Madar (Nouakchott) - A workshop on "artificial intelligence and digital rights in Mauritania" opened on Thursday, 12 November 2026, in Nouakchott, organised by a Mauritanian forum for dialogue and human rights studies, to examine how new technologies can be used while protecting human rights, equality and freedoms, according to the Mauritanian News Agency (AMI).
According to the agency, the workshop is discussing the main ethical and legal challenges posed by artificial intelligence, in particular the protection of privacy and personal data, the risks of discrimination and algorithmic bias, and the importance of transparency, accountability and human oversight.
A chargé de mission at the Commission for Human Rights, Humanitarian Action and Relations with Civil Society stressed the need to put artificial intelligence "at the service of people", pointing to the opportunities it offers for public services, education, health and administration, as well as the challenges it raises for privacy, equality and non-discrimination.
The director for the rights of vulnerable groups at the National Human Rights Commission called for vulnerable people to be protected from the risks of discrimination and digital exclusion, saying the commission was ready to contribute to a "fair, inclusive and responsible digital transition".
The head of the organising forum said his organisation was preparing proposals and recommendations to enrich the national artificial intelligence strategy for 2025-2029 and strengthen its human rights dimension. Members of parliament, representatives of human rights bodies and civil society organisations attended the opening.
On the same day, the Commissioner for Human Rights, Humanitarian Action and Relations with Civil Society and the president of the National Observatory for the Rights of Women and Girls signed a cooperation protocol at the commission's headquarters in Nouakchott, according to AMI.
According to the agency, the protocol aims to set up a permanent framework for cooperation and consultation between the two institutions, exchange information, studies and reports, coordinate awareness, training and capacity-building, and follow up on national, regional and international commitments on the rights of women and girls, under the national strategy for the promotion and protection of human rights for 2024-2028. The commissioner announced that a small committee would be set up to monitor its implementation.
