final number of parliamentary seats is 126.

The legal framework for CSOs includes the following laws:

• Civil Code of Mongolia
• Law on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) (Mongolian)
• Law on State Registration of Legal Entities
• General Tax Law
• Legal Entity Income Tax Law
• Law on VAT
• Law on the Legal Status of Foreign Nationals (Mongolian)

Proposed Criminal Code Amendments on Defamation

Following the Constitutional Court’s November 2025 ruling against Article 13.14 of the Criminal Code and Parliament’s acceptance of that ruling in December 2025, a parliamentary working group began preparing replacement amendments in March 2026. According to legal commentary published in May, the proposal would introduce a criminal defamation offense, reported as Article 14.10, carrying fines of MNT 5–14 million. Although the draft reportedly requires intent and demonstrable harm and exempts good-faith public-interest reporting, media and human rights organizations warn that vague provisions could shield officials from criticism and have called for stronger civil remedies instead. No replacement provision had been reported as adopted as of early October 2026.

Draft Law on Freedom of the Press

The revised Draft Law on Freedom of the Press was submitted to Parliament on January 24, 2025, to modernize the 1998 law through clearer definitions, media ownership transparency, protection of confidential sources, and support for media self-regulation. The Standing Committee on Legal Affairs supported discussing the bill in April 2025, but no further parliamentary action was reported between April and early October 2026. At an April 30, 2026 forum, the National Network for Freedom of Expression called for effective safeguards for editorial independence, journalists’ safety and the public’s right to know. Concerns remain about whether the draft would strengthen these protections or create risks of over-regulation.

Draft Law on the Right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly

Submitted to Parliament on January 24, 2025, the draft would replace the registration-based assembly system with notification, recognize spontaneous assemblies, and prohibit restrictions on media coverage. It would also protect participants against discrimination or persecution and provide that multiple assemblies in the same place should not automatically be prohibited. The Standing Committee on Legal Affairs supported discussing the bill in April 2025, but no further parliamentary action was reported between April and early October 2026. The existing 1994 Law on Procedures for Demonstrations and Assembly therefore remains the applicable framework.

Draft Laws on State Secrets

Two proposals to replace the 2016 Law on State and Official Secrets remained pending as of early October 2026. The Government’s revised draft, submitted in March 2026 alongside a proposed list of state secrets, would remove the broad category of “official secrets” and declassify hundreds of items. A separate bill submitted by five MPs on April 14 would require Parliament, rather than the Government, to approve the list of state secrets through legislation. The MPs’ proposal also provides classification periods of 10, 20 and 30 years and prohibits classifying information concerning violations of law, corruption or human rights violations.

Draft Law on the Protection of Whistleblowers

On March 25, 2026, the Government approved a draft Law on the Protection of Whistleblowers for submission to Parliament, following an earlier proposal that was not adopted. The draft provides confidentiality, prohibits retaliation, and introduces protective measures, rewards and compensation. On September 29, 2026, civil society and youth organizations urged Parliament to consider and adopt the legislation during its autumn session. The proposal remained pending as of early October 2026.

Draft Law on Regulating Children’s Participation in Social Networks

In July 2026, four MPs submitted a draft law that would prohibit social-media accounts for children under 13 and require age-appropriate safety settings for users aged 13–16. Platforms would be required to verify users’ age and identity and prevent online harassment and exploitation. Although intended to protect children, the proposed verification requirements would apply to all users, raising concerns about privacy, online anonymity and freedom of expression.

Eligible organizational forms for CSOs are regulated by several laws, resulting in conflicts and confusion concerning typology.

