Your Excellency the President of Mongolia,
Excellencies, distinguished guests, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great honour to speak at the opening of the National Human Rights Forum, a major event of which the European Union has been a staunch supporter from the beginning.
This event is only possible thanks to the hard work of the National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia. This country is privileged to have such an active institution, which listens to citizens but also takes initiatives to promote and protect human rights in their evolving dimension. International partnerships supporting the work of the Commission are crucial: the EU will continue its cooperation and calls upon other international partners to do the same.
The theme of the 2025 Human Rights Day is “Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials”.
I wish it would be true for all the children of Mongolia. Too many continue to be deprived from their essential rights:
I think of those who die with their parents because of carbon monoxide emissions in their home,
I think of those hospitalised because of air pollution,
I think of these orphans abused in different ways and unaccounted for,
I think of the children victims of sexual violence without an effective legal protection,
And I think of all the children who are not given real opportunities for their future because they are in a class of 40+ pupils.
Today at the occasion of the National Human Rights Forum, I call for joint action to better protect the children! More budget, more human and material means in the aimags and soums, prosecution of all child rape cases.
I am speaking this morning about painful issues. But this is what real human rights are about: Human rights are about improving concretely the life of people who suffer, putting an end to violations and abuses, and making violators accountable.
In a world where human rights violations are probably at their highest level ever, from Sudan to Afghanistan, from Myanmar to North Korea, Mongolians are incredibly lucky to live in a vibrant democracy. Lucky because there are quite a few countires who believe that democracy is a sign of weakness.
They are wrong. Democracy and the respect for human rights help Mongolia to remain an independent country!
When I observe the discussion on the media freedom law in the Parliament, when I observe the debate on modifying the law on official and state secrecy, which is indeed abused to restrict fundamental freedoms, when I expect the adoption of the law on whistle-blowers, which is needed to tackle corruption, I see discussions that contribute to Mongolia’ sustainable development.
Next summer, Mongolia will host COP17 on desertification. The European Union and its Member States are with you to achieve a successful result. A significant part of the discussion will actually be about human rights: finding new ways to combat drought.
Climate change is a human rights killer! It deprives millions of people from their rights to food, to water, to health, to housing etc. In that respect, Mongolia as a big emitter of greenhouse gases per inhabitant must act more resolutely as this is ultimately about human rights of Mongolian people.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The decision to host COP17 shows that Mongolia is a frontrunner at the UN for human rights. I congratulate you for the successful adoption of the Mongolia-led resolutions on Cooperatives in Social Development and on the Situation of Rural Women and Girls at the Third Committee of the General Assembly. It is also very positive that Mongolia follows a policy of open doors to UN Human Rights mechanisms. You just went through a new Universal Periodic Review hearing for which a substantial follow up is needed.
The shared view that human rights are a building block of our societies is instrumental in the relations between the EU and Mongolia. It gives full meaning to our role as Mongolia’s Third Neighbour. The EU takes very seriously the annual Human Rights Dialogue with Mongolia, and expects a closer follow-up.
Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the valuable work carried out by human rights NGOs in Mongolia. I am proud to announce that the EU has recently selected four new projects to support human rights, which will be implemented not only in Ulaanbaatar but also across several aimags.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I sincerely hope that this edition of the National Human Rights Forum will foster fruitful discussions, paving the way for effective implementation and tangible progress.
Thank you very much.
