Country profile MNG
Context
Context
| Year | Age group | Proportion | Gender | Indicator | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 5-17 | 16.1 | Male | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2018 | 5-17 | 13.2 | Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2018 | 5-17 | 14.7 | Male & Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2018 | 5-17 | 9.1 | Male | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2018 | 5-17 | 6.5 | Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2018 | 5-17 | 7.9 | Male & Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | Source |
National Legal Framework
National Legal Framework
| Provision | Legislation date | Convention | Legislation info | sources | Value | sort_order | Provision description | Legislation description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| List of hazardous activities prohibited for children | 2022 | C138 & C182 | Ministerial Order No. A/122 | [{"link_name":"CEACR Observation","source_link":"https://www.ilo.org/normlex-permalink/comment/en/4345666"}] | Yes | 7 | C138 and C182 require the national determination of a list of hazardous work prohibited for children under 18 years of age. The competent authorities should consult with workers' and employers' organizations to determine what types of employment or work are considered to be hazardous. Such a list shall be periodically examined and revised as necessary. | The “List of jobs prohibited to minors under 18 years of age” was adopted through Order No. A/122 by the Minister of Labour and Social Protection. It explicitly prohibits children under 18 from participating in professional horse racing (section 2.1.14.1) and in related activities such as short and long-distance race training from 1 November to 1 May. This complements Resolution No. 57 of 2019, which bans horse racing during hazardous winter months. Despite this, monitoring reports and child labour studies indicate continued engagement of children in horse racing activities, with injuries and fatalities still occurring. The CEACR has expressed concern over the enforcement of these measures and urged Mongolia to strengthen protections and raise the legal minimum age for such activities. |
| Minimum age for hazardous work | 2022 | C138 & C182 | Revised Labour Law of Mongolia - Section 142.6 | [{"link_name":"Revised Labour Law of Mongolia","source_link":"https://legalinfo.mn/mn/edtl/16532053891911"}] | 16-18 | 6 | C138 and C182 set 18 as the minimum age for hazardous work, which is defined as work that, due to its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to jeopardize children’s health, safety or morals. C138 and C182 allow countries to permit hazardous work exceptionally as from 16, provided that the health, safety and morals of the young persons concerned are fully protected and that they have received adequate specific instruction or training. | The Labour Law of Mongolia (revised in 2021, effective from 1 January 2022) sets 18 years as the minimum age for employment in hazardous work, in accordance with Conventions No. 138 and 182. Section 142.6 of the revised law explicitly prohibits the employment of children under the age of 18 in hazardous occupations and working conditions that may adversely affect their health, safety, or morals. The law allows the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to define the list of hazardous work and working conditions, which was done under Ministerial Order A/231 (2022). This list was prepared in consultation with employers’ and workers’ organisations and defines specific sectors, tasks, and substances that are considered hazardous. The legislation also permits an exception from age 16 under exceptional, safeguarded conditions, provided that protective measures and training are ensured. |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs, prohibited? | 2021 | C182 | Criminal Code of Mongolia - Articles 10.1 and 18.1 | [{"link_name":"Criminal Code of Mongolia","source_link":"https://legislationline.org/sites/default/files/documents/c1/MONG_CC.pdf"}] | Yes | 11 | C182 prohibits the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs. | The Criminal Code of Mongolia (2021) prohibits involving children in illicit activities, including drug-related offences. Article 10.1 of the Code criminalises organising or coercing a person into committing a criminal offence, which encompasses drug trafficking and related crimes. Where a child is used for such purposes, the offence is considered aggravated and subject to harsher penalties. Additionally, Article 18.1 criminalises unlawful manufacturing, trafficking, or distribution of narcotic drugs, and aggravating circumstances include the involvement of minors. These legal provisions align with Convention No. 182’s requirement to prohibit the use of children in the production or trafficking of drugs. |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of a child for the purpose of prostitution and for production of pornography prohibited? | 2021 | C182 | Criminal Code of Mongolia - Articles 12.3, 16.8, 16.9, 115 | [{"link_name":"Criminal Code of Mongolia","source_link":"https://legislationline.org/sites/default/files/documents/c1/MONG_CC.pdf"}] | Yes | 10 | C182 prohibits the use of a child under the age of 18 for prostitution, regardless of the child's consent. The use, procuring or offering of any person under the age of 18 for commercial sexual exploitation constitutes a worst form of child labour, even if prostitution is a legalised. In regard to the prohibition of child pornography, States need to make sure that national legislation addresses the involvement of a child in the production of pornographic materials, including non-recorded performances. | Mongolia’s legal framework expressly prohibits the use, procuring, or offering of a child for prostitution or for the production of pornography. Under the Criminal Code of Mongolia (2021), Article 12.3 penalises engagement in prostitution involving minors. Articles 16.8 and 16.9 criminalise acts related to the sexual exploitation and trafficking of minors, while Article 115 covers additional protections against sexual offences involving children. |
