Madar (Nouakchott) - Justice Minister Mohamed Ould Soueidatt said tackling the most serious crimes requires consolidating the rule of law, guaranteeing fair trials, protecting victims' rights and strengthening national judicial institutions.
He was speaking at the International Criminal Court's high-level regional seminar held on October 22 and 23 in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he stressed the importance of stronger cooperation and complementarity between national courts and the ICC against impunity.
The minister outlined Mauritania's justice reform, citing the general forums on justice held in 2023 and the resulting national document on reforming and developing justice, a reference for modernising the judicial system, strengthening its independence and effectiveness and easing citizens' access to it.
He cited the creation of a court specialised in combating slavery, human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and of the Higher Institute of the Judiciary and Legal Professions to develop judicial training.
Progress against impunity is measured not by slogans but by the strength of judicial institutions, the training of judges, the effectiveness of international cooperation and the protection of victims' rights, he said, adding that Mauritania, although not a party to the Rome Statute, remains ready to continue and deepen cooperation with the ICC, particularly in judicial training, mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and the exchange of expertise.
