Experts of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Commend Mauritania for Linking the Minimum Wage to Collective Bargaining, Ask about Support for Victims of Slavery and Efforts to Eradicate Child Labour

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights today concluded its review of the second periodic report of Mauritania, with Committee Experts commending the State for linking the minimum wage to collective bargaining, and asking about support measures for victims of slavery and efforts to eradicate child labour.

One Committee Expert said it was positive that the minimum wage had been linked to collective bargaining in Mauritania, and that unemployment had dropped over the reporting period.

Laura-Maria Craciunean-Tatu, Committee Chair and country rapporteur, said progress had been made in addressing practices related to slavery, including through the adoption of legislation. However, the State party faced challenges, including the implementation of this legislation, the low conviction rate in courts, and the ability of victims of slavery to access civil registration. What measures were in place to ensure that victims of slavery received all the support they were entitled to and had access to justice?

Another Committee Expert asked about measures to prevent and sanction child labour. Were there examples of convictions for perpetrating child labour? What measures were in place to prevent forced begging and sanction perpetrators?

Cheikh Ahmedou Sidi, Commissioner for Human Rights, Humanitarian Action and Relations with Civil Society of Mauritania and head of the delegation, introducing the report, said that the Government had funded more than 3,500 private sector projects over the reporting period, benefitting 12,000 employees. Various initiatives had been implemented to define minimum wages and improve labour inspections. Financial subsidies were also in place to support poor households and households that were victims of shocks.

The delegation added that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the President significantly increased the minimum wage by 50 per cent. All workers in Mauritania were entitled to the minimum wage. To reduce unemployment, a range of projects targeting vulnerable populations had been rolled out. These included projects training budding entrepreneurs and vulnerable members of the population to enter the workforce.

Legislation provided a solid basis to combat slavery, the delegation said. The State and civil society organizations provided support to victims of slavery, who had access to free legal aid; 86 cases on slavery had been tried involving 148 persons. Over 30 persons were convicted through these trials. Financial help and health insurance was dispersed to victims of slavery to enable them to live with dignity. In 2022, the Government created a multisectoral cell to investigate all cases of slavery in courts. The cell worked with international partners.

The delegation also said that the Government was committed to combatting child labour. A code and national strategy on child protection had been devised, and there was a national action plan on combatting child labour in place up to 2026. Awareness raising campaigns on preventing child labour had reached out to the entire country. In a 2023 case, 500 children who were destined to be exploited through forced begging were rescued and supported to reintegrate into the community. Perpetrators of forced begging were imprisoned for up to 15 years.

In concluding remarks, Ms. Craciunean-Tatu welcomed the State’s commitment to introducing human rights education into the general curriculum. She expressed hope that the State party’s dialogue with the Committee would continue. The Committee’s concluding observations would aim to improve the realisation of those rights in Mauritania.

Mr. Sidi, in his closing remarks, said the Government was committed to realising economic, social and cultural rights, implementing the Covenant, and strengthening what it had already achieved. Mauritania called on the international community to help it implement policies and plans to promote and protect human rights.

The delegation of Mauritania was comprised of representatives from the Prime Minister's Office; Presidency; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Public Service and Labour; Ministry of Social Action, Children and Family; Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development; Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights, Humanitarian Action and Relations with Civil Society; and the Permanent Mission of Mauritania to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

All the documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. Webcasts of the meetings of the session can be found here, and meetings summaries can be found here.

The Committee will next meet in public at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 15 February to begin its consideration of the fourth periodic report of Ireland (E/C.12/IRL/4).

Report

The Committee has before it the second periodic report of Mauritania (E/C.12/MRT/2).

Presentation of Report

CHEIKH AHMEDOU SIDI, Commissioner for Human Rights, Humanitarian Action and Relations with Civil Society of Mauritania and head of the delegation, said that Mauritania was delighted to share progress in the implementation of the Covenant. The report was prepared through wide consultations, including with civil society. Several strategies had been developed, including the national strategy on human rights, which aimed to implement economic, social and cultural rights, among others. Mauritania was adapting to increasing prices across the globe. It had developed a national strategy to combat bribes.

