Children in Mauritania engage in the worst forms of child labor, including in indentured and hereditary slavery. (1-4) Children also perform dangerous tasks in agriculture, particularly in herding cattle and goats. (1,5-7) Table 1 provides key indicators on children's work and education in Mauritania.

Source for primary completion rate: Data from 2018, published by UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2020. (8)
Source for all other data: International Labor Organization's analysis of statistics from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2015 (MICS), 2015. (9)

Based on a review of available information, Table 2 provides an overview of children's work by sector and activity.

† Determined by national law or regulation as hazardous and, as such, relevant to Article 3(d) of ILO C. 182.
‡ Child labor understood as the worst forms of child labor per se under Article 3(a)–(c) of ILO C. 182.

Children in Mauritania, especially from the Haratine ethnic minority, continue to be exploited as slaves and endure slave-like practices, particularly in rural and remote areas of the country. Some children are born into slavery; others are born free but remain in a dependent status and are forced to work with their parents for their former masters in exchange for food, money, and lodging. (3,4,6,7,21,22,24,25) Child slaves herd animals such as cattle and goats, perform domestic labor, and are often sexually exploited. (3,4,14,15,26)

In Mauritania, it is a traditional practice to send children to Koranic teachers to receive an education. However, some Koranic teachers (marabouts) force their students (talibés) to beg on the streets for long hours and to surrender the money they have earned. (4-7,12,17-19)

Since 2011, the Government of Mauritania has required proof of marriage and a copy of the national identity cards of the parents or caregivers to obtain a birth certificate. This may have prevented children born out of wedlock and many Haratine and Sub-Saharan ethnic minority children, including from families of slave descent, from being registered at birth. (27,28) In addition, Ministry of Education officials report that an April 2016 decree requiring all children to have a national identity card to take part in national examinations to obtain the Certificate of Primary Education Studies (CEP) has not been applied systematically; however, the decree has not been withdrawn, and this continues to leave room for different interpretations. Because both birth certificates and the CEP are required to enroll in secondary school in Mauritania, many children as young as age 12 cannot access secondary education, making them more vulnerable to the worst forms of child labor. (7,10,13,18,24,25,28-31) In addition, the lack of school infrastructure and limited availability of teachers, especially in rural areas, impede access to education, which may increase children's vulnerability to the worst forms of child labor. (21,32-34) Children from families of slave descent, especially from the Haratine ethnic minority, also face barriers to accessing education due to ethnic discrimination. (5,10,22,24,35)

Although all families are required to register children for birth certificates, there are reports that the civil registration process, including obtaining birth certificates, is confusing and time consuming. Moreover, applicants have faced additional hardship due to the closure of registration centers outside the capital and lack of training for registration center staff. (27,28,36,37) In 2019, the government began providing birth registration to children from a preliminary list of 30,000 unregistered children, including refugees and children of slave descent. The government has not published the total number of registrations issued during the reporting period. (38-40) The Ministry of Social Affairs, Childhood, and the Family (MASEF) and the National Child Protection Council have representation in all regions in Mauritania, and are mandated to identify cases of citizens, including children, who are unable to register and provide them the support needed to complete the registration process. (40) In addition, the government appointed a special committee, headed by a presidential adviser, to review cases of unregistered applicants and facilitate documentation processes for marginalized and vulnerable communities. As part of the committee's efforts to facilitate documentation processes, they have conducted site visits to civil registration centers during which they have provided support to individuals who have encountered difficulty in the civil registration process. (39,40)

In 2019, Mauritania hosted approximately 57,000 Malian refugees. During the reporting period, the Government of Mauritania, in collaboration with the UNHCR, continued to issue birth certificates to approximately 2,000 Malian refugee children. (12,17,41,42) Refugee children may have difficulty accessing education, which makes them particularly vulnerable to engaging in the worst forms of child labor, including being recruited by non-state armed groups. (4,12,30,43,44)

In 2019, Mohamed Ghazouani was sworn in as President of Mauritania, and his new administration has prioritized combating poverty, exclusion, and marginalization. Under the current administration, experts have highlighted that Mauritania has made some progress in addressing human rights issues, including investigating and prosecuting cases of slavery and trafficking in persons; however, some government officials have expressed a continued unwillingness to address allegations of human trafficking and slavery. (17,19,45,46)

Mauritania has ratified most key international conventions concerning child labor (Table 3).

