Islamic Republic of Mauritania: Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy
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International Monetary Fund. Middle East and Central Asia Dept.
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Since 2016, public development action in Mauritania by 2030 has been framed by the Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Shared Prosperity (SCAPP). This reference framework for strategic planning for the country's economic, social and environmental development also incorporates the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs). In addition, the SCAPP has been the subject of a framework law that makes it possible to establish it as a reference framework for development interventions carried out by the Government with the support of its technical and financial partners (TFPs).

Introduction

Since 2016, public development action in Mauritania by 2030 has been framed by the Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Shared Prosperity (SCAPP). This reference framework for strategic planning for the country’s economic, social and environmental development also incorporates the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs). In addition, the SCAPP has been the subject of a framework law that makes it possible to establish it as a reference framework for development interventions carried out by the Government with the support of its technical and financial partners (TFPs).

The vision for the future, entitled “The Mauritania we want in 2030”, aims to achieve strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, with a view to meeting the basic needs of all citizens and ensuring their social well-being.

After a first action plan 2016–2020 which was evaluated, the second action plan of the SCAPP is being developed to cover the period 2021–2025. According to the initial ambitions for the second five-year term of this strategy, it is expected that the economy will be more diversified and more competitive, with a significant growth rate capable of absorbing social deficits and putting Mauritania on a sustainable development trajectory. To achieve this, three converging levers constitute the strategic objectives chosen to ensure this growth, capable of achieving prosperity that benefits all.

  • Strategic Lever 1 aims to promote strong, sustainable and inclusive growth by creating the necessary conditions for a structural transformation of the economy and society. This transformation should promote: (i) the emergence and strengthening of wealth- and job-creating sectors capable of ensuring social inclusion and satisfying domestic demand, particularly through private initiative and innovation, (ii) sustainable development and environmental protection, and (iii) the establishment of the infrastructure necessary for growth.

  • Strategic Lever 2 aims to promote the development of human capital that can facilitate and maximize economic growth through (i) improving access to and quality of education and vocational training, (ii) improving access to health services, and (iii) promoting employment. youth, culture, and the resilience of the most vulnerable groups.

  • Strategic lever 3 aims to strengthen governance in all its dimensions, in particular through i) the consolidation of the rule of law and democracy, ii) social cohesion and equity, security, and respect for human rights, as well as iii) the effectiveness of economic and financial management and the capture of the demographic dividend.

It is important to emphasize that this second Action Plan comes in a context marked by the Covid 19 pandemic. Its development followed the governance scheme of the SCAPP by involving the Sectoral Development Committees and involving all stakeholders. It also takes into account Mauritania’s international commitments (Sustainable Development Goals 2030, Agenda 2063 of the African Union, Nairobi Commitments on the ICPD, N4G 2021 Commitments, FSS 2021 Commitments, specific conventions signed,...). Cross-cutting issues (Gender Dimension, Environment and Sustainable Development, Leave no one behind ,...), sectoral and regional strategies under implementation as well as the President’s Extended Priority Programme (ProPEP) launched in January 2020 and focused on improving purchasing power, job creation and access to basic services are also taken into account. As part of the participatory and iterative elaboration of this Action Plan, official information and the most recent data have been collected from the sectoral development committees and the various stakeholders.

After a presentation of the elements of the economic, social and environmental framework, this document summarizes the preliminary results of the sectoral analyses carried out, focusing essentially on the opportunities to be seized and the structuring orientations to achieve the objectives set. In addition, a list of indicators is presented in the annex to establish the monitoring of this Action Plan as well as the expected impacts of its implementation.

