Mauritania Joins International Partnership on Information, Democracy
Mauritania has joined the International Partnership on Information and Democracy. Through this initiative, Mauritania intends to cooperate with countries and organizations seeking to strengthen democracy worldwide and promote freedoms.
“Our country has made qualitative gains in the area of press freedom, following the announcement in 2020 by His Excellency President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El-Ghazouani of the establishment of the High Commission for the Reform of the Media Sector and the government’s adoption of its findings and recommendations”, said Mr. El Houssein Ould Medou, the Minister of Culture, Arts, Communication, and Relations with Parliament, Government Spokesman.
He added that this was reflected in the national media scene by “improving media laws, broadening freedoms, empowering journalists, improving their working conditions, and enshrining the citizen’s right to free, qualitative, professional, and diversified media”.
“By joining the International Partnership on Information and Democracy and our active involvement in the realization of its principles, the Mauritanian government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Mokhtar Ould Diay, seeks to work with signatories to strengthen cooperation in the field of media freedom,” said the Minister.
He stressed that “Mauritania will remain open to any initiative aimed at enshrining individual and collective freedoms and consolidating democracy worldwide, including initiatives launched by organizations known for their professional and principled commitment and innovative initiatives in defense of freedom of expression, such as Reporters Without Borders”.
Mauritania seeks to establish effective cooperation based on joint development with countries and organizations that believe in human values, providing accurate information, guaranteeing access to information, and combating fake news.
Created on 26 September 2019, the International Partnership on Information and Democracy is an initiative aimed at promoting democracy and safeguarding the right of access to information in the face of the proliferation of false information.
The Partnership brings together a group of states, civil society groups, academics, and the media. It aims to:
– Combat misinformation by developing strategies to counter false and misleading information that affects public opinion and democracy.
– Promoting freedom of expression by defending the fundamental principles of freedom of expression and creating a competitive and healthy environment for the media.
– Policy development: Encouraging governments to adopt policies that promote information literacy and democratization.
– International cooperation: Promoting cooperation between countries and stakeholders to meet information-related challenges.
The international partnership initiative, launched by RSF and France, brings together 55 countries.