Minister of Education Attends Meeting in Geneva

On 17 December in Geneva, Ms. Houda Babah, Minister of Education and Reform of the Educational System, attended a preparatory meeting for the 2027 International Conference on Refugees. The meeting focused on how long-term and predictable funding for education can enable sustainable solutions.

The meeting allowed the Minister to share Mauritania’s experience in welcoming and integrating refugees. She aligned her message with President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani’s recent vision at the “TICAD 9” summit when he stressed that welcoming refugees is a humanitarian duty and a national responsibility, requiring effective international solidarity and support for host regions.

She stated, “Mauritania currently hosts more than 365,000 refugees, most of them women and children.” She added, “The Mberra camp alone houses nearly 120,000 people. This exceeds its capacity and increases pressure on basic services, especially education in Hodh Chargui wilaya.”

The Minister stated that “Mauritania has adopted a strategic option of integrating refugee children into the national education system and gradually transitioning to the national curriculum instead of parallel schools, within a clear legal and institutional framework, which strengthens social cohesion and serves both refugees and host communities.”

She emphasized that “the success of this ambitious approach, which His Excellency the President of the Republic has considered a model of responsible solidarity, remains linked to long-term international support and assistance, which links humanitarian action to development and supports investment in educational infrastructure and human resources, particularly in the most vulnerable areas.”

She concluded her speech by calling for education to be made a central focus of international responses to refugee issues, considering it an essential gateway to stability and sustainable development.