Regional Action Plan on Human Rights Defenders CASE STUDY National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia – HRD Legislation In response to a marked gap in domestic legal protection of HRDs, the National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia (NHRCM) has supported the development of standalone legislation for the protection of the rights of HRDs. The process involved rigorous consultation and open collaboration between the NHRCM, government, civil society and international actors to determine the content of the legislation and balance the interests of different stakeholders. This culminated in 2019 in a National Workshop on the draft law, attended by the former Special Rapporteur on the Rights of HRDs and international CSOs. Much of the draft was built on the Model Law on the Recognition and Protection of HRDs, elaborated with the support of ISHR. The draft was submitted to the Mongolian parliament for approval and, if passed, will be the first specialised legislation for the protection of HRDs in the Asia Pacific region. NATIONAL ACTION 2: Promote gender equality and mainstream the recognition of Women Human Rights Defenders • Support explicit recognition of women HRDs in protection and promotion activities • Ensure data on violations against HRDs is disaggregated according to gender • Recognise, ensure agency of, and deliver protection for trans and non-binary HRDs The public acknowledgement in the HRDs Declaration of the special consideration required for WHRDs is an essential first step to mainstreaming their rights and delivering better protection outcomes. APF member NHRIs will work actively to support this recognition with their respective government counterparts. WHRDs will also be a central feature of awareness-raising campaigns, advocacy programs for national legal protection and other national actions supported by APF members. APF members will ensure that data on violations is disaggregated according to gender to document the extent to which gender contributes to a greater risk of violations. In accordance with the APF’s 2019 Gender Equality Strategy, APF members will also support gender mainstreaming in the context of diverse gender identities. Trans and non-binary HRDs face even greater threats of violence and intimidation than WHRDs. To ensure these protection risks are mitigated and trans and non-binary HRDs are also given a voice, APF members will ensure that gender mainstreaming work includes targeted components on trans and non-binary HRDs. 26