In the education sector, preschool education had had great success, with a large increase in enrolments over the reporting period. The Government had paid the school costs of 12,000 students with moderate means. A national institution to promote minority languages had been set up. The primary school enrolment rate was 88 per cent, while the secondary school enrolment rate had risen by 35 per cent. The school subsidy programme had benefited 220,000 pupils. Free meals were provided in school canteens to encourage children from vulnerable families to attend school.

More than 2,800 health professionals had been recruited over the reporting period, increasing the coverage of health services. More than 700,000 families benefitted from health coverage.

The Government had funded more than 3,500 private sector projects over the reporting period, benefitting 12,000 employees. Various initiatives had been implemented to define minimum wages and improve labour inspections.

Measures had also been implemented to protect green pastures and biological diversity. The Government had set up “environmental police” and established two nature reserves making up one per cent of the national territory. Mining indirectly created more than 200,000 jobs. Working conditions had been greatly improved in the mining sector through Government initiatives. Various reforms had been implemented to protect the State’s cultural heritage, including the agricultural cultural festival.

The Government was strengthening the rights of the most vulnerable through social protection programmes. It had paid medical costs for accident victims and pregnant women. Financial subsidies were in place to support poor households and households that were victims of shocks. Food subsidies were also distributed.

In 2023, the Government spent 4.7 billion ouguiya on improving service infrastructure, including projects to build water infrastructure, benefitting women in particular. The Government had exerted great efforts to overcome the challenges it faced and improve the lives of the most vulnerable.

Mauritania was committed to engaging in a constructive dialogue with the Committee to promote the implementation of the Covenant domestically.

Questions by Committee Experts

LAURA-MARIA CRACIUNEAN-TATU, Committee Chair and country rapporteur, said she hoped that the dialogue would help to promote the implementation of the Covenant in Mauritania. Could an individual raise issues related to economic, social and cultural rights before the courts in Mauritania? Did the mandate of the national human rights institute cover economic, social and cultural rights? Were legal professionals trained regarding economic, social and cultural rights? What steps had been taken to consider ratifying the Optional Protocol, which gave the opportunity to individuals to bring complaints related to violations of economic, social and cultural rights to the Committee?

There were reports that human rights defenders faced a hostile environment and risked arrest in Mauritania. Was the regulatory framework applicable to the actions of human rights defenders? What steps had been taken to protect human rights defenders, including anti-slavery and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex activists?

The Corruption Perceptions Index of 2023 ranked Mauritania at 130 of 180 countries, with rank one being the least corrupt. What measures were in place to tackle corruption? How did the Government evaluate the results of these measures? How many officials had been investigated regarding corruption? How were non-governmental organizations involved in investigating corruption?

Mauritania needed to take steps to prohibit discrimination based on descent. Progress had been made in addressing practices related to slavery, including through the adoption of legislation. However, the State party faced challenges, including the implementation of this legislation, the low conviction rate in courts, and the ability of victims of slavery to access civil registration. There were reports that at least 30 per cent of slavery victims were not registered. What measures were in place to ensure that victims of slavery received all the supports they were entitled to and had access to justice? Were there systems to determine the number of Mauritanians who were victims of slavery? How was the Government supporting civil registration and the issuance of identification documents for victims?

What was the status of the draft law on women’s rights? How were property issues regulated in this regard? What protections were available for women human rights defenders?

How did the State party collect data to inform policies related to economic, social and cultural rights? When was the last census carried out? How did the State party address climate change related issues? What regulatory framework was in place to address the impact of business activities on economic, social and cultural rights?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the Constitution guaranteed economic, social and cultural rights. The Covenant could be invoked in courts.

The national strategy to combat corruption was updated in 2022. It stressed transparency in public and political life and the improvement of State services. The national committee to combat corruption had been created to monitor governance matters. A specialised court on combatting corruption had prosecuted 42 cases involving 100 accused persons. Sentences ranged from six months to two years imprisonment and confiscation of property. One recent case involved a former President of Mauritania. Mauritania was committed to combatting corruption and undertaking preventative actions with civil society and the private sector. The law required the protection of whistle blowers regarding corruption cases. Corruption was addressed in school curricula and professional training programmes.

Legislation provided a solid basis to combat slavery. The State and civil society organizations provided support to victims of slavery, who had access to free legal aid; 86 cases on slavery had been tried involving 148 persons. Over 30 persons were convicted through these trials. Financial help and health insurance was dispersed to victims of slavery to enable them to live with dignity. In 2022, the Government created a multisectoral cell to investigate all cases of slavery in courts. The cell worked with international partners.

