(2023.06.27-ны өдрийн орчуулга)                                                   Unofficial translation

LAW OF MONGOLIA

February 12, 2015                                                                                    Ulaanbaatar city

ON mongolian language

cHApTER ONE

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1.Purpose of the law

1.1.The purpose of this Law is to regulate relations in connection with the acquisition, use, protection and development of the Mongolian language and script.

Article 2.Legislation on the Mongolian language

2.1.The legislation on the Mongolian language shall consist of the Constitution of Mongolia, the concept of national security of Mongolia, this Law, and other legislative acts enacted in conformity with them.

2.2.If an international treaty to which Mongolia is a party, stipulates otherwise than this Law, the provision of the international treaty shall prevail.

Article 3.Scope of the application of the Law

3.1.This Law shall apply to Mongolian citizens, legal entities, state bodies, foreign citizens and stateless persons permanently residing on the territory of Mongolia, and diplomatic missions and other legal entities in Mongolia.

Article 4.Definition of terms of the Law

4.1.The following terms used in this Law shall be understood as follows:

4.1.1."official language of the State" shall mean modern literary Mongolian language for conducting any activities and keeping record management of the state bodies and legal entities;

4.1.2."norms of the Mongolian language" shall mean modern literary Mongolian language composition writing, correct pronunciation, patterns/regularity, and spelling and grammar rules;

4.1.3."National script" shall mean Mongolian traditional script;

4.1.4."Mongolian language and script" shall mean Mongolian language, Cyrillic and national script.

Article 5.Common principles of the Law

5.1.Mongolian language is the intellectual cultural heritage of the Mongolian nation, the fundamental root of national civilization, and guarantee of the country's unity, national security and independence.

5.2.The development of a policy on the acquisition, use, protection and development of Mongolian language and script, and ensuring its implementation shall be under the duty of the State.  

5.3.Every Mongolian citizen shall have a right to be provided with opportunities and conditions to learn Mongolian language and script, to receive information in Mongolian language, to inherit, to be inherited, protect and develop the Mongolian language.

chapter two

USE OF MONGOLIAN LANGUAGE

Article 6.Usage of Mongolian language

6.1.The following activities and records shall be conducted in the Mongolian language in the territory of Mongolia:

6.1.1.activities and record management of state and local self-governing organizations and legal entities;

6.1.2.training at all levels of educational institutions, except for institutions that provide training in foreign languages according to the permits granted by States;

6.1.3.records/minutes of meeting of all judicial proceedings and relevant archival documents;

6.1.4.international treaties of Mongolia;

6.1.5.the official letter/notes to be delivered from Mongolia to the foreign countries and diplomatic missions;

6.1.6.Mongolian citizen's identification card, birth and marriage certificates, national foreign passport and educational documents;

6.1.7.name and address of territory, administrative unit, street, road, square, and legal entity;

6.1.8.addresses of recipients and senders of official letters and letters on the territory of Mongolia;

6.1.9.information and brochures to be published by State and local self-governing organizations;

6.1.10.public announcement;

6.1.11.instructions, information, and safety reminders to be placed in the offices, buildings, facilities, and public transportation.

6.2.By taking into account of the needs and demands of international relations, a foreign language may be used concurrently in conducting activities and keeping record management specified in sub-paragraphs 6.1.4-6.1.6, and 6.1.9-6.1.11 of this Law.

6.3.Foreign languages can be taught starting from the fifth grade in the Secondary schools other than those which have a special permit to teach foreign languages and provide educational trainings in foreign languages according to the permission granted by the State.

6.4.The local self-governing body shall resolve the issue of choosing foreign names to territory, streets, roads, and squares in consultation with the competent organization specified in paragraph 21.1 of this Law.

6.5.It shall be preferred to the scientific terms translated into Mongolian language for all levels of teaching and research.

6.6.If the foreign diplomatic missions and international organizations locating in Mongolia will address to Mongolian citizens and legal entity in foreign languages, a Mongolian translation shall be attached thereto.

6.7.Foreign legal entities and non-governmental organizations being engaged in business activities in Mongolia shall communicate in Mongolian with state organizations and citizens of Mongolia, shall prepare documents and information related with finance, taxation, labor, workplace safety and hygiene in Mongolian language.  

chapter three

USE OF SCRIPTS BY SELECTING

Article 7.Use of scripts by selecting

7.1.State and local self-governing organizations and legal entities shall conduct their official affairs in Cyrillic scripts.

7.2.State and local self-governing organizations shall conduct their official affairs in dual scripts of Cyrillic and national on the basis of fulfillment of adequate preparation upon implementing the national script writing program specified in sub-paragraph 11.1.2 of this Law step by step.  