• All legal entities are regulated under the Civil Code. The Civil Code distinguishes two general types of organization – for profit and not-for-profit legal entities. CSOs fall under the not-for-profit legal entity regulation of the Civil Code. Not-for-profit legal entities can be established as foundations, associations, or cooperatives.
• In addition to the Civil Code, there is a specific law governing CSOs, entitled the Law on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), enacted in 1997. The Law on NGOs distinguishes between two types of NGOs – a public benefit NGO (which aims to organize activities with public beneficiaries and is not merely member-oriented) and a member-based/mutual benefit NGO. These categories and forms of organizations are different from the respective not-for-profit legal entities indicated in the Civil Code. In 2002, a new chapter on foundations was added to the Law on NGOs. However, it still includes nothing about associations.
• The Law on State Registration of Legal Entitieswas amended in 2019. This Law lists ten different types of legal entities that are eligible for registration, including many more entities than those defined by the Civil Code and the Law on NGOs, such as religious organizations. The confusion around different types of legal entities falling under different laws has complicated the system of NGO regulation, with the General Authority for State Registration registering legal entities that are not actually provided for by the Civil Code or the Law on State Registration of Legal Entities, such as education or media organizations.

The General Authority for State Registration is responsible for registering not-for-profit legal entities founded and established by Mongolian citizens and legal entities. The Mongolian Immigration Agency is responsible for registering branches of international and foreign not-for-profit legal entities under the Law on the Legal Status of Foreign Nationals.

There is no special status for CSOs under legislation currently in force. The classification of the ‘public benefit’ and ‘mutual benefit’ nature of NGOs (Article 4 of Law on NGOs) has not translated to a particular special status or regulation, Rather, it is merely a classification of NGOs based on the target audience of their activities. According to Article 4 of the Law on NGOs:

“public benefit non-governmental organization” means a nongovernmental organization that operates for the public benefit in the fields of culture, art, education, science, health, sport, nature and environment, community development, human rights, protection of the interests of specific subsets of the population, charity and other such fields;

“mutual benefit non-governmental organization” means a nongovernmental organization other than a public benefit non-governmental organization that operates primarily to serve the legitimate interests of its members.

Public participation is subject to extensive legal regulation in Mongolia. The  “Mainstreaming Social Accountability in Mongolia” Project concludes that 105 out of 459 active laws (as of 4 February 2016) partially regulate civic participation.

Besides the right to information and transparency-related legislations, the following are key legal regulations ensuring public participation:

• The Law on Legislation regulates the process of public discussion of draft laws and legal acts.
• The Law on Public Hearing provides that public hearings shall be held before the approval of administrative legal acts, and before the approval of administrative decisions concerning public interest.
• The Law on Public Polling regulates public polling on draft government decisions and/or their implementation.
• The Law on Referendums regulates voting on domestic and international government policy, as well as voting on any proposed amendments to the Constitution of Mongolia.
• The Law on Development Policy, Planning, and Management requires the equal participation of all parties to ensure proper public-private partnerships and the transparency of development policy documents.
• The Law on the Resolution of Complaints from Citizens to Government Organizations and Officials regulates the process and rights and responsibilities of parties in resolving complaints and petitions from citizens to government organizations and officials.

Different public participation regulations are included in different sectoral regulations, around public councils and working groups, public discussions, public monitoring, and public information and awareness. Regarding the participation of NGOs in public affairs, Article 9(5) of the Law on NGOs provides that NGOs may be involved in drafting and implementing the decisions to be taken by legislative and executive authorities.

Digital platforms provide additional channels for public participation. Parliament’s D-Petition system allows citizens to seek parliamentary action through collective petitions, with different support thresholds depending on the request: 33,000 signatures for establishing a working group, 70,000 for a parliamentary oversight inquiry, and 100,000 for a legislative proposal. These formal procedures operate alongside independent civic platforms, including UIH.mn, which facilitate public advocacy but do not have the same procedural status.

The distinction became contentious during public opposition to the Tuul River highway project in 2026. Citizens used petitions and demonstrations to raise environmental and governance concerns, while officials challenged the formal status of a petition on UIH.mn seeking the capital city governor’s dismissal. The dispute demonstrates how tensions between officially recognized participation mechanisms and independent citizen initiatives.

