Mongolia celebrated the centenary of its first 1924 constitution in November 2024, which transformed the country from a religious monarchy into the People's Republic of Mongolia. Following parliamentary elections in June 2024, the country has launched ‘Parliament 2.0’, an agenda inspired by key ideals within Mongolia’s 1924 constitution and focusing on human rights, technological advancement and legal transparency. While the country has made significant democratic progress since its 1992 post-Soviet constitution, challenges remain, particularly regarding corruption and resource management. Despite these obstacles, Mongolia continues to strengthen its democratic institutions and seeks to expand its global diplomatic and trading relationships beyond its immediate neighbours.

With Mongolia having celebrated the centenary of its first constitution on 26 November 2024, the nation has pledged to modernise its governance and entrench democratic norms and practices during a time of geopolitical division in East Asia. Mongolia is considering how the original constitution’s ideals of sovereignty, equality and modernisation, which have provided the foundation for the country’s development in the past century, can be promoted in a contemporary setting.

Mongolia’s path to modern statehood began in 1924, when its first socialist constitution transformed the country from a religious monarchy into the People’s Republic of Mongolia. The constitution asserted sovereignty and established the government of Mongolia through the Great People’s Assembly, marking a groundbreaking shift toward unified leadership. Women gained equal rights, the state and religion were officially separated and education became free for all. Beyond changing who held power, this constitution advanced progressive ideas for its time.

The 1924 constitution laid the groundwork for Mongolia’s modernisation. Over the course of a century, Mongolia’s constitutional framework has evolved in response to shifting societal, political and economic conditions, with significant changes adopted in 1940, 1960 and 1992. The latter, adopted in the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse and the country’s transition to democracy, declared Mongolia a sovereign, independent and democratic republic. This transformation aligned with the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ensuring the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms.

Constitutional amendments in 1999, 2000, 2019 and 2022 have continued to shape the country’s democratic landscape. In 2023, further reforms increased the size of the State Great Khural, Mongolia’s unicameral parliament, from 76 to 126 members, of which nearly 40 per cent are elected through proportional representation. The changes passed with broad cross-party support, underscoring a national consensus on the importance of promoting unity and advancing democracy.

Following Mongolia’s parliamentary elections on 28 June 2024 and the formation of a new cross-party government, the 1924 constitution’s legacy continues to inspire reform efforts, including the ‘Parliament 2.0’ agenda unveiled on 2 October 2024 by the Speaker of Parliament Amarbayasgalan Dashzegve.

This agenda is based on three pillars, aiming to modernise Mongolia’s legislative process and governance structure. The first pillar focuses on integrating human rights into every legislative decision, while the second pillar aims to ensure that evolving advancements such as digital currencies and blockchain technology are reflected in legal and regulatory frameworks. The third pillar focuses on simplifying legal language to enhance transparency, reduce ambiguity and differentiate between matters best addressed by law and those that require specific regulatory guidance.

The significance of the ‘Parliament 2.0’ agenda lies in its recognition that democratic institutions must evolve to remain effective. Mongolia is seeking to demonstrate how a nation can adapt its governance framework to better meet contemporary challenges, while remaining true to core values.

But progress rarely takes a linear path. For example, there remains a need to tackle the long-term issue of corruption, as demonstrated in December 2022 when protestors took to the streets following allegations over corruption linked to the country’s coal trade with China.

Despite facing challenges, Mongolia remains committed to democracy and extending its diplomatic and trade links beyond its immediate neighbourhood. For example, a new draft law to improve freedom of the press has been welcomed as a positive sign by Reporters Without Borders, who say its passage would demonstrate a ‘commitment to press freedom’.

Mongolia’s challenge will be staying true to its democratic path while its economic success, at least in the short-term, remains closely reliant on trade with its nearest neighbours. While Mongolia still needs to entrench democratic norms at all levels of society, the new set of legislative and governance reforms is a promising sign as the country charts its course in the years ahead.

By: Jack Weatherford

Jack Weatherford is the DeWitt Wallace Professor of Anthropology at Macalester College, Minnesota.