Speech

37th Universal Periodic Review: UK statement on Mauritania

Rita French, UK Ambassador for Human Rights, delivered this statement on Mauritania at the 37th Session of Universal Periodic Review (UPR), sharing recommendations to improve their human rights record.

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Rita French
Published
19 January 2021
This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government
Location:
Geneva, Switzerland
Delivered on:
(Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)
Rita French

The United Kingdom recognises Mauritania’s commitment to improving access to education at the primary and secondary level. We urge the Government to ensure that girls’ equal access to twelve years quality education is at the forefront of their efforts in this regard.

We note Mauritania’s cooperation with the UNHCR and other humanitarian organisations to provide protection for refugees and migrants.

We recommend that Mauritania:

  1. Increases efforts to end all forms of slavery and discrimination, especially based on caste or ethnicity, and investigates and prosecutes traffickers and those holding people in slavery.

  2. Adheres to existing international frameworks to protect migrants and refugees, including those attempting to travel to the Canary Islands who land in Mauritania.

  3. Adopt an open, merit-based process when selecting national candidates for UN Treaty Body elections.

Thank you.

Updates to this page

Published 19 January 2021