The government has established laws and regulations related to child labor (Table 4). However, gaps exist in Mauritania's legal framework to adequately protect children from the worst forms of child labor, including the identification of hazardous occupations or activities prohibited for children.

* No conscription (55)

During the reporting period, the government drafted a new law regulating NGOs that eases registration requirements and moves oversight of NGOs from the Ministry of the Interior to the Commissariat for Human Rights, Humanitarian Action, and Relations with Civil Society. (58,59) The government also began rewriting laws related to trafficking in persons to provide increased legal protections against forced labor. (17,56-60) As part of this process, the Ministry of Justice collaborated with IOM on several workshops to solicit input from governmental and civil society organizations to revise the legislative framework concerning human trafficking. The draft law significantly reinforces victims' rights, including a right to reparations. (17,40,61)

The General Child Protection Code, enacted in 2018, allows children ages 16 and 17 to work as long as work is not performed at night, does not exceed 8 hours per day, and does not impede school attendance. In addition, the Code prohibits the employment of children in work that exposes them to physical, psychological, or sexual abuse; work with dangerous machinery, equipment, and tools; and work in unhealthy environments, which may expose children to hazardous substances or temperatures. (37) The Code also criminalizes the commercial sexual exploitation of children and forced begging, and provides penalties for violations of child labor laws up to $41,000 and 20 years' imprisonment for the commission of child trafficking crimes. (13,37,62,63) However, the Code does not determine the types of work that are hazardous, including domestic work, an area in which there is evidence of children carrying heavy loads and working long hours. (6,37) In 2019, the government began to develop a new hazardous work list. The new list, which is expected to include domestic work, is slated to be finalized in 2020. (12,39)

The Labor Code allows children ages 12 and older to perform light work, as long as it does not impede their school attendance, does not exceed 2 hours per day, and is authorized by the Ministry of Labor. (47) However, the Labor Code does not specify the activities in which light work may be permitted. (64) In addition, children in Mauritania are required to attend school only up to age 14. This standard makes children ages 14 through 16 vulnerable to child labor, because they are not required to attend school but are not legally allowed to work. (37,54)

The government has established institutional mechanisms for the enforcement of laws and regulations on child labor (Table 5). However, gaps exist within the operations of the Ministry of Labor that may hinder adequate enforcement of their child labor laws.

In 2019, the Ministry of Justice, in coordination with the MASEF, set up a rehabilitation center for victims of slavery to reinstate their full civil rights and liberties. (12)

Labor Law Enforcement

In 2019, labor law enforcement agencies in Mauritania took actions to combat child labor (Table 6). However, gaps exist within the operations of the Ministry of Labor that may hinder adequate labor law enforcement, including financial resource allocation.

In 2019, labor inspectors did not receive training on the General Child Protection Code. (12,37,75,76) In addition, reports indicate that the Ministry of Labor lacked equipment, training, transportation, and funding to conduct child labor inspections, especially in remote locations and in the informal sector, which employs more than 40 percent of the workforce. (12,13,16,34,65,68,79,80) During the reporting period, the Ministry of Labor hired and trained 60 more labor inspectors to expand coverage across the country and across sectors. (12,39)

Labor inspectors prepare reports when they find a labor violation and may include a recommendation for a penalty; however, they must file the reports with the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice will then assess the penalty for the labor violation. (12,78) However, the penalties established for violating child labor laws are insufficient and do not generally deter violations. (14,81)

Criminal Law Enforcement

In 2019, criminal law enforcement agencies in Mauritania took actions to combat child labor (Table 7). However, gaps exist within the operations of the criminal enforcement agencies that may hinder adequate criminal law enforcement, including the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases related to hereditary slavery.

