United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment CAT/C/MRT/CO/1 Distr.: General 18 June 2013 English Original: French Committee against Torture Concluding observations on the initial report of Mauritania adopted by the Committee at its fiftieth session (6–31 May 2013) 1. The Committee against Torture considered the initial report of Mauritania (CAT/C/MRT/1) at its 1138th and 1141st meetings (CAT/C/SR.1138 and 1141), held on 8 and 10 May 2013. At its 1161st meeting (CAT/C/SR.1161), held on 27 May 2013, the Committee adopted the following concluding observations. A. Introduction 2. The Committee welcomes the initial report of Mauritania. It does note, however, that the report is not entirely in conformity with the Committee’s reporting guidelines and regrets that the State party has submitted this report seven years after it was due. 3. The Committee appreciates the open dialogue held with the State party’s delegation and the responses provided to the questions posed by Committee members during their consideration of the report. However, it regrets that representatives of all the relevant ministries were not in attendance. B. Positive aspects 4. The Committee notes with satisfaction that the State party has ratified or acceded to the following international instruments: (a) The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (17 November 2004); (b) The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (17 November 2004); (c) The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (22 July 2005); (d) The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (22 January 2007); (e) The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (23 April 2007); GE.13-44591 (E) 280613 010713

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