Article 481 of the Civil Code regulates the formation and operation of unregistered groups as follows:

Article 481. Unregistered union and partnership

481.1. No registration is needed for unions and partnerships formed by several parties based on a joint action contract, and the participants shall decide their structure and management by mutual agreement.

481.2. Unregistered unions and partnerships shall participate in the civil legal relationships through appointed representative or one of the members.

 This article permits the formation of unregistered “unions and partnerships” based on a joint action contract, and does not further attempt to regulate their activities. The Law on NGOs does not address the establishment and operation of unregistered groups. Although there are no formal restrictions on the activities of an unregistered organization, in practice unregistered groups commonly face barriers and restrictions. This is mainly due to legal uncertainty around the regulation, rights, and responsibilities of unregistered groups.

The right to establish an NGO is open to anyone in Mongolia. According to the Law on NGOs:

Article 5. The rights of individuals to establish and participate in nongovernmental organizations

1. Citizens of Mongolia and legal persons except State bodies shall have the right to establish, individually or collectively, non-governmental organizations on the basis of their interests and opinions without the permission of any State body. …
2. Foreign citizens and stateless persons legitimately residing in Mongolia may establish or join non-governmental organizations in accordance with the procedure specified in this law if other laws and international treaties of Mongolia do not provide otherwise. 

In addition, according to the Law on NGOs, an NGO shall be considered established after the founders have issued a decision to establish the NGO and approved the NGO’s charter. However, the NGO exercises its rights as a legal entity only after it is registered in the State registry.

To establish an NGO, the following criteria must be met:

The Charter of an NGO must include the:

1. NGO’s name and address;
2. date of creation;
3. statement of purpose;
4. organizational structure and monitoring procedures;
5. powers of the Governing Board;
6. maximum and minimum numbers of members of the Governing Board;
7. terms of powers and procedures for selection and removal of members of the Governing Board;
8. minimum number of meetings of the Governing Board per annum;
9. quorum necessary to hold a meeting of the Governing Board;
10. procedure for decision-making at meetings of the Governing Board;
11. terms and procedures for restructuring and dissolution of the nongovernmental organization and liquidation of its assets; and
12. grounds and procedures regarding the amendments to the nongovernmental organization charter.

In order to be incorporated, an NGO should have a governing body. Non-membership NGOs require governing boards, with a minimum of five members.

According to the Law on State Registration of Legal Entities, the following documents are required for registration:

• Confirmation of the legal entity’s name;
• Application using the approved template;
• Decision of establishment in accordance with the law;
• Organization charter;
• If necessary, an attorney letter, primarily if the legal entity requires representation during the registration process;
• Receipt for payment of the state registration fee – currently 44000 MNTs (approximately $15.5 USD);
• Proof of incorporated assets, if any;
• Proof of the legal entity’s address. (Article 16)

The State Registry must inform the applicant of its decision within two working days upon receipt of the application. In case of refusal of registry, the justification for the refusal should be included in the written notice.

Activities

The Law on NGOs does not impose constraints on the activities for NGOs, nor does it pose any burdens on the operations of an NGO. Rather, the Law only prohibits an NGO from conducting activities inconsistent with its mission, which is generally understood as changing its mission or operating for profit. Such a prohibition is consistent with good regulatory practice.

Restrictions on NGO activities and operations may, however, stem from different laws. For example, the Law on Procedures for Demonstrations and Assembly prohibits NGOs from organizing public demonstrations under certain circumstances. The Law on Culture also fines cultural organizations (which can be both for-profit or not-for-profit) up to 200,000 MNT (70 USD) for organizing activities without being registered, or for activities that promote war or violence. Such vague restrictions exist in multiple laws, including counter-terrorism laws, and may impact the operations of NGOs in various cases.