During the reporting period, the Special Brigade for Minors continued to employ 3 officers. (12) According to international organizations and NGOs, there is little to no coordination among enforcement agencies. (76,78) Efforts made by criminal law enforcement authorities to combat the worst forms of child labor, including hereditary slavery, remained inadequate given the magnitude of the problem. (4) In addition, Mauritanian judicial officials often dismiss or fail to refer cases to the Anti-Slavery Courts due to a lack of training. (38,79)

In November 2019, the Anti-Slavery Court of Nema judged 3 separate cases that included a total of 12 perpetrators and approximately 15 victims. The court sentenced the 12 perpetrators to serve 5 to 15 years in prison and awarded the victims in each case $135,000 as a group. (12,82) Although the 12 convicted had fled to Mali prior to their prosecution, the Ministry of Justice issued international warrants for their arrest and is working with The International Criminal Police Organization to seek their extradition to Mauritania. (12,82) An additional case involving a young female victim of slavery is currently under prosecution at the Anti-Slavery Court of Nouakchott and has drawn widespread attention due to a perceived lack of action by some judicial officials. However, both the Commissariat on Human Rights and the Nouakchott Public Prosecutor have taken a proactive role in managing the case. (17,83,84) During the reporting period, there were two additional cases of slavery investigated or prosecuted by the Nema Anti-Slavery Court. In addition, the Federal Public Prosecutor issued a circular requiring prosecutors to actively investigate cases of slavery and provide free legal assistance for victims of slavery. (80,82)

According to Article 23 of the 2015 Anti-Slavery Law (Law 2015-052), the only entities other than Commissariat on Human Rights and Humanitarian Action that can file criminal cases on behalf of former slaves are legally registered human rights associations that have been operating for 5 years in Mauritania. (50, 39,74,79,81,85) The draft NGO law currently before parliament will ease registration restrictions on civil society organizations to operate in Mauritania, but it has not yet been clarified that these organizations, once registered, will be able to immediately bring criminal cases on behalf of former slaves. (39,57,58,59 )

Evidence suggests that some police, prosecutors, and judges do not investigate cases of slavery after complaints are received, and that the government has prosecuted cases for lesser offenses to avoid bringing a slavery case to trial. In some cases, this is due to allegations of corruption or lack of political will to prosecute suspected slaveholders, or it may be due to misunderstanding of the 2015 Anti-Slavery Law. (4,12,56,87) There are also reports that investigative judges who receive anti-slavery cases may try to pressure slavery victims to drop their cases or accept mediation in lieu of prosecution. (38,76,79,80) The obstacles that victims of slavery encounter in filing complaints and the government's failure to adequately investigate these cases may be due to the insufficient allocation of resources by the government and a lack of political will to prosecute these cases to their maximum legal liability. (38,76,79,80)

In addition, two laws adopted in 2018 by the Government of Mauritania have drawn widespread concern in the international community. The anti-discrimination law, enacted in January, and the law on apostasy-related crimes, adopted in April, may be used to retaliate against anti-slavery organizations and restrict their ability to function, including their ability to file criminal cases or advocate for the end of slavery. (79,81,88-92) Although, as of the end of 2019, there were no reports that the laws had been used against anti-slavery organizations, there are still concerns that the laws could impede anti-slavery organizations from providing services to victims of slavery, including children. (79,81,91,93,94) In addition, the government has not specified its position on revising these laws. (39)

During the reporting period, the government sentenced seven anti-slavery activists to 6 months in prison for taking part in an unauthorized demonstration and inciting hatred and racism. A majority of these activists have since been released. (82,95) In addition, there are reports that some cases of slavery are resolved through social mediation rather than through the criminal justice system. (12,19,67)

Enforcement authorities, including the Anti-Slavery Courts, lack personnel, funding, and training to adequately coordinate and enforce laws related to the worst forms of child labor. (3,10,12,13,20,69,71,96,97)

The Government of Mauritania did not publish complete data on the number of investigations related to violations of the worst forms of child labor, but international organizations and local NGOs reported that the government investigated cases involving child victims. This included repatriating 90 Senegalese children smuggled into Mauritania to be exploited in fishing, domestic work, and drug production, and for purposes of commercial sexual exploitation. (17,19)

The government has established mechanisms to coordinate its efforts to address child labor. (Table 8) However, gaps exist that hinder the effective coordination of efforts, including the incorporation of all relevant agencies to address all forms of child labor.

* Mechanism to coordinate efforts to address child labor was created during the reporting period.

The government has established policies related to child labor (Table 9). However, policy gaps exist that hinder efforts to address child labor, including funding and implementation of key policies.

† Policy was approved during the reporting period.

