Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Ninety-fifth session

23 April–11 May 2018

Item 6 of the provisional agenda

Consideration of reports, comments and information submitted by States parties under article 9 of the Convention

List of themes in relation to the eighth to fourteenth periodic reports of Mauritania

Note by the Country Rapporteur *

1.The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination decided at its seventy-sixth session (A/65/18, para. 85) that the Country Rapporteur would send a short list of themes to the State party concerned with a view to guiding and focusing the dialogue between the State party’s delegation and the Committee during the consideration of the State party’s report. The present document contains a list of such themes. It is not an exhaustive list; other issues may also be raised in the course of the dialogue. No written replies are required.

The Convention in domestic law and the institutional and policy framework for its implementation (arts. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6)

2.Comprehensive and up-to-date statistical data on the demographic composition of the population: ethnic groups and migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers. Linguistic and socioeconomic data on such groups.

3.Harmonization of the definition of racial discrimination in the Constitution and other legislation, in particular the new anti-discrimination law, with all the elements contained in article 1 of the Convention.

4.Revision of the new anti-discrimination law adopted by the State party.

5.Information on the provisions of the Criminal Code that ensure its full conformity with articles 4 (a) and (c) of the Convention and those that establish racist motive as an aggravating circumstance.

6.Steps taken to strengthen the independence of the National Human Rights Commission and to ensure that it is allocated adequate human and financial resources. Details of the financial and human resources allocated to the Tadamoun Agency.

7.Measures to facilitate the lodging of complaints about acts, events or situations of racial discrimination, in particular situations of slavery and slavery-like practices. Updated information on cases relating to racial discrimination, in particular cases of slavery and slavery-like practices, handled by the courts of the State party, including information on complaints, investigations, prosecutions, convictions and sanctions imposed, and on the reparations provided to victims.

Situation of ethnic groups (arts. 1 and 5)

8.Non-discrimination with respect to Haratines (black Moors) and Afro-Mauritanians. Statistics on the participation of these groups in political and public affairs, including in parliament, the Government, local governments, the army and the police.

9.The nature and scale of slavery and slavery-like practices.

10.Eradicating slavery and slavery-like practices: information on campaigns to raise awareness of the legislation criminalizing slavery, and on their impact; results of activities undertaken in implementation of the road map for the eradication of contemporary forms of slavery adopted by the State party on 6 March 2014.

11.Redress, rehabilitation and integration measures for former slaves, and any related statistical data.

12.Statistical data relating to the inclusion and teaching of the Fulani, Soninke and Wolof national languages in school curricula. Information on the use of these languages in official documents, social services, justice and administration. Information on the preservation and promotion of the Berber language and culture, including in school textbooks, education and cultural events.

Situation of non-citizens, including migrants, refugees and asylum seekers (arts. 1, 2, 5 and 6)

13.Effective protection for non-citizens in the enjoyment of their economic, social and cultural rights, including access to employment and health care.

14.Non-discrimination between nationals and non-nationals in respect of remuneration. Oversight measures put in place by the State party to ensure equal working conditions for nationals and non-nationals.

15.Measures to ensure that all children born in Mauritania, including the children of migrants, are duly registered and receive identity documents. Additional measures to provide identity documents to all returnees, particularly Afro-Mauritanians, who were expelled between 1989 and 1992, as part of efforts to settle the humanitarian debt. Statistical data on measures for the reintegration of returnees.

16.Update on the adoption of the law on asylum and respect for the principle of non-refoulement.

17.Discrimination between Mauritanian women and men with regard to the transmission of nationality to children and foreign spouses.

18.The extent of human trafficking in the State party. Measures to facilitate the filing of complaints and to protect victims from reprisals. Application of the Act criminalizing the smuggling of migrants and Act No. 2003-025 of 17 July 2003 on the suppression of human trafficking: complaints, investigations, prosecutions, convictions, sanctions and redress and rehabilitation measures for victims.

Education to combat prejudices and promote understanding (art. 7)

19.Efforts to raise public awareness of racial discrimination and the need for tolerance, with a view to combating prejudice; human rights and the promotion of understanding between different groups in school curricula and vocational training programmes; impact of the training provided to assistant judges and lawyers on anti-slavery legislation and on the handling of cases involving slavery and slavery-like practices.