Acting on behalf of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, its Executive Directorate (CTED) conducted a follow-up country assessment visit to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania from 14 to 21 October 2024. The assessment covered all relevant Security Council resolutions, including 1373 (2001), 2178 (2014), and 2396 (2017), and included engagement with the Government of Islamic Republic of Mauritania in Nouakchott and the Hodh El Chargui region, close to the border with Mali. The follow-up visit enabled the delegation to assess progress made by Mauritania in implementing the recommendations from the Counter-Terrorism Committee’s 2013 visit as well as measures taken to implement relevant Security Council resolutions. Country visits are one of the Counter- Terrorism Committee’s key channels to engage in constructive dialogue with Member States with a view to achieving effective implementation of the relevant counter-terrorism resolutions.
The delegation — including CTED experts as well as representatives of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations 国产AV Building Fund, the International Organization for Migration, the International Maritime Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the International Criminal Police Organization — met with government representatives, including from the Ministries of Justice, Defense, Interior and Decentralization, Foreign Affairs, Economy and Finance, Islamic Affairs, Fisheries and Maritime Economy as well as local authorities in the Hodh el Chargui regions. The delegation also conducted on-site visits in Nouakchott: the Maritime Port of l'Amitié, International Airport Oumtounsy, Central Prison; as well as in the Hodh El Chargui region: the Fassala Border Post with Mali and refugee camp of Mberra. In accordance with Security Council resolution 2617 (2021), the delegation met with representatives of civil society organizations to discuss measures taken by the Islamic Republic of Mauritania in the area of counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism conducive to terrorism as well as the impact of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ’s counter-terrorism measures on human rights.
Thematic areas covered during the visit included counter-terrorism legislation, criminal justice, corrections and international cooperation in criminal matters; the role of the military in countering terrorism and international humanitarian law aspects, anti-money-laundering/countering the financing of terrorism; law enforcement; border management, including aviation and maritime security; rehabilitation and reintegration of people associated with terrorism; and violent extremism conducive to terrorism. In accordance with the practice followed for the Committee’s previous visits, the discussions also included gender dimensions in countering terrorism and violent extremism.
The visiting delegation commended Mauritania for the significant progress made since the 2013 Counter-Terrorism Committee visit, for its continued cooperation and for greatly facilitating an in-depth dialogue between the visiting experts and their counterparts both in Nouakchott and in the Hodh el Chargui region.