In 2019, the government, in consultation with the IOM, finalized a new draft National Action Plan Against Trafficking in Persons, which replaces the previous draft that had been under review since 2015. The government expects to adopt the plan in 2020. (12,56,108) Reports indicate that efforts to implement most of the key policies related to child labor, particularly the National Action Plan to Eliminate Child Labor, have been delayed due to insufficient allocation of resources. (38,76,109,110)

In 2019, Mauritania became a Pathfinder country under Alliance 8.7. This involves a commitment to increase action-accelerating commitments toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7, which calls for the eradication of forced labor, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labor by 2025. (111) The Government of Mauritania created an action plan, which includes the goal of ending child labor in dairy farming and artisanal fishing. (112)

In 2019, the government funded and participated in programs that include the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor (Table 10). However, gaps exist in these social programs, including the adequacy of efforts to address the problem in all sectors.

* Program was launched during the reporting period.
† Program is funded by the Government of Mauritania.

Although Mauritania has social programs that target child labor, the scope of these programs is insufficient to fully address the extent of the problem, especially in agriculture, herding, and domestic work, and for children in hereditary and indentured slavery. (12,65,76,121) Moreover, some government officials do not acknowledge that slavery continues to exist. (2,3,19,25,56,65,96) In addition, the lack of recent data on slavery limits the government's ability to develop effective social programs to comprehensively address this issue. Existing social programs for former slaves and awareness of the national laws on slavery are insufficient. (2,5,25)

Based on the reporting above, suggested actions are identified that would advance the elimination of child labor in Mauritania (Table 11).

1. Government of Mauritania. Plan d'Action National d'Elimination du Travail des Enfants (2015-2020). April 2015. Source on file.

2. ILO Committee of Experts. Individual Observation concerning Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) Mauritania (ratification: 1961). Published: 2016.
   http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO:13100:P13100_COMMENT_ID:3298344.

3. AFL-CIO. Concerning the failure of the Government of Mauritania to comply with section 104 of the African Growth and Opportunity Act. June 17, 2017. Source on file.

4. U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report- 2019: Mauritania. Washington, DC, June 20, 2019.
   https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-trafficking-in-persons-report-2/mauritania/.

5. UN Human Rights Council. Summary prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21. August 17, 2015: A/HRC/WG.6/23/MRT/3. Source on file.

6. ILO Committee of Experts. Individual Observation concerning Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) Mauritania (ratification: 2001). Published: 2016.
   http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO:13100:P13100_COMMENT_ID:3248994:NO.

7. Commission Nationale des Droits de l'Homme. Rapport annuel sur la situation des enfants en Mauritanie. 2016.
   http://www.cndh.mr/images/rapport_cndh_2016.pdf.

8. UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes (%). Accessed March 2020. For more information, please see "Children's Work and Education Statistics: Sources and Definitions" in the Reference Materials section of this report.
   http://data.uis.unesco.org/.

9. ILO. Analysis of Child Economic Activity and School Attendance Statistics from National Household or Child Labor Surveys. Original data from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2015 (MICS), 2015. Analysis received March 2020. Please see "Children's Work and Education Statistics: Sources and Definitions" in the Reference Materials section of this report.

10. The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC). Decision on the communication submitted by minority rights group international and SOS-Esclaves on behalf of Said Ould Salem and Yarg Ould Salem against the Government of Mauritania. 2017. Source on file.

11. Association des Femmes Chefs de Manage official. Interview with USDOL. September 19, 2017.

12. U.S. Embassy- Nouakchott. Reporting. January 17, 2020.

13. U.S. Embassy- Nouakchott. Reporting. January 9, 2018.

14. U.S. Embassy- Nouakchott. Reporting. January 24, 2017.

15. Minority Rights Group International. Enforcing Mauritania's Anti-Slavery Legislation: The Continued Failure of the Justice System to Prevent, Protect and Punish. ASI, MRG, STP and UNPO, October 2015.
    http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/561f6aa74.pdf.

16. ILO. Etude relative à l'analyse législative et institutionnelle sur le travail des enfants en Mauritanie. February 2015. Source on file.

17. U.S. Embassy- Noakchott. Reporting. February 14, 2020.

18. UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. Concluding observations on the initial report of Mauritania. May 31, 2016: CMW/C/MRT/CO/1.
    http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CMW/C/MRT/CO/1&Lang=En.

19. U.S. Embassy- Nouakchott. Reporting. October 16, 2019.

20. U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report- 2018: Mauritania. Washington, DC, June 28, 2018.
    https://www.state.gov/reports/2018-trafficking-in-persons-report/mauritania/.

21. UN Human Rights Council. Compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21. August 24, 2015: A/HRC/WG.6/23/MRT/2. Source on file.