| Is forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 for use in armed conflict prohibited? | 2021 | C182 | Law on Military Service - Article 12 | [{"link_name":"Law on Military Service","source_link":"https://legalinfo.mn/mn/detail?lawId=12124"}] | Yes | 9 | C182 defines forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 for use in armed conflict as a worst form of child labour. Nevertheless, C182 only prohibits the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18, and does not cover the voluntary recruitment of children under 18. | Mongolia prohibits the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 into armed forces. According to Article 12 of the Law on Military Service (2021), the minimum age for voluntary recruitment is set at 18 years, and there is no provision permitting compulsory recruitment of persons below this age. This legal framework ensures that all forms of forced or compulsory recruitment into the armed forces are restricted to adults, thereby aligning with the requirements of Convention No. 182. The legislation also supports compliance with the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict, which Mongolia has ratified. |
| Is the sale and trafficking of children for sexual and labour exploitation prohibited? | 2021 | C182 | Criminal Code of Mongolia - Article 13.1 | [{"link_name":"Criminal Code","source_link":"https://legislationline.org/sites/default/files/documents/c1/MONG_CC.pdf"}] | Yes | 8 | C182 defines all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour as worst forms of child labour. | Mongolia explicitly prohibits the trafficking of persons, including children, for sexual and labour exploitation. Article 13.1 of the Criminal Code defines human trafficking as acts committed for the purpose of prostitution, sexual exploitation, rape, slavery or slavery-like conditions, organ removal, or forced labour. These acts include the use of force, threats, manipulation, deception, abuse of power, exploitation of vulnerability, or control through payment or corruption. The law criminalises not only the act of trafficking but also related conduct such as transporting, harbouring, transiting, or receiving persons for these purposes. This provision is applicable regardless of the victim’s consent and establishes a penalty of two to eight years of imprisonment. In cases involving aggravating circumstances (such as trafficking committed as part of an organised group or involving minors), the penalties are more severe under paragraph 2 of the same article. |
| Minimum age for admission to apprenticeship | 2021 | C138 | Revised Labour Law - Article 142.3 ; Order No. A/123 | [{"link_name":"Revised Labour Law","source_link":"https://legalinfo.mn/mn/edtl/16532053891911"}] | 14 | 5 | C138 does not apply to work done in school for general, vocational or technical education or in training institutions or work done by children at least 14 years of age in undertakings, where such work is carried out in accordance with conditions prescribed by the competent authority. Such work must be an integral part of: (i) a course of education or training for which a school or training institution is primarily responsible; (ii) a programme of training mainly or entirely in an undertaking, which programme has been approved by the competent authority; or (iii) a programme of guidance or orientation designed to facilitate the choice of an occupation or of a line of training. | The Revised Labour Law of Mongolia (2021) permits children aged 14 years and above to engage in work or vocational training with the written consent of their legal representatives and the approval of the Labour Authority, provided that the work is not harmful to their health or development and does not interfere with their education (Article 142.3). In line with Article 142.4, the types and conditions of such work are defined by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection through Order No. A/123 (2022), which explicitly includes training and apprenticeship activities carried out under regulated circumstances. |
| Is the minimum age for admission to work not less than the age for completion of compulsory schooling? | 2021 | C138 | Revised Labour Law - Article 142.1 ; Law on Education - Section 46.2.3 ; Law on Primary and Secondary Education - Sections 7.2 and 12.4 | [{"link_name":"-Revised Labour Law","source_link":"https://legalinfo.mn/mn/edtl/16532053891911"},{"link_name":"-Law on Education","source_link":"https://legalinfo.mn/mn/edtl/16230948325811"},{"link_name":"-CEACR Observation","source_link":"https://www.ilo.org/normlex-permalink/comment/en/4345690"}] | No | 4 | C138 requires that the minimum age for admission to work shall not be less than the age of completion of compulsory schooling and, in any case, shall not be less than 15 years. | Article 142.1 of the Revised Labour Law (2021) sets the minimum age for admission to employment at 15 years. However, national education laws provide conflicting definitions for the age of completion of compulsory schooling: Section 46.2.3 of the Law on Education (2002) states that compulsory basic education ends at age 16. Meanwhile, Sections 7.2 and 12.4 of the Law on Primary and Secondary Education (2002) establish nine years of compulsory education starting at age 6, which would make education compulsory up to age 15. Due to this inconsistency, the minimum age for work (15) is not clearly aligned with a harmonized national definition of the age of completion of compulsory schooling, contrary to Article 2(3) of Convention No. 138. The ILO Committee of Experts (CEACR), in its 2023 observation, has requested Mongolia to: Clarify and harmonize national legislation concerning the age of completion of compulsory schooling; and Raise the minimum working age if compulsory education is confirmed to extend beyond 15 years. |
