Faces of Open Government: Bolorsaikhan Badamsambuu

In this edition of Faces of Open Government, Bolorsaikhan Badamsambuu, who served as Mongolia’s Point-of-Contact for the Open Government PartnershipThe Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on improving government transparency, ensuring opportunities for citizen participation in public matters, and strengthen... More from March 2023 to August 2024, shares his insights on how digital innovation, civic engagement, and robust partnerships can advance human rightsAn essential part of open government includes protecting the sacred freedoms and rights of all citizens, including the most vulnerable groups, and holding those who violate human rights accountable. T... and foster more inclusive societies.

With 16 years of experience in human rights and social justiceTo address barriers that prevent citizens from having their justice needs met, OGP participating governments are working to expand transparency, accountability, and inclusion into all systems of justi... advocacy, we explore how Bolorsaikhan has been a dedicated champion for marginalized groups and international movements, and how these efforts are shaping a brighter future for Mongolia and beyond.

What inspired you to work on human rights and open government issues? 

When I was a 13-year-old student, I had the opportunity to visit the National Juvenile Detention Center to promote the National Scout Movement. 

During the 1990s, it was common to hear about military personnel and incarcerated adults facing hunger, although I had not witnessed it personally. Today, many Mongolians believe that we have never faced “hunger” in our modern history. However, back then, prisoners often relied on their families to bring them food and formed groups to survive. It was shocking to see that not only adults but children were segregated in prisons during such harsh times, without proper consultation or adequate support.

That visit profoundly impacted me, inspiring me to become a lawyer as a “surgeon of society,” to protect vulnerable individuals in a lawful, non-violent, and rights-respecting manner. This experience taught me that openness, transparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the pub... More, public accountabilityAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, public accountability occurs when ”rules, regulations, and mechanisms in place call upon government actors to justify their actions, act upon criticisms ... More, and civic participation lead to a more positive impact, benefiting everyone. By promoting open governance, people can engage more constructively, form strong communities, and collectively create a participatory, inclusive, and just society.

How can platforms like OGP advance civic space and protect other human rights?

OGP has helped to further new platforms for dialogue between government and civil society. Through collaborative efforts, we have drafted Mongolia’s fifth action planAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen..., and our engagement continues into the implementation phase, fostering ongoing mutual learning. Civil society organizations, especially those in rural areas, have a deeper understanding of the types of human rights violations occurring. Their valuable insights were crucial in shaping the action plan and enabling us to develop practical commitments that will positively impact policy and protect human rights.

In 2022, Mongolia’s  National Committee for Human Rights established a new intra-governmental mechanism to implement, report, and follow up on the status of human rights for the first time in modern history: the Local Human Rights Reporting and Review. This mechanism requires all governors (of the capital city and its districts as well as provinces) to draft local human rights status reports and defend them in the presence of human rights experts. As part of this process, governors must provide an open space to discuss local human rights issues with all relevant stakeholders before the reports are submitted.

This approach is helping stakeholders in Mongolia to better sense and monitor the “pulse” of society through a more human rights-based approach to data.

How can democracy benefit from digital innovation? 

One of the main threats to democracy, as well as a significant factor in human rights violations, is corruption. The lack of transparency creates an environment conducive to it. By making public procurement and fiscal budgets accessible through digitalization, we can enhance public participation and oversight. Digital innovation is vital for Mongolia’s democracy, and our youth are eager for change. NGOs have developed digital tools to advance democracy. For example, Youth Policy Watch created an Election Promise Tracker using data focused on vocational and tertiary educationAccountability within the public education system is key to improving outcomes and attainment, and accountability is nearly impossible without transparent policies and opportunities for participation ..., youthRecognizing that investing in youth means investing in a better future, OGP participating governments are creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in government processes. Technical ... More and women’s employment, and human safety.

In parallel, the parliament (the State Great Khural) has launched a web-based law-making platform called D-Parliament, which includes public discussions, online comments on drafting legislation, and an e-petition function. These digital initiatives, such as e-Mongolia, are being applied to enable more inclusive, meaningful, and direct citizen engagement at the national level.

What is e-Mongolia and how is it helping Mongolians in their daily lives? 

Through e-Mongolia, you can access various services such as:

• obtaining references related to real estate
• social insurance, school diplomas, and taxes
• applying for your passport or your newborn’s birth certificate
• renewing your driver’s license
• booking doctor appointments, submitting medical insurance forms, and even viewing your blood test results online.

These tasks previously required spending countless hours in traffic and waiting in line at agency offices. This platform has dramatically transformed our daily lives and led to significant savings. . As of May 2024, a total of 1,233 public services from 86 organizations have been integrated into the e-Mongolia system, with 1.8 million users and more than 70 percent of the adult population actively using the system.

The deployment of 175 government service kiosk machines is another crucial step in the digital transition, ensuring that public services are accessible to all. By simplifying processes, eliminating bureaucracy, and addressing urgent issues efficiently, this digital transformationGovernments are working to increase access to and quality of government services, improve transparency, and create opportunities for participation by using information and communications technologies.... More aims to save the most valuable resource—time.

How has learning from other countries through OGP helped your government strengthen open government? 

The Mongolian government aims to be more open, transparent, and inclusive, believing that valuable initiatives can originate from anyone. Both government and non-government representatives recognize the critical role of civil society in enhancing government accountability and addressing issues beyond the government’s reach. By drawing inspiration from South Korea’s public participationGiving citizens opportunities to provide input into government decision-making leads to more effective governance, improved public service delivery, and more equitable outcomes. Technical specificatio..., Canada’s engagement with Indigenous communities in government decisions, and the UK’s algorithmic impact assessment and human rights efforts, Mongolia is striving to strengthen governance and uphold human rights through public participation and collaboration between the state and civil society. 

For example, discussions on CSO-state partnership for the protection of human rights defenders began in the early 2000s, and have gained momentum. In 2011, the state and civil society collaborated to develop an initial partnership policy draft. However, after the 2012 parliamentary electionsImproving transparency in elections and maintaining the independence of electoral commissions is vital for promoting trust in the electoral system, preventing electoral fraud, and upholding the democr... More, a new government was installed, and the initiative stalled. In late 2016, Mongolian NGOs, with the involvement of human rights champions, reignited the dialogue on legislationCreating and passing legislation is one of the most effective ways of ensuring open government reforms have long-lasting effects on government practices. Technical specifications: Act of creating or r... to protect human rights defenders. This effort culminated in the approval of the Law on the Legal Status of Human Rights Defenders in April 2021.

From 2022 onwards, there has been a push for the state to discuss and approve a concept for CSO-state collaboration by parliament. The Minister of Mongolia and Chief Cabinet Secretariat, together with the Minister of Justice and Home Affairs, established a working group to develop this concept. Building on the experience of CSO policy partnerships, this document aspires to establish a common language that fosters new relationships of mutual understanding, public trust, and multilateral support between civil society and the state.