22. Higgs, Johanna. It Still Exists: Slavery Drags On in Mauritania Despite Being Illegal. PassBlue, February 15, 2017.
    http://www.passblue.com/2017/02/15/it-still-exists-slavery-drags-on-in-mauritania-despite-being-illegal/.

23. Pressafrik. Mauritanie: des cas d'esclavage dans la communauté noire soninké December 24, 2019.
    https://www.pressafrik.com/Mauritanie-des-cas-d-esclavage-dans-la-communaute-noire-soninke_a209553.html.

24. Minority Rights Group International. Still Far From Freedom: The Struggle of Mauritania's Haratine Women. May 4, 2015.
    http://www.refworld.org/docid/556ea7a14.html.

25. Alston, Philip. End-of-mission statement on Mauritania, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. UN Human Rights Council, May 11, 2016.
    http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=19948&LangID=E.

26. Unrepresented Nations and People Organization (UNPO). Haratin: Women Prime Victims of Slavery and Sexual Violence in Mauritania. March 30, 2017.
    http://unpo.org/article/19934.

27. Government of Mauritania. Loi n° 2011 - 003 abrogeant et remplaçant la loi n°96.019 du 19 Juin 1996 portant Code de l'Etat Civil. January 12, 2011.
    https://data.unicef.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Mauritanie-Code-2011-etat-civil.pdf.

28. Human Rights Watch. Mauritania: Administrative Obstacles Keep Kids From School. March 29, 2018.
    https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/03/29/mauritania-administrative-obstacles-keep-kids-school.

29. UNESCO-UIS. Mauritania Education and Literacy. UNESCO Institute of Statistics, Accessed May 24, 2017.
    http://uis.unesco.org/country/MR.

30. Child Soldiers International. Alternative report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child on implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child- Mauritania. October 31, 2017.
    https://www.child-soldiers.org/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=0b61c1b9-4977-4112-b7c3-ed296e738e27.

31. L'Association des Femmes Chefs de Familles, La Coalition des Organisations Mauritaniennes pour l'Education, and Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Alternative Report submitted to the Committee on the Rights of the Child. July 2018.
    https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5a6e0958f6576ebde0e78c18/t/5beba3a9cd83669970c1678a/1542169526649/Rapport+Droit+à+l'éducation+et+privatisation+Mauritanie+CDE+-+juillet+2018+-+final+-+FR.pdf.

32. Makhloufi, Annabelle and Ulrich Delius. Esclavage en Mauritanie: échec de la feuille de route. Göttingen, Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker, February 2016.
    https://www.gfbv.de/fileadmin/redaktion/Reporte_Memoranden/2016/RAPPORT_FEUILLE-DE-ROUTE.pdf.

33. Dune Voices. Les écoles publiques en Mauritanie, l'ultime refuge des enfants pauvres. March 27, 2016.
    http://www.dune-voices.info/public/index.php/fr/société-mauritanie-fr/item/781-les-écoles-publiques-en-mauritanie,-l'ultime-refuge-des-enfants-pauvres.

34. ILO Committee of Experts. Individual Direct Request concerning Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) Mauritania (ratification: 2001). Published: 2016.
    http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO:13100:P13100_COMMENT_ID:3248994:NO.

35. U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices- 2019: Mauritania. Washington, DC, March 11, 2020.
    https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/mauritania/.

36. UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Concluding observations on the combined third to fifth periodic reports of Mauritania. November 26, 2018.
    https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CRC/C/MRT/CO/3-5&Lang=En.

37. Government of Mauritania. Loi n°2018-024 Code Général de Protection de l'Enfant Enacted: June 2018. Source on file.

38. U.S. Embassy- Nouakchott. Reporting. February 25, 2019.

39. U.S. Embassy- Nouakchott official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. February 7, 2020.

40. U.S. Embassy- Nouakchott official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. March 27, 2020.

41. UNHCR. Operational Update - Mauritania. October 15, 2019.
    https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/72080.

42. UNHCR. Operational Update - Mauritania. June 15, 2019.
    https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/70004.

43. Titz, Christoph. Child Soldiers in Mali: A Skinny Boy with a Kalashnikov. Spiegel, September 8, 2016.
    http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/refugees-in-mauritania-and-child-soldiers-in-mali-a-1111404.html.

