The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Strengthening access to justice in Mauritania
New infrastructure will help promote the rule of law and protect human rights in the country.
This article was originally published on 24 November 2023. It has been updated to reflect recent project developments and the evolving situation in the region.
Latest updates
25 November 2024
The new court in the town of Boutilimit has been inaugurated. Built with sustainability and inclusivity in mind, the courthouse is energy-efficient as well as has design elements to ensure access for people with reduced mobility.
“Since 2021, UNOPS has been working with the Ministry of Justice and the European Union to strengthen the justice system and provide communities with better access to justice through sustainable infrastructure,” said Silvia Gallo, Director of UNOPS Multi-Country Office in Senegal.
Read more here (in French).
Strong institutions are essential to a country's growth and stability. In Mauritania, the modernization of judicial infrastructure is strengthening the justice system and providing communities with better access to justice.
Under the Justice Reform Support Programme in Mauritania, funded by the European Union, UNOPS is building a regional courthouse in the city of South Nouakchott and two departmental courthouses in the towns of El Mina and Boutilimit.
Modernized judicial infrastructure can contribute significantly to strengthening the rule of law and promoting social peace at the local level.
The courthouses are built with sustainability in mind: the buildings are designed to be energy efficient with double partitions and thermal insulations while incorporating gender and inclusion components such as separate detention cells, toilet blocks for the privacy and safety of detainees, and standardized access ramps for people with reduced mobility.
“The modernization of our judicial infrastructure is not an isolated act. It is part of a series of concerted efforts to achieve a global vision aimed at improving the quality of life of all our citizens,” said Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Cheikh Abdoullah Ibin Boya, Mauritania's Minister of Justice.
“This substantial funding is a testament to the European Union’s trust in Mauritania and in its commitment to supporting crucial reforms in the justice sector, including, as is the case today, the strengthening of judicial infrastructure," said Gwilym Jones, Ambassador of the European Union in Mauritania.
"The rehabilitation and construction of new courthouses will create a favourable environment for the effective administration of justice, bringing it closer to the citizens and reinforcing trust in the judicial system,” he added.
The project is bringing the people of Mauritania one step closer to a more efficient justice system and a better rule of law.
