Mauritania's civil society takes part in the UPR pre-session

Published on 13 Jan 2021, 10:58 AM

Mauritania's UPR took place in January 2021

Mauritania's UPR took place in January 2021. In preparation of that review, civil society submitted a joint alternative report, to make sure that their priorities are heard. Mauritania was reviewed by the Human Rights Committee in July 2019, and by other Treaty Bodies as well in recent years. The UPR is an excellent opportunity to remind the State of its outstanding obligations under the ICCPR and other human rights treaties. The full report is available here.

Submitting organisations included Coordination des Organisations des Victimes de la Répression (COVIRE), Cadre de Concertation des Rescapés Mauritaniens (CCRM), Organisation pour le Développement International Social, Solidaire et Intégré (ODISSI), Association des Femmes Cheffes de Famille (AFCF), Association Mauritienne d'Aide aux Nécessiteux (AMANE), Forum des Organisations Nationales des Droits Humains en Mauritanie (FONADH), Comité de Solidarité avec les Victimes de Violations des Droits de l'Homme (CSVVDH) and SOS-Esclaves.

"L’Etat devrait prendre les mesures nécessaires pour solder le Passif humanitaire définitivement, en abrogeant la loi no 93-23 afin d’établir la vérité, poursuivre les responsables et pourvoir à une réparation de toutes les victimes."

- Mamadou Kane, President of COVIRE

Recommendations

Almost 100 States gave recommendations to Mauritania, on a range of subjects. The most common concerns related to:

Abolishing the death penalty and ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR
Adopting a draft law on violence against women and girls, including the prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation
Combating human trafficking and forced labour, including child labour and exploitation.

Other recommendations that were repeated several times, urged Mauritania to guarantee the freedom of the press and freedom of religion, to improve the participation of women in public life and equality in general, in particular with regard to the transfer of nationality and inheritances, to fight extreme poverty, to guarantee access to educaiton for all, including for children with disabilities, or from disadvantaged backgrounds.