The freedoms of opinion, thought, assembly and association were embodied in the Constitution. Human rights defenders had the right to conduct demonstrations, however, demonstrations needed to be authorised. Unauthorised demonstrations were tolerated unless they posed a threat to public order. There were currently no human rights defenders in pre-trial custody. Civil society organizations worked freely and played an important part in monitoring authorities and institutions. The draft law on the defence of human rights defenders and the Optional Protocol were currently being considered carefully by the State party.

Climate change lay at the heart of all State policies and development strategies, including the 2030 accelerated growth strategy. Several measures were implemented to resolve environmental problems associated with gold mining; 28 environmental protection decisions related to gold mining were issued by the State party. Gold mining areas had been depolluted and storage of chemical products had been regulated. An environmental monitoring team for artisanal sites had been set up, which ensured compliance by gold miners with environmental regulations and issued sanctions for non-compliance. The State party was in the process of setting up regulations for pesticides.

Mauritania had a robust and reliable civil registration service. The State had around 4,700,000 registered people. Mobile teams had helped to record 600,000 births. The Government had undertaken a campaign to seek out people who could not access registration services and register them. A database had been set up to facilitate online applications for registration.

Questions by Committee Experts

Committee Experts asked follow-up questions on measures to protect freedom of expression in the context of a 2021 law protecting national symbols and prohibiting attacks on “social cohesion”; the scope of direct and indirect taxation on wealth; taxation of mining companies; measures to tackle non-remunerated work by women; measures to promote shared parental leave; the body charged with drafting the State report; and climate change adaption policies within development, housing and education strategies.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said Mauritania was a multi-ethnic country. Freedom of expression needed to be managed in terms of its effects on the population. The right to freedom from discrimination needed to be guaranteed for all population groups. The Home Office was making efforts to combat stereotypes of certain segments of the population.

A national committee on reporting and monitoring had drafted the State report, incorporating comments from various Government organizations and civil society in it. Monitoring the implementation of the Covenant was now part of this committee’s mandate.

The ratio of debt to gross domestic product was stable at around 43 per cent. The overall debt risk had been recently ranked as moderate.

The principle of equal access to all economic, social and cultural rights for men and women was guaranteed in State legislation. The Government was mainstreaming gender in its development policies and international activities. The law on the national education system guaranteed access to education for all, regardless of gender or other factors. A bill to combat violence against women and girls had been drafted and would likely be reviewed by parliament at its next session.

Around 22 billion ouguiya had been invested in building 2,850 housing units. Gas tanks and other supports were provided to poor families. The State had funded the construction of roads and several schools. Several families who lived in inappropriate housing had been relocated to State housing units.

Questions by a Committee Expert

One Committee Expert said the periodic report was short, considering the period it covered, and did not address all the articles of the Covenant. It did not provide statistics on social security. Could the delegation provide these? It was positive that the minimum wage had been linked to collective bargaining, and that unemployment had dropped from 12.8 per cent to around 9 per cent over the reporting period. The State party had an obligation to devote the maximum available resources to promoting development, with the support of the international community.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said that the minimum wage was set through collective bargaining, considering the cost of living. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the President significantly increased the minimum wage by 50 per cent. All workers in Mauritania were entitled to the minimum wage. State labour legislation set reasonable working hours and holiday hours, established the right to form trade unions, and established labour inspection units to defend the rights of workers. To reduce unemployment, a range of projects targeting vulnerable populations had been rolled out. These included projects training budding entrepreneurs and vulnerable members of the population to enter the workforce.

Vulnerable households had been incorporated into the social security system. Social security registers covered more than 100,000 households. Activities were undertaken to register vulnerable households in rural areas. A fund was set up this year to help workers in the informal sector to access social security. A project on the economic development of rural areas had funded the building of 47 dams to support farmers’ activities in areas with scarce water resources. The construction of water desalination plants was also funded, as were thousands of other income-generating activities.

Under the accelerated growth strategy 2030 which promoted development, 98 schools and several preschool facilities had been built in rural areas. The school feeding programme provided 77,000 vulnerable children with meals to support their learning. The State had also created 22 outpatient care facilities in rural areas and provided 22 local councils with solar energy infrastructure. There were also programmes in place to build wells and other water infrastructure. Poor households, including refugees, received cash transfers every three months and one-off payments in lean periods. The State distributed key foodstuffs nationally and subsidised food for cattle during low-yield periods.

