The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law, and we continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process led by the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General Mr Staffan de Mistura in support of finding a just, lasting, and mutually agreed resolution to the Western Sahara dispute. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office closely reviews the UN Secretary General's reports on the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara.

The UK continues to champion Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, including in Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, Maldives, Mauritania, Cuba, Niger, Tajikistan and other countries on the Open Doors' World Watch List where Christians face persecution or discrimination because of their faith. Last July, the UK's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, David Smith MP, set out the Government's new strategy on FoRB, providing a framework for engagement with other countries, and describing the links between the protection of FoRB and other goals including the prevention of conflict. As part of this strategy, the UK continues to champion FoRB on the international stage, including through our position in the United Nations and the Article 18 Alliance.

Addressing the ongoing global food security crisis and delivering sustainable food security for countries struggling with hunger and malnutrition is a priority for His Majesty’s Government. In 2022 the UK was one of the top 6 countries donors to the World Food Programme (over $400 million). Between 2016 and 2021, the UK spent £2.6 billion on longer-term food and agriculture programmes.

We are aware of recent reports that have suggested that the fishmeal industry based in Mauritania which supplies, among others, the Norwegian aquaculture sector is contributing to loss of livelihoods and malnutrition in West African nations. Assessments on the impact of supply chains to the Norwegian aquaculture sector are the responsibility of the Norwegian government.

The UK works directly to support food security and sustainable Ocean Management in West African countries affected by declining fish stocks. For example, as part of the £500 million Blue Planet Fund, the UK formalised a bilateral Ocean Country Partnership with Senegal in 2023. This partnership aims at reducing marine pollution, preserving marine biodiversity as well as helping fishing to be more sustainable.

The UK is engaging closely with Mauritania, the G5 Sahel Presidency, on the recent withdrawal of Niger and Burkina Faso. We continue to discuss the impacts of the withdrawals on the Sahel Coalition and the Alliance Sahel with partners, with a meeting of the Coalition planned for 14 December. The UK stands with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in calling for the restoration of democracy in Niger. Mauritania remains an important regional partner and we are working with NATO partners on a Defence Capacity Building programme for the country. I met with the Mauritanian Ambassador in London on 11 December.

We are aware of media reports on Moussa Sy. The vital role of the media in providing people with reliable and accurate information must be protected. We deplore any attempt to restrict freedom of expression including the intimidation of journalists and interference in their ability to operate freely, as well as any legislation restricting the free expression of opinion. The UK has long supported media freedoms, both at home and in supporting the development of a strong and independent media in countries overseas. The UK opposes all attempts by any state to restrict press freedom, silence debate, abuse journalists, or spread misinformation.

The United Kingdom warmly welcomed the normalisation agreements between Israel and Arab partners Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Sudan. The Foreign Secretary made clear her commitment to the Abraham Accords at both the recent UK-Israel Strategic Dialogue on 29 November, and subsequently at the Gulf Cooperation Council-United Kingdom Foreign Ministers' Meeting on 20 December. The UK is working with regional partners to ensure the Abraham Accords are an enduring success, and continue to encourage other countries who have not yet normalised to do so.

The United Kingdom (UK) warmly welcomed the normalisation agreements between Israel, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Sudan. These were historic steps which saw the normalisation of relations between friends of the UK. The United Kingdom will continue to encourage further dialogue between Israel and other countries in the region, to work towards a more peaceful and prosperous future for Israelis, Palestinians and citizens across the region.

The UK is committed to the eradication of all forms of modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking by 2030, as unanimously adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in 2015. As such, we hold all countries, including Mauritania, to account for their human rights records. At the UN's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Mauritania in January 2021, the UK highlighted Mauritania's failure to fully implement its anti-trafficking national action plan, and pressed the Government to increase its efforts to end all forms of slavery and discrimination, especially based on caste or ethnicity, and to investigate and prosecute traffickers. The British Embassy in Nouakchott maintains a dialogue with the Government of Mauritania on human rights issues, including efforts to combat modern slavery, working in co-ordination with like-minded Embassies, including the US and European partners. The UK Government remains committed to supporting the Mauritanian Government's efforts to improve the overall human rights situation in the country, including by implementing its UPR recommendations.

