Chairman of the State Great Hural (Parliament) D. Amarbayasgalan received representatives of international and non-governmental organizations working to protect children’s rights in Mongolia today (May 30, 2025), on the occasion of “International Children’s Day.”

At the beginning of the meeting, Chairman D. Amarbayasgalan noted that Mongolia enacted the Law on Child Protection in 2016 with the participation of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and in 2024, an amended version of this law was adopted. As of January 1, 2025, every one of the 330 soums and khoroos (districts) in Mongolia now has a social worker. He also emphasized that the new parliament, formed following the 9th regular election of the State Great Hural (Parliament), approved a strategic plan at its inaugural session aimed at ensuring and protecting human rights and establishing a human-centered legal and regulatory environment. Working groups have been established to improve laws related to child development, participation, and protection.

The Chairman highlighted that the State Great Hural (Parliament) is actively focusing on children’s health, equal access to education, financial literacy, and addressing violence against children facilitated by digital technologies. For instance, efforts are underway to extend the “School Lunch” program beyond primary school students to include those in middle and high schools. He introduced the possibility of linking this program with the “New Cooperative” movement for effective implementation.

In terms of equal access to education, attention is being given to improving the availability of technical equipment and resources for digital learning environments in local schools. Furthermore, under the initiative of the Chairman of the State Great Hural (Parliament), the Mongolian Bank, Financial Regulatory Commission, Deposit Insurance Corporation, and General Education Department have jointly launched the LEVEL-UP program. This program aims to provide senior high school students with fundamental financial literacy knowledge, good habits, and skills. The parliamentary working groups are also developing programs to address violence against children perpetrated through digital technologies.

Evariste Kouassi-Komlan, the Resident Representative of UNICEF Mongolia, expressed appreciation for Mongolia being one of the first countries to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child. He commended Chairman D. Amarbayasgalan for initiating and implementing numerous efforts to uphold children’s rights. He noted UNICEF’s close collaboration with the State Great Hural (Parliament) and emphasized the importance of focusing on every child’s healthy growth and development from the womb until adulthood. Hence, including all students in the “School Lunch” program is vital. He also mentioned ongoing cooperation to bridge educational disparities between urban and rural areas and support English language proficiency as part of the digital transformation.

B. Bolortsetseg, National Director of the international organization World Vision, spoke about efforts to protect the rights and support the participation of vulnerable children. M. Ulziichimeg, Director of the “Unur Bul” Center, raised concerns about the care of children who are full orphans and the neglect issues by parents.

Representatives of various international and non-governmental organizations working in child protection expressed gratitude for the State Great Hural’s (Parliament’s) growing attention to ensuring children’s rights, supporting their participation, and fostering their development. They affirmed their commitment to cooperate in the full implementation of the new parliament’s activities and strategic plans.