Since joining the Convention, Mongolia is working actively to protect cultural heritage, support the production and commercialization of cultural goods and establish a sound system to enable sustainable growth and development of art and cultural institutions that are supportive of development of the Mongolian people, financially self-sustainable, competitive and have highly professional human resources.
During the reporting period, as part of implementation of the Development Policy of Mongolia and the State Policy on Culture, several laws have been adopted and enacted, including the revised Law on the Protection of Cultural Heritage (2014), the first ever Law on Library (2015) and the Law on Amendments to the Law on Culture. Moreover, a draft Law on Cinematography has been developed, discussed by the Cabinet and is prepared for submission to the Parliament. This law aims to promote national cultural heritages and history through cinematography, produce and disseminate globally research-based cultural products, advance national cinematography to the levels of the global cinematography and provide financial support to production of movies that possess national and international significance.
The revised Law on the Protection of Cultural Heritage is particularly important for its provisions that encourage creativity of individuals and organizations engaged in production and distribution of cultural goods and also provisions that promote production, contractual agreements and public monitoring policies for public dissemination of cultural goods and heritages.
The Law on Library is important, as it has provided clearer and more adequate legislative coordination of the library sector, improved access to library services, wider information opportunities for citizens and communities and clearer funding mechanisms of operational expenditures of the sector.
In order to promote Mongolian national culture and traditions among the public, the Law on Culture has been amended with new provisions for allocation of specific shares of broadcast times on public radio, television, broadcasters and cinemas operating on the territory of Mongolia for national content including national movies and programs.
The Government of Mongolia adopted a National Programme on “Mongolian Content” in 2014 and a National Programme on “Cultural Production” in 2015 and these Programs aimed to boost the broadcasting of national content on media channels, increase the volume and digital content of Mongolian cultural products that are either restored, newly produced or converted to a digital form, provide governmental support to participation of national artists in international contests and festivals, encourage fair and free competition and diverse forms of ownership in the cultural sector, and enhance public and private partnership and collaboration in the cultural sector. However, implementation of the two programs is impeded by funding constraints, since the government is unable to provide full funding to the programs and, on the other hand, no sufficient funding support is provided by foreign donors and international organizations.