Reporting

According to Article 12 of the Law on NGOs, NGOs must submit their financial report to the tax authority in compliance with the General Tax Law, the Legal Entity Income Tax Law, the Law on VAT, and the Law on Accounting. NGOs are also required to submit their activity report to the Ministry of Justice. Reporting to members, funders and the public is regulated by relevant contractual or other arrangements made by the NGO.

Government Intervention

Article 9 of the Law on NGOs states that NGOs shall be independent from the State. Government agencies may provide financial and other support to an NGO. NGOs can be engaged in the development of laws, national development policies or programs, and other policy decisions and their implementation, on a voluntary basis.

Dissolution

According to Article 7 of the Law on NGOs, an NGO can be dissolved if it has fully achieved the mission stated in its charter. The decision to dissolve an NGO shall be issued by its governing body. Upon dissolution of an NGO, any remaining assets after the settlement of debts shall be transferred to another NGO with the same or similar purpose, or, if no such NGO exists, to public benefit activities consistent with the stated purpose of the NGO. The voluntary dissolution process is governed by Article 32 of the Civil Code, which calls for the NGO’s governing body to establish a committee on dissolution to decide how to transfer the remaining assets to other NGOs with a similar purpose, or to activities consistent with those of the NGO.

The governing body of the NGO shall publicly announce its decision of dissolution and notify the Ministry of Justice in writing within 21 days. Based on that decision, the NGO shall be removed from the state registry.

There are also regulations on compulsory or involuntary dissolution of an NGO. Article 8 of the Law on NGOs states the following:

The Court shall compulsory [sic] dissolve a non-governmental organization on the following grounds:

1. the non-governmental organization has conducted activities inconsistent with its mission;
2. the non-governmental organization has conducted activities of a severe nature and has repeatedly violated laws.

Beyond the regulations on dissolution of NGOs in the Law on NGOs, Article 26.1 stipulates that any legal entity that failed to submit their financial report for 8 consecutive quarters may be removed from state registration upon the request of Ministry of Finance. The General Authority for State Registration shall place the list of legal entities to be removed from state registration on their website for 6 months. If the legal entities in the list did not submit any official complaint or their financial report within 6 months, they shall be removed from state registration. In August 2023, 34,337 legal entities were removed from state registration according to above regulation, of which 6,636 were NGOs. 

Professional Associations

The draft Law on Professional Associations, which was initially submitted by MP N. Uchral in 2019, was re-introduced in April 2024 and quickly approved, despite significant opposition from Mongolian NGOs, who sent an open letter to MPs expressing opposition to the draft law. Some NGOs raised concerns about components of the bill that were either too vague or restrictive. For example, NGOs pointed out that although the bill states that “public interest” and certain state functions will apply to professional associations, the legislation does not clearly define these areas. In addition, NGOs have emphasized that the bill repeatedly mentions “specific field” or “relevant field” and restrictively stipulates the operation of only “one professional association in a specific field.” Additionally, the opposition Democratic Party’s (DP) Caucus in parliament criticized the bill for potentially undermining the independence of civil society and attempting to make NGOs more dependent on the state. For example, DP Caucus Chair O. Tsogtgerel expressed concern about how the bill will require ministry approval for the establishment and renewal of all professional associations.

Barriers to International Contact

There are no legal regulations that prohibit or restrict CSOs from cooperating with international or foreign CSOs, public and private sector organizations, or international institutions.

Foreign Funding 

The Law on NGOs does not provide special restrictions or rules for domestic CSOs to receive foreign funding. The Law on Combating Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing also does not restrict the receipt of foreign funding.

However, the draft Law on Not-for-profit Legal Entities (as proposed by the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs – please see “Pending Legislative / Regulatory Initiatives” above) has proposed prohibiting CSOs from receiving funding or contacting individuals and legal entities that are on the blacklist of the UN Security Council. The draft Law also proposes restricting funding from foreign intelligence organizations and their ‘puppet’ organizations; individuals and organizations who organize activities that endanger national security, or who engage in money laundering or financing of terrorist and extremist activities; and from unknown sources (Article 6 and Article 14).