We are closely monitoring the situation in Western Sahara. We continue to urge the parties to avoid further escalation, observe the ceasefire agreement, and return to the UN-led political process as soon as possible.

​The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to eradicate modern slavery. While slavery is illegal in Mauritania, there are reports that it still exists. British officials continue to raise the issue with the Mauritanian Government, and we have committed £150 million of aid funding to tackling modern slavery globally.

The Foreign Secretary and I, alongside other British Government Ministers, routinely raise our concerns about the persecution of religious minorities, including Christians, where this occurs. He recently asked the Bishop of Truro to conduct an independent review of the persecution of Christians around the world to help inform this important area of our work and ensure it is targeted and effective. The Government works with a large number of NGOs, including Open Doors, to help promote and protect freedom of religion or belief. We use information from a wide range of sources to inform our work.

UK officials have raised issues of Freedom of Religion or Belief with senior Mauritanian officials on several occasions, most recently on 20^th of June. Following the opening of our Embassy in Nouakchott in May, I plan to visit Mauritania later this year for discussions on a range of subjects of importance to the UK​.

​The Mauritanian Constitution establishes that Islam is the religion of its citizens and the State. The UK Government has raised the importance of Freedom of Religion or Belief with the Mauritanian Government on a number of occasions, and is committed to working with international partners to protect this freedom. Our Ambassador raised the issue of human rights in Mauritania with the Mauritanian Foreign Minister on 17 January.

The UK diplomatic representation in Mauritania comprises one staff member and an annual budget of £162,504 for the Financial Year 2015/16.

The UK Head of the British Office Mission in Nouakchott last met with a coalition of Mauritanian opposition parties on Friday 2 December 2016. Human rights, including the issue of slavery, were discussed during the meeting.

The British Government continues to make representations on human rights concerns at the highest levels with the Mauritanian government. Most recently, the Head of the British Office in Nouakchott raised slavery and detention of the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement Mauritania activists with the Mauritanian Prime Minister and eight other ministers in a meeting alongside EU Heads of Mission on 9 December 2016.

Ministers and officials have also met recently with anti-slavery activists to discuss treatment of human rights defenders. On Tuesday 6 December 2016, Baroness Anelay of St Johns met with the UN Special Rapporteur on Slavery, Ms Urmila Bhoola, and the Mauritanian anti-slavery activist, Biram Dah Abeid to discuss concerns about slavery in Mauritania. Officials in Nouakchott also met with Mauritanian human rights campaigners from SOS Esclaves in the same month.

Ambassadors and High Commissioners have raised Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) with the governments of Chad, Cameroon, Eritrea, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The Secretary of State for International Development raised it with the President of Sierra Leone during her visit earlier in November. The UK does not shy away from raising FGM with governments as part of our wider human rights dialogue.

The UK is committed to working with governments and international and local partners to eradicate the abusive practice of female genital mutilation. Our ongoing commitment is demonstrated through the 2014 UK-hosted Girl Summit, our flagship £35 million regional programme and bilateral work in many countries.

We welcome the release of anti-slavery activists Biram Dah Abeid and Brahim Bilal Ramdhane following the decision of the Mauritanian Supreme Court. We also welcome the decision by the newly formed anti-slavery court to convict two men on charges of slavery.

We continue to encourage the Mauritanian government to support the anti-slavery courts in prosecuting cases in full under the 2015 anti-slavery law and to take steps to facilitate the collection of data on slavery to support eradication efforts.

We remain concerned about continued reports of slavery in Mauritania, and about the modest sentences handed down in the few successful prosecutions for slavery offences. We welcome the establishment of three courts with specific responsibility for slavery cases. We continue to monitor this topic closely. We regularly raise our concerns with the Mauritanian authorities in the UK and in Nouakchott, and meet human rights and anti-slavery campaigners to discuss the subject.