44. UNHCR. Operational Update- Mauritania. January 15, 2018.
    https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/61593.pdf.

45. U.S. Embassy- Nouakchott. Reporting. November 26, 2019.

46. Jeune Afrique. Mauritanie : les progrès de Ghazouani sur les droits humains sont encourageants, selon deux ONG. January 16, 2020.
    https://www.jeuneafrique.com/882110/societe/mauritanie-deux-ong-prient-ould-ghazouani-de-continuer-les-progres-sur-les-droits-de-lhomme/.

47. Government of Mauritania. Code du travail. Loi N° 2004-017, Enacted: July 2004.
    http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlex_browse.details?p_lang=en&p_country=MRT&p_classification=01.02&p_origin=COUNTRY&p_sortby=SORTBY_COUNTRY.

48. Government of Mauritania. Loi N° 025/2003 portant repression de la traite des personnes. Enacted: 2003.
    http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/ELECTRONIC/65094/113865/F-1222953954/MRT-65094.pdf.

49. Government of Mauritania. Loi N° 2013-011. Enacted: January 2013. Source on file.

50. Government of Mauritania. Loi N° 052/15 du 12 août 2015 abrogeant et remplaçant la loi n° 2007-048 du 3 septembre 2007 portant incrimination de l'esclavage et des pratiques esclavagistes. Enacted: August 12, 2015.
    http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlex4.detail?p_lang=fr&p_isn=100117&p_count=2&p_classification=03.

51. Government of Mauritania. Ordonnance 2005-015 portant protection penale de l'enfant. Enacted: December 5, 2005. Source on file.

52. Government of Mauritania. Loi No. 93-37 relative à la représsion de la production, du trafic et de l´usage illicite des stupéfiants et substances psychotropes. July 20, 1993.
    https://www.unodc.org/res/cld/document/mrt/loi-93-37_html/mauritania-loi_stupefiants.pdf.

53. Government of Mauritania. Loi N° 62132 du 29 Juin 1962. Enacted: June 29, 1962.
    http://www.armee.mr/fr/index.php/2012-06-05-11-02-06.

54. Government of Mauritania. Loi N° 2001-054 du portant obligation de l'enseignement. Enacted: July 19, 2001. Source on file.

55. Child Soldiers International. Louder Than Words: An agenda for action to end state use of child soldiers. September 2012.
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56. U.S. Embassy- Nouakchott. Reporting. November 26, 2019.

57. U.S. Embassy- Nouakchott. Reporting. January 8, 2020.

58. Government of Mauritania. Projet du Texte de l'Avant-Projet de loi relative aux Associations, Réseaux et Fondations en Mauritanie. January 27, 2020. Source on file.

59. International Center for Not-for-Profit Law. INCL Comments: Mauritania's Draft Law on Associations, Networks, and Foundations. January 27, 2020. Source on file.

60. Government of Mauritania. Projet de loi n°./P.R / relative à la prévention et la répression de March 11, 2020. Source on file.

61. Government of Mauritania. Projet de loi relative à la prévention et la répression de la traite des personnes et la protection des victimes. March 2020. Source on file.

62. Agence Mauritanienne d'Information. L'Assemblée nationale adopte le projet de loi portant code général de la protection de l'enfant. December 12, 2017.
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63. U.S. Embassy- Nouakchott. Reporting. April 20, 2018.

64. ILO Committee of Experts. Individual Observation concerning Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) Mauritania (ratification: 2001). Published: 2016.
    http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO:13100:P13100_COMMENT_ID:3248990:NO.

65. ILO. The Bridge Project: Pre-situational Analysis Report. 2017. Source on file.

66. U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices- 2017: Mauritania Washington, DC, April 20, 2018.
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67. Kounkou-Hoveyda, Priscillia. La Brigade des Mineurs...Une structure qui ne doit pas uniquement se réduire à Nouakchott Ouest. C.R.I.DE.M., 2015.
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68. U.S. Embassy- Nouakchott. Reporting. January 25, 2018.

69. ILO. Application of International Labour Standards-Report of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations. 2017.
    http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---relconf/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_543646.pdf.

70. Government of Mauritania. Decree 2016.002 establishing the seat and jurisdiction of the slavery criminal courts. Enacted: January 1, 2016. Source on file.

71. Anti-Slavery Courts Judges official. Interview with USDOL official. September 20, 2017.

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