Domestic Funding

According to Article 19 of the Law on NGOs, income sources of NGOs may include the following:

1. membership fees and contributions;
2. contributions by citizens, business entities and organizations;
3. income generated by mission-related economic activities;
4. borrowed or inherited funds, and funds allocated from the State budget for project implementation.

CSOs are accordingly permitted to conduct economic activities directly, without any permissions required. However, there are no specific regulations on how and to what extent these economic activities can be undertaken.

In practice, CSO funding is one of the greatest challenges facing the sector. In a presentation on the draft Law on Not-for-profit Legal Entities in 2019, the Ministry of Justice stated that 67.7% of all NGO funding comes from international sources. According to the Ministry, other financial sources are as follows: 3.9% from membership fees; 21.4% from an in-kind donation; and 7% from other sources.

According to a “Baseline Survey of Mainstreaming Social Accountability in Mongolia” conducted in 2016, the average amount of funding raised in a year by an NGO is 36 million MNT (12,500 USD). 28.2% of NGOs also receive funds from the Government on the basis of tender awards and contracts. In other words, the main sources of funding for small or local NGOs come primarily from the Government. Commercial activities (trainings, consultancies, etc…) are the main source of income for only 12% of NGOs. In addition, NGOs that participated in the baseline survey noted that they do not have enough capacity to raise funds.

Article 16 of Mongolia’s Constitution protects freedom of thought, opinion, expression, speech, the press and peaceful assembly. The Media Freedom Law, enacted in 1998, prohibits state censorship and government bodies from establishing or financing organizations to control media content. It also prohibits government organizations from owning media outlets. These protections coexist with legal provisions and enforcement practices that can restrict public-interest reporting and criticism of officials.

Article 21 of the Civil Code provides remedies for harm to a person’s name, honor, dignity and reputation. A person disseminating allegedly defamatory information must substantiate its accuracy or issue a correction. The article also protects confidential personal information and regulates the unauthorized use of a person’s image.

Criminal restrictions on expression have undergone significant change. On November 25, 2025, the Constitutional Court found Article 13.14 of the Criminal Code, concerning the dissemination of false information, unconstitutional and suspended its application. Parliament accepted the Court’s conclusion on December 30, 2025. Other provisions remain relevant, including Article 14.8 on knowingly distributing false information during elections. Article 14.3, by contrast, provides protection against interference with legitimate expression and press freedom through force or threats.

The enforcement history of Article 13.14 illustrates the potential chilling effect of criminal proceedings. According to Globe International Center figures cited by the International Federation of Journalists, authorities opened 2,260 cases under the provision between 2020 and 2024, resulting in only five convictions. Press freedom advocates have cited this disparity as evidence that investigations themselves can serve as a means of intimidation.

Personal data protection rules have also raised concerns for journalism. In a controversy publicized in June 2026, the news website Zuv.mn was reportedly fined MNT 20 million after publishing a photograph of a state-owned company executive in public-interest reporting. The photograph was treated as biometric information under personal data protection rules. Journalists’ organizations and senior government officials criticized the sanction, highlighting the risk that privacy protections could be applied in ways that penalize reporting on public officials and discourage investigative journalism.

Legal Basis

Article 16 [Citizen’s rights] of the Constitution of Mongolia on “Freedom of thought, opinion, expression, speech, press, and peaceful assembly” states that procedures for organizing demonstrations and other assemblies are determined by law. Accordingly, the Parliament of Mongolia passed the Law on Procedures for Demonstrations and Assembly in 1994, which has since been amended 5 times. In addition to this law, there are specific regulations on the rights and responsibilities of the police force with respect to assembly in the Law on Police.