Questions by Committee Experts

Committee Experts asked follow-up questions on support for pastoralists and resources for social security policies; programmes to support domestic workers, who reportedly faced high levels of violence; measures to prevent the harassment of trade unions; measures to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation, in the context of reported criminalisation of same-sex relations with the death penalty; the number of persons who had been prosecuted because of their sexual orientation; measures to promote access to economic, social and cultural rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons; efforts to extend social security coverage to elderly persons and persons with disabilities; and measures to promote equal pay for equal work for women.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said State legislation applied to the informal sector. A study had been carried out on working conditions in the informal sector and the State party would soon analyse its results. The State hosted over 200 trade unions that operated without interference. No persons had been tried for exercising their right to participate in trade unions.

Mauritanian women exercised economic activities without any form of discrimination. The State had ratified International Labour Organization convention 100, which specified that men and women doing work of equal value were entitled to equal pay. This convention had been incorporated into domestic law. State legislation also prevented discrimination in hiring and dismissals.

Islamic Sharia was the source of domestic law, but individual freedoms were guaranteed. Persons of certain orientations were not stigmatised or excluded if they did not make their orientation public.

Questions by a Committee Expert

A Committee Expert called for updated information on the scope of child labour in the country. How were Mauritanian and migrant children affected by child labour? What measures were in place to prevent and sanction child labour and what impact had they had? Were there examples of convictions for perpetrating child labour? What measures were in place to prevent forced begging and sanction perpetrators? How many cases involving corporal punishment were before the courts? What measures were in place to eliminate and prevent early marriage?

There were several communities where the practice of female genital mutilation reportedly persisted. What awareness raising campaigns were in place regarding female genital mutilation and what results had they had?

What proportion of the population lived in extreme poverty? What special measures were in place to support victims of slavery to access land and education? What percentage of children and pregnant women suffered from malnutrition? What percentage of rural areas had access to drinking water? Was there a long-term policy on developing water infrastructure? How many persons were homeless in the State party? What measures were in place to tackle forced evictions and to redistribute land to victims of slavery? What budget had been allocated to healthcare services, particularly in rural areas? There was a high level of maternal mortality and clandestine abortions. What measures were in place to decriminalise abortions and tackle high levels of child mortality?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said national health insurance schemes covered the formal labour sector, poor households and the informal sector. The State aimed to provide insurance for the entire population by 2030. Health insurance covered medication s, hospitalisation and vaccinations. National health accounts increased by around 14 per cent between 2018 and 2021. The share of the budget devoted to health was around 10 per cent. Some 823 medical sites provided nutrition and maternal health services. A national programme for health development had been developed and a health data service set up. State subsidies were contributing to lowering the cost of medicines by around 50 per cent. Strategies had been set up to reduce maternal and new-born mortality rates. The rate of use of contraception had risen from around nine per cent in the early 2000s to around 31 per cent this year.

Various regulations were in place regarding domestic work. One decree determined rules for salaries, working conditions and hours for domestic workers.

A study was set up in 2022 on child nutrition. There were 750 outpatient recuperation centres established to support malnourished persons. The State provided 50 per cent of the funding for these centres; the other 50 per cent was provided by the United Nations Children's Fund. The Government was disseminating information about nutrition to mothers.

At the end of the 1990s, more than 35,000 nationals had returned to Mauritania from Senegal. The national reintegration agency had supported the implementation of support programmes for returnees. This agency was closed in 2012, but initiatives supporting the repatriation of land and employment for returnees were still in place.

The Government was committed to combatting child labour. It had ratified various international treaties on child labour. A code and national strategy on child protection had been devised, and there was a national action plan on combatting child labour in place up to 2026. The plan took into account the need for social protection of children, and targeted in particular the worst forms of child labour. The Government was strengthening the capacities of intergovernmental actors fighting child labour. Awareness raising campaigns on preventing child labour had reached out to the entire country. A 2021 study found that between 80 and 90 per cent of victims were boys. In a 2023 case, 500 children destined to be exploited through forced begging were rescued and supported to reintegrate into the community. Perpetrators of forced begging were imprisoned for up to 15 years.

