Attachments
Context
Since the crisis in Mali, Mauritania has hosted more than 288,000 refugees and asylum seekers (of whom 162,000 refugees and asylum seekers are registered), mainly in the Mbera camp and in urban areas. Children make up 54% of this population. Mauritania's political and institutional framework is particularly favorable to the inclusion of refugees.
The country has ratified the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and is committed to ensuring refugees' access to public services, including education. These commitments were reinforced at the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) in December 2023, where Mauritania pledged to include refugees into the national education system, affirming its commitment and willingness to provide comprehensive support and opportunities to displaced populations: Include refugees in the national education system and ensure their effective access to public schools (GRF-07989), including the following:
- Include 100% of refugees in the information system for administrative reform and education management (SIRAGE) by 2024.
- Gradually integrate schools in the Mbera camp into the national education system. It is planned that by 2027, the last Malian and the first Mauritanian first-cycle school-leaving certificate will be issued in the camp. With the support of the UN Gender Accelerator, study the possibility of developing social safety net programs to promote access and retention of girls (refugees and host community) in school, with a particular focus on secondary education.