Mauritania - Human Rights Committee (Follow-up) - Women's Rights - July 2021
Country: Mauritania
Issues: Accountability , Gender-Based Violence, Women's Rights
Mechanism: UN Human Rights Committee
Report Type: Follow-up report
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The Advocates for Human Rights, together with Mauritian Network for Human Rights in the US, submitted a follow-up report relating to Mauritania's compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)in response to the Concluding Observations of the Human Rights Committee 36th Meeting.
This report focuses on the steps taken by the State party and developments within the State since 19 July 2019, in follow-up to the recommendations of the Concluding Observations. Mauritania has not taken adequate steps to address the unresolved humanitarian consequences of the events of 1989 to 1991 per the recommendation in paragraph 11. Black Mauritians continue to experience structural discrimination, evidenced by government restrictions on associations of victims. Mauritania has not passed legislation to prohibit the practice of female genital mutilation, nor has it taken steps to eliminate child marriage as recommended in paragraph 21. Last, Mauritania has not amended the Act on criminalization of discrimination, cybercrime, combatting terrorism, or the freedom of the press, per the recommendations in paragraph 43.The government continues to harass, arrest, and detain human rights defenders, and authorities who commit these human rights violations act with impunity.
The authors of the report suggest the following questions for the Government of Mauritania:
What steps is the State party making to ensure victims of the 1989 to 1991 events and their beneficiaries are appropriately compensated, including through the fair redistribution of land to the rightful owners, as part of the fight against impunity for human rights violations?
How does the State party ensure the safety of women and girls from violence, including from FGM, while the draft bill to prevent violence against women and girls remains in limbo with the National Assembly?
What resources and funds does the State provide to ensure women and girls subjected to FGM have access to social and medical services?
What steps and commitments will the State make to prohibit marriage under the age of 18?
What steps is the State Party making to ensure that government security forces that intimidate, harass, and arbitrarily arrest and detain human rights defenders cannot act with impunity?
