From left to right: Prof Dr Michaela Wittinger, Professor of Public Law (in particular Constitutional and European law) at the Federal University for Public Administration and Sheikh Turad Abdlmalek Mafoud, former Commissioner for Human Rights.
From left to right: Prof Dr Michaela Wittinger, Professor of Public Law (in particular Constitutional and European law) at the Federal University for Public Administration and Sheikh Turad Abdlmalek Mafoud, former Commissioner for Human Rights.
Mauritania

On 1 and 2 March 2023 IRZ, in cooperation with the Mauritanian Ministry of Justice and the École Nationale d'Administration, de Journalisme et de Magistrature, held the very first training course on the implementation of international human rights conventions at a national level and on the role of the judiciary in human rights protection in Nouakchott (Mauritania).

The aim of the event was to promote the implementation of regional and international human rights conventions and to harmonise them with national law and to strengthen the role of the judiciary in the interpretation of human rights conventions.

Jule Andersen, consultant in the “Human Rights” department at the Federal Ministry of Justice, was first to introduce the topic with the attendees, and discussed human rights in the international system and the challenges associated with such. She described to the participants, some of whom work in ministries, the role of international human rights in German ministerial practice. Sheikh Turad Abdlmalek Mafoud, former Commissioner for Human Rights, examined the implementation of human rights obligations in Mauritanian law. Prof Dr Michaela Wittinger, Professor of Public Law (in particular Constitutional and European Law) at the Federal University of Public Administration, then presented selected international human rights protection agreements and their safeguarding mechanisms and the principle of reservations of the member states. In addition to international agreements, the regional protection of human rights was also discussed based on the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights.

The event was attended by ministerial officials from the Mauritanian Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Interior and the Ministry of Justice, employees from the National Commission for Human Rights, the Judiciary and the Public Prosecutor's Office. The diverse target group engaged in comprehensive and expert discussions with the German experts. The discussions were extremely lively and far-reaching.