I. Framing elements and ambitions

In order to develop the Second Action Plan of the SCAPP, various frameworks were carried out, with a view to taking stock of the situation in Mauritania and allowing us to project ourselves into the future. The aim of these frameworks is not to establish a complete and exhaustive inventory of the situation in Mauritania, but rather to identify the salient points on which the second action plan should focus in order to achieve the ambitions set. This section presents the results of these macroeconomic, social and environmental frameworks.

a) Macroeconomic framework

After a brief review of Mauritania’s macroeconomic situation, this section of this section The main purpose of the project is to provide a macroeconomic framework for growth, which would be enhanced by the second action plan of the strategy for accelerated growth and shared prosperity in Mauritania (PA2 SCAPP). Incremental growth is defined in this report as the difference between the SCAPP PA2 growth target and the baseline level projected by the IMF’s macroeconomic framework.

At the historical level, over the last thirty years, Mauritania has recorded an average annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 5%. 20%

Four main growth periods have been identified:

  • 1990–1999: CAGR 2.5%

  • 2000–2005: CAGR 6%

  • 2006–2015: CAGR 3.3%

  • 2016–2019: CAGR 5.4% Including the year 2020 in the calculations, whose growth was strongly impacted by the pandemic, the average level of growth over the period 2016–2020 should average around 3.8%.

The analysis of the distribution of GDP also shows that most of the value added created was achieved by the tertiary sector. At the primary level, it is dominated by livestock while the secondary sector by extractive industries. In addition, more than a third of the value added created by the tertiary sector (“excluding administration and taxes) is generated by commercial activities.

As far as the sources of growth are concerned, most of the added value created is driven by household consumption, followed by Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF).

As for foreign trade, Mauritania’s trade balance was historically in deficit before returning to a trade surplus in 2020.

In this context, Mauritanian exports are concentrated around raw materials, in particular iron ores (a third of exports in 2020), gold (a quarter of exports in 2020) and, to a lesser extent, other minerals and seafood.

As for imports, they are quite diversified and come from all sectors.

In terms of outlook, the sectoral analyses carried out as part of the preparation of the PA2 SCAPP confirm the existence of significant growth potential in certain sectors of the Mauritanian economy. The transformation of this potential into real growth would depend mainly on two parameters: The ability to effectively implement the SCAPP PA2 as well as the various sectoral strategies and the effective will to initiate a structural transformation of the Mauritanian economy.

Depending on these objectives and the prospects of the international and national situation, several avenues for growth in the Mauritanian economy can be explored. In the context of this report, it has been chosen to explore the impact of three possible growth paths that combine the growth targets and the structural transformation targets of the Mauritanian economy.

These are the following combined target objectives:

  • 1. The achievement of an average increment of 3 points of GDP in addition to the basic growth projected by the IMF combined with the generation of 60% of additional GDP by new industrial activities creating more local added value and intended in large proportion for export;

  • 2. The achievement of an average incremental growth of 2.6 points of GDP in addition to the basic growth projected by the IMF combined with the generation of 40% of additional GDP by new industrial activities creating more local added value and intended in large proportion for export;

  • 3. The achievement of an average growth increment of one point of GDP in addition to the basic growth projected by the IMF combined with the generation of 20% of additional GDP by new industrial activities creating more local value added and intended in large proportion for export.

Fig 1.
Fig 1.

Scenarios for the impact of PA2 SCAPP on real GDP growth in %

Citation: IMF Staff Country Reports 2024, 195; 10.5089/9798400280818.002.A001

It should be recalled that the basic growth projection scenario as proposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) places Mauritania in GDP growth rates of 5%, 4.4%, 7.2% and 5.8% respectively for the years 2002, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Figure 1 illustrates these trails. The Base curve corresponds to the IMF’s growth projections. The other three curves show the growth scenarios according to the target objectives mentioned above. It emerges that, under the assumption of normal national and international economic conditions combined with a relatively accelerated implementation of the PA2 SCAPP, growth could gain an average of 2.6 points per year and would allow an overall average growth of 7.5% over the period of implementation of the PA2 SCAPP.

