National Human Rights Committee celebrates World Human Rights Day

Today, Wednesday, the National Human Rights Committee commemorated the 77th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, under the slogan ‘Human Rights Are Our Priority Every Day.’

The President of the National Human Rights Committee, Mr. Bekkaye Ould Abdel Malik, emphasized during a press briefing held at the Committee’s headquarters in Nouakchott that commemorating this day is an occasion for national human rights bodies to review the state of human rights in their countries, and to recall the suffering of peoples subjected to genocide, identity-based killings, forced displacement, and all forms of deprivation, poverty, and disease, such as the Palestinian people and the Rohingya people.

He praised the political will declared to safeguard rights by the highest authority in the country, noting that His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani, emphasized during his recent tour of the Eastern Hodh region the protection of human dignity, the elimination of all forms of marginalization and condescension, and support for vulnerable groups.

He also commended Mauritania’s ratification of most international treaties and instruments related to human rights, calling for the ratification of the remaining treaties that do not conflict with the constitution and the religious values of the Mauritanian people, particularly those concerning vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities and women.

He expressed gratitude to the government for the great care it provides to migrants and refugees, whose numbers have increasingly put pressure on services and natural resources, especially in the eastern states, highlighting that the country hosts hundreds of thousands of refugees despite the scarcity of resources.

The press briefing was attended by the head of the High Authority for Audiovisual Media, the president of the National Bar Association, and representatives of human rights and civil organizations.