7.3.National scripts shall be taught to students of the secondary schools of the all types of ownership starting from sixth grade until the graduation through a special program. 

7.4.At least one-fourth of content of the general enrolment examination for university applicants and the Mongolian language examination for the first-time civil servants shall be aimed at assessing knowledge of the national scripts. 

7.5.Official letters and letters to be delivered by the President of Mongolia, the Chairman of the State Great Khural, and the Prime Minister to officials of the same level in foreign countries shall be prepared in National script and attached a foreign language translation.

chapter four

SPELLING AND GRAMMAR RULES AND DICTIONARY OF THE MONGOLIAN LANGUAGE

Article 8.Spelling and grammar rules and dictionary of the Mongolian language

8.1.There shall be unified spelling and grammar rules respectively for both Cyrillic and national scripts within an entire territory in Mongolia and these rules shall be adhered to by the citizens and the legal entities.

8.2.The spelling and grammar rules for Cyrillic and national scripts and their amendments shall be developed by the competent research organization specified in paragraph 22.1 of this Law and it shall become effective upon approval by the competent authority specified in paragraph 21.1 of this Law.

8.3.The dictionary compiled in accordance with the spelling and grammar rules for Cyrillic and national scripts shall be reviewed by the competent research organization specified in paragraph 22.1 of this Law and approved by the competent authority specified in paragraph 21.1 of this Law.

chapter five

OBLIGATIONS OF THE STATE AND LOCAL SELF-GOVERNING ORGANIZATIONS AND LEGAL ENTITIES

Article 9.The President of Mongolia

9.1.The President of Mongolia shall have the following obligations regarding the acquisition, use, protection and development of the Mongolian language and script:

9.1.1.to submit proposals to the State Great Khural on state policies related to the acquisition, use, protection and development of the Mongolian language and script;

9.1.2.to report to the State Great Khural every two years about the work being carried out in the field of the acquisition, use, protection and development of the Mongolian language and script and issues to be considered;

9.1.3.to issue decrees on the acquisition, use, protection and development of the Mongolian language and script and give directions to relevant government agencies;

9.1.4.to appoint and to dismiss the composition of the competent organization specified in paragraph 21.1 of this Law;

9.1.5.to grant an award in honor of the President of Mongolia to citizens and legal entities who took initiatives and effort to protect and develop Mongolian language and script every four years;

9.1.6.other obligations specified in the law.

Article 10.The State Great Khural of Mongolia

10.1.The State Great Khural of Mongolia shall have the following obligations regarding the acquisition, use, protection and development of the Mongolian language and script:

10.1.1.to determine the state policy on the acquisition, use, protection, and development of the Mongolian language and script;

10.1.2.to create political and economic guarantees for the use, protection, development of the Mongolian language and script;

10.1.3.to monitor the implementation of legislation related to the use, protection, and development of the Mongolian language and script;

10.1.4.other obligations specified in the law.

Article 11.The Government of Mongolia

11.1.The Government of Mongolia shall have the following obligations regarding the acquisition, use, protection and development of the Mongolian language and script:

11.1.1.to organize and ensure the implementation of State policies and legislation regarding the Mongolian language;

11.1.2.to develop and implement medium and long-term national programs, rules, procedures, and main directions to increase, protect, develop the use of the Mongolian language and script and official transition to use of the national script;

11.1.3.to organize activities to support Mongolian citizens and their families who are residing abroad regarding the acquisition of knowledge on the Mongolian language and script, traditional custom, history and culture;

11.1.4.to organize activities on the implementation of language norms of Cyrillic and national script in public/state record management of all level of State administrative organizations;

11.1.5.other obligations specified in the law.

Article 12.Central organization of public service

12.1.Central organization of public service shall have the following obligations:

12.1.1.to organize Mongolian language examination for citizens who entering the public service at the first in accordance with the content approved by the competent authority specified in paragraph 21.1 of this Law and to create relevant database;

12.1.2.other obligations specified in the law.

Article 13.State central administrative body in charge of educational and science matters

13.1.State central administrative body in charge of educational and science matters shall have the following obligations:

13.1.1.to approve content, curriculum and plan for lesson of Mongolian language, National script and Literature of educational institutions of all levels based on the opinion of the competent organization specified in paragraph 21.1 of this Law;

13.1.2.to approve the content of Mongolian language examination of the general enrollment examination to be taken from the applicants of university based on opinion of the competent organization specified in paragraph 21.1 of this Law;

13.1.3.to develop a special procedure for Mongolian language and script examination for university applicants who are planning to major in pedagogy, linguistics, literature and journalism;

13.1.4.to be conducted a training in a bilingual curriculum if the overwhelming majority of the students are ethnic minorities with a different language, and to approve the content of the bilingual curriculum;

13.1.5.to organize activities to create conditions for the ethnic minority to acquire education in Mongolian language and their mother tongue, to inherit their culture and custom, and conduct scientific researches;

13.1.6.other obligations specified in the law.