Target growth must therefore focus on concentrating efforts on the implementation of projects that would allow for the strengthening of local added value and intersectoral integration. Indeed, an analysis of the structure of Mauritanian GDP shows that trade, mining, fishing and livestock activities, as well as public services, are the main drivers of growth. Manufacturing activities producing more local value added remain low and concentrated on agricultural and fishery processing activities. The PA2 SCAPP should be a means of initiating a structural transformation of the Mauritanian economy.

This transformation must be carried out through extensive growth aimed at the installation of new production capacity, mainly in the field of manufacturing industries, with a view to increasing their share of GDP (see Figure 2). This concentration is not, however, exclusive but complementary to the growth objectives of other sectors of the Mauritanian economy, which also have strong growth potential.

Fig 2.a.
Fig 2.a.

Average structure of basic GDP by branch in %

Citation: IMF Staff Country Reports 2024, 195; 10.5089/9798400280818.002.A001

Fig 2.b.
Fig 2.b.

Average GDP structure under S1 and T1 scenarios, by branch in %

Citation: IMF Staff Country Reports 2024, 195; 10.5089/9798400280818.002.A001

For example, the agricultural sector could almost double its GDP by expanding the current arable land by 1% and improving productivity per hectare by the same percentage. These avenues for improvement do not seem to be unattainable given the potential of unexploited areas and the low crop yields compared to certain countries with a level of development similar to Mauritania.

In addition, the livestock sector is one of the main sectors of the Mauritanian economy with a significant economic and social impact. The potential of the various sectors of the livestock sector is very promising, particularly in terms of the production of red meat, milk and its derivatives, leathers as well as possibilities for the development of the poultry sector.

The realization of these potentialities requires the overcoming of several constraints that currently handicap the sector, including the weak technical supervision of breeders in terms of genetic improvement of breeds, the establishment of professional structures for slaughtering, collection, packaging, processing and distribution of the sector’s products. Overcoming these constraints is likely to make it possible to make an additional contribution to GDP of around MRU 2.8 billion during the period 2022–2024.

For the fisheries sector, nominal GDP would average nearly MRU 29 billion over the period 2021–2025, of which MRU 2.1 billion would be induced by the SCAPP PA2 if the most optimistic impact scenario (S1T1) materializes. In addition to constraints on resource exploitation that limit its potential for growth in terms of fisheries, the sector should face the concentration of resource processing on fishmeal and packaging for export and consider expanding its production to more value-added activities such as conservation.

Extractive activities punctuate the Mauritanian economy and have a significant effect on the structure and volatility of its GDP. They also have an impact on public finances. The behaviour of gas and iron prices will determine the sector’s performance. The implementation of the SCAPP PA2 would generate nearly two billion MRUs of additional added value per year compared to the reference scenario. The current upward trends in energy prices and the entry into operation of new gas activities argue in favour of a sharp upward revision of this impact.

In the Mauritanian accounting system , manufacturing activities cover activities related to the production and distribution of water and electricity (EEA) as well as a sub-branch that includes all other manufacturing activities (AAM). These activities must be at the heart of the structural transformation strategy, which would require the development of a long-term industrial policy capable of strengthening Mauritania’s positioning vis-a-vis international investors. In this regard, it should be mentioned that by having iron and gas, two essential resources for the metallurgical industry, Mauritania has all the assets to launch large-scale projects in this sector.

Similarly, in the food sector, Mauritania has two sectors with significant potential for initiating processing activities, particularly of fishery and livestock products. The SCAPP PA2 is expected to target an additional GDP of the AAMs of the order of 9.6 billion MRUs at the end of the period. The cumulative impact is expected to exceed MRU 20.4 billion in order to mark a good start to the desired structural transformation.