The Law on Procedures for Demonstrations and Assembly defines assembly as an activity organized by citizens of Mongolia with the purpose of expressing their views, opinions and demands to the public on issues related to politics, society, economy, human rights and freedoms. Demonstration is defined as an organized procession of citizens through the streets and squares of a city, expressing their views, opinions, and demands on the issues specified (Article 3).

Applicable Procedures and Requirements

According to the Law on Procedures for Demonstrations and Assembly, only citizens of Mongolia, political parties, and NGOs that are registered in the state registry can organize demonstrations and public assemblies (Article 3).

In order to organize public demonstrations or assemblies, political parties and NGOs must officially appoint an individual organizer who should be responsible for any outcome of the event. (Article 11) An organizer has a clear set of responsibilities under the law, as follows:

• to ensure public order and safety of citizens at demonstrations and gatherings;
• not to cause damage to public utilities, lawns, crops and other people’s property in cities and settlements, and to clean streets and squares after demonstrations and rallies;
• to warn participants not to carry weapons, toxic and explosive substances, or anything that may endanger the environment and human life and health, and to notify the relevant authorities immediately if such cases occur;
• to warn the participants not to use any force during the demonstration or assembly, not to divulge secrets protected by the law of the state, organization or individual, not to insult the honor and dignity of others, and to immediately suspend or contact them if this provision is violated;
• not to allow persons who have consumed alcohol, drugs or toxic substances or are mentally ill to participate in demonstrations and rallies, and not to consume alcohol during demonstrations and rallies;
• to warn participants not to block streets and roads during demonstrations and rallies, to disrupt the normal operation of any organization, or to take part in their internal affairs;
• not to extort money, intimidate, or otherwise coerce others to participate in demonstrations or rallies;
• not to build temporary shelters or allow vehicles during demonstrations and rallies in Sukhbaatar Square.

If the organizer violates any of these provisions, he or she shall be held liable.

In terms of process, according to Article 3, organizers of public demonstrations should register their demonstration with the corresponding local authority. Their statement shall include the objective of the demonstration, the start and finish time, the approximate number of participants, the equipment to be used, and the location and route of the demonstration. The local governor should communicate whether the demonstration is registered or not within 3 working days of receiving the notification. If the governor has not responded in three working days, the organizers have the right to organize the demonstration at the stated place and time.

According to Article 10, the governor can refuse to register a demonstration for the following reasons:

• If the request to organize a demonstration is made by an unregistered, disincorporated political party or NGO, or by political parties and NGOs whose operations are suspended by the court or other authorized organizations;
• If a demonstration is planned to take place in forbidden territories;
• If a demonstration is intended for a prohibited purpose as stated in Article 8 of the law (see below).

Organizers can appeal to the court if they disagree with the refusal of the governor.

Legal Barriers to Freedom of Assembly

The Law on Procedures for Demonstrations and Assembly contains some additional restrictions to demonstrations and assembly based on place, objective, and type.

According to Article 7, the following places are restricted for a demonstration or an assembly:

• Airports and train stations;
• Places under state protection or under the protection of military and police;
• Radio and TV broadcasting stations and communication stations in provinces and the capital;
• Places where international exhibitions are held, or marketplaces in urban areas;
• Medical facilities;
• The area of Sukhbaatar Square comprising the grounds of the Government House.

According to Article 8, demonstrations for the following objectives are forbidden:

• Propaganda of war, incitement to ethnic divisions or discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, language, race, age, sex, social origin, status, religion, murder, assassination, sabotage, illegal incitement to seize state power;
• To create disorder and damage national security and public order.

Demonstrations which started with legal objectives and forms but evolved to have the above-mentioned objectives are restricted from continuing further.

Moreover, if the country or a certain region is under a state of emergency or war, or affected by disaster, demonstrations and assembly are prohibited until the normal situation is restored.

It is also prohibited to organize counter-demonstrations at the same place and time as an approved demonstration.

The intentional organization of hunger strikes at public places is forbidden as hunger strikes are considered an inhumane act against a person’s health and life.