Article 14.State central administrative body in charge of culture matters

14.1.State central administrative body in charge of culture matters shall have the following obligations:

14.1.1.to implement activities on protection of cultural heritage of Mongolian language and script, and expansion of the research and training of the intellectual heritage fund written in National Mongolian Script, folklore and Mongolian literature in cooperation with Education institutions;

14.1.2.other obligations specified in the law.

Article 15.State central administrative body in charge of information and communication matters

/The title of this article was amended by the law as of August 29, 2022/

15.1.State central administrative body in charge of information and communication matters shall have the following obligations:

/This paragraph was amended by the law as of August 29, 2022/

15.1.1.to increase use of Mongolian language and script in digital environment;

15.1.2.to implement activities of modelled rules and procedures for the use of Latin letters in cooperation with the competent research organization specified in paragraph 22.1 of this Law and other relevant organizations;

15.1.3.to organize activities on increasing the usage of programs for cross-conversion between the Cyrillic and National scripts and checking the spelling and grammar mistakes approved by the competent organization specified in paragraph 21.1 of this Law, as well as other related programs, and introducing them to the digital environment;

15.1.4.other obligations specified in the law.

Article 16.Secondary school

16.1.Secondary school shall have the following obligations:

16.1.1.to conduct lessons of Mongolian language, National script, and Mongolian Literature to students without any interruption in accordance the curriculum, content and standard which approved by competent authorities;

16.1.2.other obligations specified in the law.

16.2.The sub-paragraph 16.1.1 of this Law shall apply also to the secondary schools providing training in foreign languages under the permits issued by the competent authority.  

Article 17.Governors of aimag, soums, capital city and districts

/The title of this article was amended by the law as of April 22, 2022/

17.1.Governors of aimag, soums, capital city and districts shall have the following obligations:

/This paragraph was amended by the law as of April 22, 2022/

17.1.1.to ensure the implementation of this Law within territory under their jurisdiction, to coordinate activities related to it, and monitor the implementation;

17.1.2.to organize the practice of writing the names and addresses of organizations, streets, and squares in combination with Cyrillic and National Scripts or individually within territory under their jurisdiction;

17.1.3.to organize activities to encourage citizens and legal entities who take efforts and initiatives to spread the use of National scripts;

17.1.4.other obligations specified in the law.

Article 18.State administrative authority in charge of consumer rights protection

18.1.State administrative authority in charge of consumer rights protection shall have the following obligations:

18.1.1.to monitor the implementation of this Law, to submit the violation to the relevant authorities to be resolved, and report the results promptly;

18.1.2.other obligations specified in the law.

Article 19.Organizations engaging in mass media, press, and publishing activities

19.1.Organizations engaging in mass media, press and publishing activities shall have the following obligations:

19.1.1.to adhere to the norms of Mongolian spelling and grammar rules and modern literature Mongolian language strictly;

19.1.2.to have determined the criteria of knowledge on the Mongolia language and scripts within the examination of professional skills of journalist and media workers;

19.1.3.other obligations specified in the law.

Article 20.Citizens of Mongolia

20.1.The citizens of Mongolia shall exercise the following rights:

20.1.1.to take initiatives to learn, study, inherit and to be inherited the Mongolian language and script, and to acquire, use, protect, and develop the Mongolian language;

20.1.2.other rights specified in the law.

20.2.Mongolian citizens undertakes the following sacred duties:

20.2.1.to follow the norms of the Mongolian language;

20.2.2.other duties specified in the law.

chapter SIX

NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR LANGUAGE POLICY

Article 21.National Council for Language Policy

21.1.The National Council for Language Policy /hereinafter referred to as "Council"/, which has the main function to protect and develop Mongolian language, shall work next to the President of Mongolia. 

21.2.The Council shall have nine members. The members shall be selected by the President of Mongolia from among the scientists of Mongolian language and literature, and representatives of media, press, education, culture and science, and appointed for six years of terms. In the event that the chairman or member is unable to continue his/her work due to justifiable reasons, the President of Mongolia shall re-appoint.

21.3.The chairman of the Council shall be selected by the President of Mongolia from among the members of the Council and appointed for three years of terms. The chairman of the Council can be appointed for at least two times.

