The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 February 2026.
Delivered at Mauritania’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
We welcome Mauritania’s continued engagement with the UPR process, as well as: efforts to strengthen access to education (particularly for girls); measures to address slavery and human trafficking; and collaboration with humanitarian partners.
We recommend that Mauritania:
- Continues advancing the rights of women and girls by implementing legislation on gender-based violence and ensuring access to justice and survivor-centred services. Legalisation on gender-based violence would reaffirm the Government’s commitment.
- Increases efforts to eradicate slavery and discrimination, including hereditary and descent-based slavery, by strengthening investigations, prosecutions and accountability, ensuring fair and equal access to descendants and providing effective support for victims.
- Strengthens judicial protection for migrants and asylum seekers by adhering to international frameworks, ensuring humane treatment, due process safeguards, access to asylum procedures and protection from refoulement.
Thank you.