Attachments
Human Rights Council
Fifty-fourth session
11 September–6 October 2023
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Summary
The Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, Tomoya Obokata, visited Mauritania from 4 to 13 May 2022. He travelled to Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. The main purpose of the visit was to assess the progress made by Mauritania in eliminating slavery since the visit of the previous mandate holder, in particular through implementation of the “Road map for the implementation of recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences, with a view to elimination of slavery practices in Mauritania”, which was adopted by the Government in 2014 on the basis of recommendations made by the former Special Rapporteur.
The Special Rapporteur recognizes the significant progress that Mauritania has made in strengthening its legal and institutional framework to prevent and address slavery. However, he observes that descent-based slavery persists in certain parts of the country alongside contemporary forms of slavery, and highlights several areas in which currently and formerly enslaved persons and their descendants suffer social, economic, and political exclusion. To build on the country’s achievements and address these challenges, the Special Rapporteur recommends measures to complement and strengthen implementation of existing anti-slavery legislation, address contemporary forms of slavery and eradicate discrimination against victims of slavery.