21.4.The Council shall have a meeting twice a year at scheduled period and in case of necessity, an extraordinary meeting shall be convened by the decision of the chairman of the Council.

21.5.The Council shall have a full-time office, and its day-to-day operations shall be managed by a chief of office. 

21.6.The rule for operation of the Council shall be approved by meeting of all members of the Council.

21.7.The Council shall have the following obligations:

21.7.1.to  develop a policy related to the use, protection and development of the Mongolian language and script, and to submit it to the President of Mongolia;

21.7.2.to develop policies in the fields of research, protection, development of language of ethnic minorities and oral dialect of the Mongolian ethnicity, and expanding and supporting the use, training and research of Mongolian language and script for the Mongolian nationals residing abroad and at the international level, and to submit it to the President of Mongolia;

21.7.3.to discuss and approve the spelling and grammar rules of Cyrillic and National scripts, as well as their amendments, which developed and concluded by the competent research organization specified in paragraph 22.1 of this Law;

21.7.4.to discuss and approve the dictionary of Cyrillic and National Spelling and Grammar rules, Dictionary of vocabulary and other related dictionaries based on the conclusion of the competent research organization specified in paragraph 22.1 of this Law;

21.7.5.to discuss and approve the translation of foreign terms and new terms to be added to in the Mongolian vocabulary which were developed by the competent research organization specified in paragraph 22.1 of this Law;

21.7.6.to make opinions and conclusions on whether or not to use foreign names in the territory, streets, roads, and squares, and submit them to local self-governing authorities;

21.7.7.to discuss and approve the content of Mongolian language level test for citizens entering into public service at the fist time in accordance with the submission by competent organization specified in Article 13 of this Law;

21.7.8.to discuss and approve the programs for cross-conversion between Cyrillic and National scripts and checking the spelling and grammar mistakes based on the conclusion of the competent research organization specified in paragraph 22.1 of this Law;

21.7.9.to monitor and make conclusions on whether state bodies and media organizations are adhering to norms of the Mongolian language;

21.7.10.to evaluate the implementation of this Law every year and report the results to the President of Mongolia;

21.7.11.to receive information about the implementation and violation of this Law and to submit  it to the relevant authorities for resolution;

21.7.12.to implement activities to promote and spread the use of Mongolian language and script to the public in cooperation with the competent research organization specified in paragraph 22.1 of this Law.

chapter seven

THE COMPETENT RESEARCH ORGANIZATION

Article 22.The competent research organization

22.1.The Institute of Mongolian Linguistics /hereinafter referred to as the "the competent research organization"/, which has a responsibility for the researching the Mongolian language, its usage and development, and developing proposals and conclusions related to amendments in norms and vocabulary of the Mongolian language, shall work under the structure of the Academy of Sciences of Mongolia.

22.2.The competent research organization shall have the following obligations:

22.2.1.to develop a spelling and grammar rule of Mongolian language, and to propose the suggestions on the matter  to make amendments to it;

22.2.2.to review and make a conclusion whether the Grammar handbook, dictionaries for Mongolian vocabulary and professional language, and other related dictionaries developed by scientists, researchers and other academic organization whether in conformity with the Spelling and grammar rules of the Mongolian language;

22.2.3.to translate foreign terms into Mongolian language with the help of relevant professional organizations;

22.2.4.to submit a proposal to the competent organization specified in paragraph 21.1 of this Law in regards with entering the proper names of the places/territories, standardizing them, and registering them with the international geographical name dictionary;

22.2.5.to organize the development of the content of the Mongolian language level examination from Mongolian citizen who is entering into the public service at the first time and from foreign citizens;

22.2.6.to develop standards related to the spelling and grammar rules and usage of Mongolian language and scripts and to get its approval in accordance with paragraph 9.1 of the Law on Standardization, Technical Regulation and Conformity Assessment Accreditation;

/This sub-paragraph was modified by the law as of December 21, 2017/

22.2.7.to accept and resolve suggestions and requests of citizens and legal entities about the terms.

chapter EIGHT

MISCELLANEOUS

Article 23.Liability for Violators of the Law

23.1.If any action of officials breaching this Law does not constitute grounds for criminal liability, the official shall bear liability stated in the Law on Public Service.

23.2.Person or legal entity who has breached this Law shall be liable according to the Criminal Code or Law on Violation.

/This article was modified by the law as of December 4, 2015/

Article 24.Entry into force of the Law

24.1.This Law shall enter into force on July 1, 2015.

24.2.The paragraph 7.2 of this Law shall enter into force on January 1, 2025.

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE STATE GREAT KHURAL OF MONGOLIA ENKHBOLD.Z