A plan to develop and reform the justice sector was underway. Reforms were being considered by an inter-ministerial committee through a consultative process with civil society. A roadmap had been developed for the reform of the justice system. Reforms would aim to improve access to justice, expand penitentiary systems, and incorporate digital procedures.

National laws prohibited all forms of violence against children, including in schools. The Civil Status Code defined the age of marriage as being 18. A multi-sectoral committee on combatting child marriage had been set up. It was developing legal texts to protect children and designing awareness raising campaigns on preventing child marriage.

Mauritania had a holistic approach to preventing harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation. It pursued education measures to change behaviours and raise awareness about the risks of female genital mutilation. The Government had strengthened partnerships with United Nations agencies and civil society organizations in efforts to prevent female genital mutilation. A national proclamation made by Muslim leaders expressed their commitment to tackling female genital mutilation. Six hundred community proclamations had also been made on female genital mutilation. The prevalence of female genital mutilation had dropped to 49 per cent of girls as of 2019.

A new body and fund had been created in 2021 to identify and provide support for victims of trafficking; 33 million ouguiyas had been devoted to this cause. A toll-free line to report cases of trafficking had also been set up.

Through Government initiatives, the rate of access to drinking water had increased to 78 per cent of households.

Questions by a Committee Expert

One Committee Expert asked follow-up questions on the effectiveness of current measures in reducing the rate of child labour; State bodies responsible for gathering data; the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, access to retroviral drugs, and efforts to combat stigmatisation of persons infected with HIV/AIDS; efforts to protect local populations from the impacts of mining operations and to ensure respect for environmental regulatory frameworks; measures to support access to mental health services; and plans to reform legislation criminalising drug consumption, sometimes with the death penalty, and to provide support for the rehabilitation of drug users.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said child labour was prohibited in the Labour Code. From 2016 to 2018, inspection services identified around 700 children who were forced to work in various sectors. Children were required to stay in school until age 15. Child labour in Mauritania related to poverty. Poor families compelled their children to work on family farms.

A national statistics agency had been set up. The agency had conducted a national census in 2023, which was conducted every 10 years, and would analyse its results soon. It also examined living conditions every four years. Door-to-door surveys were conducted to collect data on poor households, children, pregnant women, and persons with disabilities. This allowed State agents to act more effectively to support these groups.

The therapeutic interruption of pregnancies was only authorised when pregnancies were deemed to put the mother’s life at risk. There had been a drop in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in recent years, influenced by awareness raising campaigns on HIV/AIDS and increased access to retroviral treatment. HIV/AIDS treatment was free of charge.

Mauritania had become a consumer country for “soft drugs”. A programme was currently being developed to holistically tackle drug addiction with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. An action plan on combatting the illegal drugs trade was in place. It included awareness raising campaigns on the harmful effects of drugs aimed at school children, and increased support for squads seeking to identify illegal drug trafficking.

If environmental regulations were not respected, fines of up to 200,000 ouguiyas were issued for inappropriate disposal of toxic waste. Trafficking of toxic waste from abroad could be punished with imprisonment.

Mauritania had a progressive tax scale running from zero to 33 per cent of income depending on the amount of income earned. Taxpayers could file for tax deductions. Debt made up 49 per cent of gross domestic product in 2023, down from 58 per cent in 2020.

Questions by a Committee Expert

One Committee Expert said the delegation had demonstrated its interest throughout the dialogue in promoting the right to education. It was significant that 73 preschool centres had been opened in the State. What percentage of children benefitted from the preschool system? Did preschool centres provide services free of charge and free of discrimination? What measures were in place to improve the quality of the education system in general? Could the delegation provide data disaggregated by gender on enrolment rates for each level of the education system? What was the percentage of illiteracy among adults? What programmes were in place to improve the literacy rate, particularly among women?

What measures were in place to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on education? Were there programmes promoting adequate sanitation facilities in all schools? What policies and measures had been implemented to facilitate the participation of women and girls in science and technology education and related careers? Did the State party intend to incorporate minority languages into the curriculum? How was the State party promoting the independence and self-regulation of universities?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the Government was committed to enrolling 100,000 children in preschool by 2024. It had adopted a strategic development plan for preschool education towards this end. A pilot initiative had been launched to include a preparatory year in 154 primary schools. Fifty-three new preschools were also being built; 45,000 children were currently enrolled in preschools, five times more than in 2019. The State had this year recruited around 60 preschool teachers and strengthened training materials for these teachers.