From a practical perspective, the registration of a demonstration with the local governor appears to be one of the key bottlenecks for the freedom of assembly in Mongolia. As the governor is a political official, there have been instances when the governor has refused to register a demonstration due to reasons not stated in the law. Moreover, public demonstrations are often aimed to protest against policies, decisions, and activities of the government or certain government agencies. However, the buildings of such organizations and their premises are under state or police protection. It is prohibited to organize demonstrations in such places.

Policing / Enforcement

According to Article 12 of the Law on Police, the police department is responsible for maintaining public order during demonstrations and protecting the participants of demonstrations and assembly from assault. However, the police are also responsible for disbanding demonstrations and assemblies if:

• The demonstration or assembly is organized without registration;
• The demonstration is registered but the place of the demonstration or assembly has changed and is taking place in prohibited areas;
• The demonstration or assembly is organized by the restricted organizations stated in Article 10 (e.g. suspended political parties, NGOs, etc.);
• The demonstration has an illegitimate purpose, or the organizers and participants have failed to fulfill their responsibilities. (Article 14)

Article 44 of the Law on Police provides for the forced dispersal of demonstrations and rallies. A demonstration and an assembly shall be dispersed by force if participants refuse to obey the governor’s decision to disband the demonstration or assembly. When dispersing the demonstration or assembly, the police department can employ enforcement measures stated in the Law on Police. Also, the law requires the dispersal process to be documented by audio-visual recording and photographs.

When maintaining public order and safety during the demonstrations, the police department sometimes set up special perimeters or fences, or provides traffic markers and even checks the alcohol consumption of the participants, as in the public demonstration against corruption scandals of the Speaker of Parliament organized on 10 January 2019.

There have been many cases where public demonstrations and assembly were dispersed by police for being unregistered, or for disrupting the normal operation of government organizations. Hunger strikes have also been broken up.

Mongolia’s fuel shortage sparks protest as drivers wait in lines (October 2026)
Motorists abandoned their cars and marched through central Ulaanbaatar to protest Mongolia’s worsening fuel shortage, as hours-long lines at filling stations add to public anger over rising prices. The demonstrations near parliament underscore growing frustration over a supply crunch that has forced the landlocked nation to seek additional fuel from Russia, China and South Korea.

Fine imposed on news website sparks press freedom concerns (July 2026)
In June 2026, a public controversy emerged in Mongolia after the news website Zuv.mn was reportedly fined 20 million MNT following a complaint by an official of a state-owned company over the use of his photograph in public-interest reporting in January 2026. Media reports indicated that the photograph had been treated as “biometric information” under personal data protection rules, raising concerns about the application of privacy protections in a journalistic context.

Government prioritizes transparency in state service (March 2026)
The Cabinet Secretariat said the Government of Mongolia will submit a revised Law on State Secrets and declassify 894 items currently treated as “official secrets.” Officials said the reform is meant to curb over-classification and ensure that government information not related to state secrets remains open to the public.

Mongolia’s human rights record set for fourth UPR review (October 2025)
OHCHR announced that Mongolia would undergo its fourth Universal Periodic Review on 4 November 2025, with recommendations scheduled for adoption on 14 November. The review is based not only on the state report and UN materials, but also on information submitted by national human rights institutions, regional organizations and civil society groups.

Parliament discusses the 24th human rights and freedoms report (May 2025)
The State Great Hural discussed the National Human Rights Commission’s 24th report on the state of human rights and freedoms in Mongolia and sent its recommendations to the standing committees. The report drew on information from government, civil society and international organizations, and included findings on elections, the situation of human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists, technology-facilitated gender-based violence and the fair administration of justice.