In addition, if we refer to the reference GDP and the growth and transformation target scenarios of the PA2 SCAPP, the construction sector would reach a nominal reference GDP of MRU 23.6 billion in 2025 compared to MRU 16.1 billion achieved in 2021. The cumulative incremented GDP, if we retain the most optimistic scenario (H1Q1), would amount to MRU 1.6 billion. It should be remembered that the construction sector depends to a large extent on imports for its intermediate consumption. As a result, the growth of the sector also generates an effective decrease in GDP at least equal to the contribution of imported construction inputs to total imports. Similarly, any increase in the local content of the sector’s intermediate consumption would promote GDP growth, hence the importance of the sector’s integration with manufacturing industries and the need to focus structural transformation on industries that could promote, inter alia, this sector. This fact would be of primary importance in view of the infrastructure and housing deficit that Mauritania intends to fill through urban development and transport infrastructure programmes.

Regarding services, the reference GDP of the transport sector would reach MRU 17.3 billion in 2025. Depending on the scenarios, the average annual additional GDP would be 0.3 billion MRU, i.e. a cumulative additional level of the sector over the period 2022–2025 of 1.2 billion MRU. Essential for economic development and for the growth of trade in particular, transport is a major challenge for Mauritania if the country wishes to take full advantage of its position as a crossroads for the transport of people and goods for all the countries of the sub-region, and of its maritime facade for those who do not have a landlocked area.

The telecommunications sector, for its part, is at the heart of the digital transition of economies and an essential factor of competitiveness for private investment. Mauritania has already begun to put in place a regulatory and governance framework for the sector that is increasingly attractive to private investors. It would be appropriate within the framework of the SCAPP PA2 to consolidate these achievements and strengthen them by accelerating the implementation of the reforms necessary to maximize the sector’s impact on the development of the digital economy. The implementation of these reforms is likely to strengthen the sector by more than half a billion in additional GDP. It is worth mentioning the benchmark nominal GDP of the latter, which amounted to MRU 7,4 billion in 2021, would reach MRU 8,8 billion in 2025.

The trade sector in Mauritania employed 21.4% of the employed labour force in 2017. Its development is essentially the result of a particularly enterprising class of traders with long-standing experience in both regional and international trade. The latter are more dynamic in terms of imports than exports due to the deficit of local supply in relation to the needs of the population.

Unlike other sectors, trade has been little impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, despite supply chain disruptions. Its development remains dependent on trade facilitation processes, particularly at the international level, and its integration into digitized supply chains. This development must be essentially the result of private initiative. However, the sector remains poorly regulated, hence the need to strengthen support measures for the sector if the target incremental GDP of MRU 3.1 billion is to be achieved.

The tourism sector returned to positive growth in 2021. Benchmark GDP is projected to be MRU 1.8 billion in 2021 and to reach MRU 2.2 billion in 2025. The GDP incremented by the SCAPP PA2 in the case of a high-impact scenario would be limited to an average of SRM 0.15 billion per year. The sector has a strong potential that can be exploited, provided that an offer adapted to the requirements of international national tourists is developed and that territorial security is strengthened.

For financial services (banking and insurance), the medium impact scenario foresees an overall cumulative contribution of MRU 3.3 billion, while the low impact scenario would be limited to MRU 1.9 billion. It should be noted, in this regard, that these services remain an important lever for any growth strategy, hence the importance of the reforms needed to improve private operators’ access to financing, at costs that can encourage investment.

The starting point for the projection of general government GDP (GPG) is the growth rate of the wage bill. The baseline GDP would be MRU 46.6 billion in 2021 and would reach MRU 58.9 billion in 2025. The GDP incremented by the SCAPP PA2 under the most optimistic scenario would accumulate a value of MRU 4 billion between 2022 and 2024, i.e. an average impact of MRU 1.3 billion per year.

