Ulaanbaatar, January 23 /MONTSAME/. The International Development Law Organization (IDLO) launched the 15-month “Child Protection Enhancement Project” (2023-2024) on the 19^th of January 2023 in Ulaanbaatar. Funded by the Delegation of the European Union to Mongolia, the project aims to increase children’s access to justice, enhance the child protection system and response mechanisms in Mongolia. The project builds on the success of IDLO’s previous EU-funded child protection project, which run from January 2021 through June 2022.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected the ability of the Legal Committees on Child Rights (LCCRs) to effectively function and address the rights of the children in contact with the law. Though the Government of Mongolia has made considerable efforts to strengthen the child protection framework and expand resources available to children through the onboarding of additional LCCRs and child protection officers, institutions require significant support to ensure these resources reach children in need.

Despite an influx of staff and resources, Mongolia’s child protection system struggles to keep pace with reports of violence involving children. In the first quarter of 2022, over 16,000 calls to the 108-child helpline were recorded, of which, 2,192 were under active investigation by the AFCYD as of July 2022. Data from the National Police Agency similarly finds that only 46% of children in contact with the law received LCCR services in the first quarter of 2022.

The project will be implemented in close cooperation with the Authority for Family, Children, and Youth (AFCYD), Secretariat staff of the LCCRs, justice sector stakeholders, and civil society actors, who will receive direct support in building technical skills of LCCRs through effective mentorship, advanced training for its Secretariat staff, introducing a rehabilitation services toolkit, and raising awareness of online child protection issues among children and parents.  

At the launch event, a Memorandum of Understanding establishing cooperation between the AFCYD and IDLO Mongolia was signed by Ulziikhutag Nachindagva, OIC, Head of AFCYD, and Stephen Kent, Country Manager for the IDLO. N. Munkhnasan, the Head of the Child Rights Department for the AFCYD presented on the current state of the child protection system in Mongolia, while Odontuya Norov, the Project Coordinator for the IDLO presented the objectives, outcomes, and expected results of the project.

EU Cooperation Section Team Leader Adrien Mourgues stated “I am pleased this project builds on the results of the first phase of the project and that the second phase of the child protection project continues to address the key challenges to enhance both the preventative and response mechanisms of the child protection system in Mongolia,” at the launch of the project.

IDLO Country Manager Stephen Kent stated “IDLO is now able to continue its efforts by strengthening the capacity of the Secretariat staff of the Legal Committee for Child Rights, alongside a mentorship program led by senior child protection experts. We are also keenly aware that these results will be achieved thanks to strong partnerships with Government agencies like AFCYD, MOJHA, MLSP, MODD, and the local CSOs and NGOs. Therefore, it is even more important at this time to enhance child protection frameworks and strengthen them to respond to the needs of children,” at the launch of the project.

OIC, Head of the AFCYD Ulziikhutag Nachindagva shared “According to the operational reports of 21 aimags and 9 districts of the Legal Committee for Child Rights (LCCRs) as of December 2022, 98% of the cases were handled successfully which is the result of the capacity-building training organized for the members of LCCRs as part of the first phase of the project,” at the launch of the program.

The International Development Law Organization (IDLO) is the only intergovernmental organization exclusively devoted to promoting the rule of law. IDLO works to enable governments and empower people to reform laws and strengthen institutions to promote peace, justice, sustainable development, and economic opportunity. Its programs, research, and policy advocacy cover the spectrum of rule of law from peace and institution building to social development and economic recovery in countries emerging from conflict and striving toward democracy.

For more information on IDLO in Mongolia, see here: www.idlo.int/where-we-work/asia/mongolia

Source: IDLO