| Light work - Determination of types and conditions of activities | 2022 | C138 | Order No. A/123 of the Minister of Labour and Social Protection | [{"link_name":"CEACR Observation","source_link":"https://www.ilo.org/normlex-permalink/comment/en/4345690"}] | Yes | 3 | If the country chooses to allow light work, States must determine what activities are considered light work, and the hours and the circumstances under which they may be carried out. | Mongolia has fulfilled the requirement of determining the types and conditions of light work. Article 142.4 of the Revised Labour Law (2021) mandates the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to define what constitutes light work for children aged 13 years and older. This determination was officially made through Ministerial Order No. A/123, issued on 10 June 2022. The order specifies both the categories of permissible light work and the conditions under which children may engage in such work, including limits on working hours and safeguards to ensure that employment does not affect their health or education. The ILO T4DW project supported the development of this order, which is in line with Convention No. 138 standards. |
| Minimum age for light work | 2021 | C138 | Revised Labor Law of Mongolia - Section 142.3 | [{"link_name":"Revised Labor Law of Mongolia","source_link":"https://legalinfo.mn/mn/edtl/16532053891911"}] | 13 | 2 | C138 defines light work as work that does not interfere with children’s schooling, or their ability to benefit from it, and that is not hazardous. C138 allows countries to permit light work for children younger than the general minimum age. For countries that set the minimum age at 15, this means children aged 13-14, and for those that set it at 14, children aged 12-13 may engage in light work. | Section 142.3 of the Revised Labour Law of Mongolia allows children aged 13 years and older to perform light work with the consent of their legal representatives, provided that such work does not harm their health, growth, or development, and does not hinder their education. |
| Minimum age for admission to work | 2021 | C138 | Revised Labor Law of Mongolia - Article 142.1 | [{"link_name":"Revised Labor Law of Mongolia","source_link":"https://legalinfo.mn/mn/edtl/16532053891911"}] | 15 | 1 | C138 establishes 15 as the minimum age for work in general. Developing countries have the option of setting a minimum age of 14 as a transitional measure as they strengthen their education systems and economies. | Article 142.1 of the Revised Labor Law of Mongolia sets the minimum age for employment at 15 years. This provision aligns with international standards as stipulated in ILO Convention C138. |
International Legal Framework
International Legal Framework
| Ratification status | Convention | Convention description | Date of ratification | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in-force | C182 | Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) | 26-FEB-2001 | Source |
| in-force | C138 | Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) | 16-DEC-2002 | Source |
Policies and Plans
Policies and Plans
| Description | sources | Period | Policy name | Implementing agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| According to the End Violence Against Children, Country Fact Sheet Mongolia, "The National Programme of Action on Child Development and Protection (2017-2021) sets the following objectives in order to ensure and protect children’s rights: create child-friendly, safe environments; create an environment conducive to development of each child, so that the skills and talents of children can be identified and fostered; promote the practice of listening to and respecting the opinions of children in society and increase child participation in the planning, implementation and evaluation stages of various policies; protect children from all forms of neglect, abuse, violence, and exploitation as well as situations where they might be placed at-risk; and reduce poverty among children by promoting equal-opportunity social welfare measures." | [{"link_name":"National Programme of Action on Child Development and Protection","source_link":"https://legalinfo.mn/mn/detail/12903/2/208049"}] | 2017–2021 | National Programme of Action on Child Development and Protection | Ministry of Labour and Social Protection |
| A $5.5 million, four-year partnership (2020–2024) among the Government of Mongolia, the United States Government, and NGOs. The partnership comprises 18 governmental and non-governmental organizations focusing on victim-centered, collaborative, and sustainable approaches to identify child trafficking victims. It established a Multidisciplinary Task Force under the National Sub-Council on Trafficking in Persons and works with the Crime Prevention and Coordinating Council. In 2023, NGOs coordinated with the Ministry of Education to implement afterschool programs in 40 high-risk schools to help students recognize and prevent forced child labour and sex trafficking. Additionally, 200 volunteer community home visitors were deployed to engage communities on child protection topics. | [{"link_name":"CPCP","source_link":"https://mn.usembassy.gov/pr-111921/"}] | 2020–2024 | Child Protection Compact Partnership (CPCP) | National Sub-Council on Trafficking in Persons; Ministry of Labour and Social Protection; Ministry of Education; partner NGOs |
| Established in 2018, the National Council for Children serves as Mongolia's primary coordinating body for child protection efforts. Chaired by the Prime Minister, with the Minister of Labour and Social Protection as Deputy Head, and the head of the Family, Child, and Youth Development Authority (FCYDA) as the Secretariat. The council includes representatives from relevant ministries, NGOs, and civil society organizations. In 2023, the Cabinet reorganized the structure and renewed the council's mandate, leading to the adoption of policy and procedural papers for the Revised Child Protection Law. | [{"link_name":"National Council for Children","source_link":"https://mlsp.gov.mn/eng/content/detail/1919"}] | 2018–present | National Council for Children | Prime Minister’s Office (Chair), Ministry of Labour and Social Protection |