The following information was provided to the Research Directorate by an official at the Embassy of Mauritania in Ottawa on 8 and 13 March 2001: the document indicating a record of birth in Mauritania during the period under consideration is called an acte de naissance, and it is the size of a regular sheet of paper, off-white in colour (like newsprint). The document is usually in both French and Arabic. It normally contains the following information: the name and sex of the child, the name of the child's mother and father, the place of birth, the date of birth, the signature of an official from the local prefecture, and an official ink seal from the prefecture. If a Mauritanian outside of Mauritania wants to obtain an acte de naissance, he or she must submit to a Mauritanian embassy or consulate an application along with proof of citizenship of his or her mother or father (though proof of the mother's citizenship is preferred), and a piece of personal identity such as a passport. The Mauritanian mission will then forward the information to the relevant authorities in Mauritania, where an acte de naissance will be issued for the applicant.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Embassy of Mauritania, Ottawa. 8, 13 March 2001. Telephone interviews with an official.