Mongolia advances its commitment to Women, Peace and Security (February 2025)
UN Women has welcomed a commitment by the Government of Mongolia to prioritize developing the country’s first National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) through a collaborative process. Speaking at a forum in Ulanbaataar on contemporary developments for the WPS agenda, Mandkhai Batsuren, Director-General of the Multilateral Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, issued a strong call to action. “As we mark the 25th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, Mongolia has remained highly engaged with the WPS agenda,” said Ms Batsuren. “It is now time for Mongolia to develop a National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. This must be a collective effort. The government, civil society organizations and academia must work together to determine our national priorities.”

CSOs and media prioritize anti-corruption partnerships (August 2024)
From August 6 to 7 in Ulaanbaatar, the “Strengthening the Key Role of Civil Society and Media to Call Out and Prevent Corruption” workshop took place to underscore the critical role of civil society organizations (CSOs) and the media, and to increase their role in the detection and prevention of corruption. To increase the role of civil society and the media in the prevention of corruption, the participants determined some key actions, drawing on the recently adopted National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS).

Mongolia strengthens independent policy despite debt and corruption (December 2023)
Despite facing both political and economic challenges in 2023, Mongolia has demonstrated resilience, maintaining an independent foreign policy and successfully navigating external influences from major powers like China and Russia, whilst growing ties with countries such as France, the United States, Poland and South Korea. Despite this, corruption, domestic political competition and economic pressures — including a risky over-dependence on Chinese markets and increasing national debt — could pose challenges for Mongolia in 2024.

Mongolia rated as compliant or largely compliant on all 40 FATF recommendations (July 2023)
Mongolia’s 6th Follow-up report was reviewed and approved during the meeting. Subsequently, the working group took necessary actions, prepared, and successfully defended the report resulting in a compliant rating on FATF Recommendation 8. Accordingly, Mongolia, along with Macao are the countries in the Asia-Pacific region to be fully compliant and assessed as “compliant” and “largely compliant” on all 40 FATF technical recommendations, including the updated Recommendation 15.

Report on the state of human rights and freedom discussed (April 2023)
In the context of declining international rankings of Mongolia on democracy, human rights and transparency and increased public unrest, the Prime minister held a meeting with CSOs and human rights defenders on April 17, 2023. Following the meeting, the GoM pledged to develop the State Policy On Civil Society Partnership, approve the 2nd National Program on Protection of Human Rights, and comply and implement recommendations and demands given by the National Human Rights Commission or its members. And, on April 27, 2023, the National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia released the 22nd Situation of Human Rights and Freedoms in Mongolia report to the parliament. One of the suggestions was to improve the legal framework of freedom of assembly and address current gaps and challenges.

New Mongolian law on social media threatens free speech (January 2023)
The Mongolian parliament passed a new law supposedly to “protect human rights on social media,” but human rights groups say it threatens free speech and gives the state the ultimate power to regulate content on tech platforms. The law will take effect on February 1, 2023 unless Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh vetoes it.

Mongolians protest alleged theft of coal sold to China (December 2022)
Protesters angered by allegations of corruption linked to Mongolia’s coal trade with China tried to force their way into the State Palace in the capital, demanding dismissals of officials involved in the scandal. The U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar issued an saying that several hundred protesters had gathered in the freezing cold in the city’s Sukhbaatar Square during the weekend and marched to the presidential residence.

Protesters in Mongolia try to storm state palace (December 2022)
Thousands of people have braved freezing temperatures in Mongolia’s capital to protest against alleged corruption in the country’s coal industry and soaring inflation, with some later attempting to storm government house. Protesters, many of them young people, rallied in Ulaanbaatar’s central Sukhbaatar Square, demanding “justice” against corrupt officials and calling for the country’s parliament to be dismissed.

The Government Makes Decisions Without Proper Consultation (July 2022)

Is Mongolia Heading Toward One-Party Rule? (May 2021)

Mongolian prime minister submits resignation after COVID-19 protests (January 2021)

Proposed Legislation to Restrict Civil Society in Mongolia (November 2019)

The foregoing information was collected by ICNL’s CFM partner in Mongolia.