A project for reforming the education system was in its second year; 380 schools had benefited from funding for school canteens as part of the project. There was also a project in place aiming to standardise education in national minority languages. Teacher training programmes had been reformed. A fund was set up last year to build and refurbish schools, which had contributed to the construction of over 1,000 classrooms and 98 new schools, mostly located in the poorest areas. More than one million school textbooks and around 7,000 tablets were distributed to schools. Grade thresholds were lowered to make it easier for children from poorer households to qualify to attend schools of excellence. Mauritania had also created a teacher training centre and was building social housing for teachers in rural areas to encourage teachers to apply for jobs in those areas.

The enrolment rate in primary schools was 88 per cent. The rates of enrolment and completion of primary education had increased in recent years, and there were no differences between these rates for boys and girls. Girls’ enrolment rate in higher education was higher than that of boys. The national strategy for the promotion of women’s rights included incentives encouraging girls’ access to science and technology education and their enrolment in schools. The strategic plan for rural women aimed to increase rural women’s access to education and literacy. Transport was provided to girls in rural areas to attend schools. Toilets for girls had been constructed in schools. Prizes were also awarded to girls who performed well at each level of education.

Illiteracy rates were high and gender-based discrepancies were prevalent. Fifty-eight per cent of women and 78 per cent of men were literate. There were higher literacy rates in urban areas than in rural areas. Literacy programmes supported by non-governmental organizations targeted women and girls who were not in the school system.

A survey on the impact of COVID-19 on education had been carried out. Eighteen per cent of surveyed households had said that their children were engaged in education during the pandemic. Students followed education through online means, as well as television and radio broadcasts.

Academic freedom was governed by the law on further education, which set rules and standards to be respected by higher education institutions. This law aimed to improve the quality of teaching in the country and increase access to quality education.

Questions by Committee Experts

One Committee Expert said that Mauritania’s criminal legislation provided for the death penalty in cases of apostasy or sacrilege. How did the State party promote religious freedom in this context? Did the normative framework punish agnostic and atheist persons, and persons who practiced non-Islamic faiths? Did persons have the right to appeal rulings issued under this legislation?

Another Committee Expert said States parties needed to incorporate human rights education at all levels. The development of a human rights architecture in the Middle East required contributions from Arab States, including Mauritania.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the State party was in the process of setting up a “Human Rights Day” for primary schools and was considering how to incorporate human rights into the primary school curriculum. There were campaigns in place to raise the public’s awareness of human rights and the international human rights treaties ratified by the State. Workshops on human rights targeting students were also being carried out; 100,000 households received training on economic, social and cultural rights.

The Constitution established Islam as the only religion practiced in the State. The death penalty was reserved only for the most serious crimes. All judicial decisions could be appealed in courts of second instance. Mauritania had a moratorium on the death penalty. Alternatives to the death penalty had been adopted, including pardons and commutations.

The poverty rate had fallen from 31 per cent in 2014 to 28 per cent in 2019. It was around 41 per cent in rural areas and 14 per cent in urban areas. The extreme poverty rate had fallen from 16 to 12 per cent between 2014 and 2019. It was around 20 per cent in rural areas.

Concluding Remarks

LAURA-MARIA CRACIUNEAN-TATU, Committee Chair and country rapporteur, thanked the delegation for the responses provided. She welcomed the State’s commitment to introducing human rights education into the general curriculum. She expressed hope that the State party’s dialogue with the Committee would continue. Mauritania needed to provide more specific data on the implementation of economic, social and cultural rights on the ground. The Committee’s concluding observations would aim to improve the realisation of those rights in the State party.

CHEIKH AHMEDOU SIDI, Commissioner for Human Rights, Humanitarian Action and Relations with Civil Society of Mauritania and head of the delegation, expressed thanks for the Committee’s high-quality interventions, questions and recommendations. The State party would take measures to disseminate the Committee’s concluding observations and would take them into account in future policies and programmes. They would also be included in the State’s monitoring mechanism for recommendations from the treaty body system. The Government was committed to realising economic, social and cultural rights, implementing the Covenant, and strengthening what it had already achieved. Mauritania called on the international community to help it implement policies and plans to promote and protect human rights.

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