The PA2 SCAPP thus proposes a significant number of budgeted projects to achieve the strategic orientations adopted by the various Sectoral Development Committees (SDCs), of which 37 projects are already listed in the PIP and have been the subject of an estimate and a financial programming for the 2022–2024 horizon. These projects would require an overall budget of around MRU 36 billion. In addition to these projects planned by the PIP, the PA2 SCAPP suggests new projects in order to achieve the strategic orientations adopted by the various CDS and by the National Conferences of Consultation around the PA2 SCAPP which brought together parliamentarians, representatives of the regions, civil society, representatives of the private sector as well as various other guests such as former ministers and senior officials of the public sector. An initial estimate of the overall cost of these projects amounts to MRU 163 billion

In terms of financial programming, it should be noted that all the projects of the PA2 SCAPP are at the stage of estimating the overall cost of the project. Given this stage, their financial programming over the implementation of the SCAPP PA2 was carried out under the assumption of distribution over 3 years in an equal manner but with a one-year lag between the projects to be financed under the PIP and those to be the subject of additional financing under the SCAPP.

Figure 3a.
Figure 3a.

Estimated funding gap for PA2 SCAPP in billions of MRU

Citation: IMF Staff Country Reports 2024, 195; 10.5089/9798400280818.002.A001

Figure 3b.
Figure 3b.

Financial programming by branch and year in billions of MRU _

Citation: IMF Staff Country Reports 2024, 195; 10.5089/9798400280818.002.A001

Indeed, given that the PIP covers, for the time being, only the period 2022–2024 and that the PA2 SCAPP covers the period 2022–2025, it has been assumed that the projects planned under the PIP already benefit from programming at the end of the 2022 financial year and will cease to be financed by the latter in 2024. However, the effective programming of new projects of the PA2 SCAPP can only start from the 2023 financial year.

The detailed analysis shows that the implementation of the SCAPP PA2 would require an overall budget of MRU 168 billion, which would be distributed at the rate of MRU 12 billion during 2022, MRU 66 billion during the years 2023 and 2024 and MRU 56 billion in 2024. If we compare this financing requirement with gross domestic savings (estimated according to the most optimistic scenario), it would represent 12% in 2022, rise to 66% in 2023 before declining to 43% and 33% respectively in 2024 and 2025.

If we compare this financing requirement with the public investment budget (estimated according to the most optimistic scenario), the latter would easily cover the financing requirement for the year 2022. However, even if it is assumed that the entire public investment budget would be allocated to the implementation of the SCAPP PA2, it would only cover 40% of the financing requirement in 2023. This rate is expected to reach 46% in 2024 and 60% in 2025. In absolute terms, the financing gap for the SCAPP PA2 would be MRU 40 billion in 2023, would decrease to MRU 35 billion in 2024 and would be limited to MRU 20 billion. However, this observation deserves to be qualified.

Indeed, it should be noted that in order to carry out all the projects provided for by the PA2 SCAP, it is necessary to target an average growth rate that would vary between 9 and 10%. However, the current average target growth rate is 7.5%. To compensate for this discrepancy between the target growth rate and the desired level of investment, several avenues are possible, including:

  • Financing certain projects through public-private partnerships;

  • Facilitate foreign investment, particularly in infrastructure;

  • Prioritise projects by favouring those with a significant impact on factor productivity (digitalisation, investment in technical education in high demand by the productive sectors) and on internal demand

  • Resorting to debt

In addition, the observation relating to the financing gap also deserves to be qualified by the fact that the resources of the Mauritanian economy have been estimated on the basis of pre-market prices before the acceleration of inflation at the global level reinforced by the Ukrainian war. This war has had an upward impact on the prices of raw materials, some of which will be exported shortly by Mauritania, such as gas. This would contribute to the generation of additional resources capable of reducing the said gap.

The analysis of the feasibility of the SCAPP PA2 should therefore be explored in the light of the projection of public financial fundamentals. In this regard, the IMF’s projections for GDP and budget revenues predict that the share of the latter in GDP will fluctuate between 19.2% and 20.5% between 2021 and 2025. According to IMF projections, Mauritania’s budget revenues would average MRU 73.6 billion during the period 2021–2025 and would increase by an average of 1.9 billion per year according to the most optimistic scenario for the implementation of the SCAPP PA2.

As for budgetary expenditure, the framework projections predict that its share in GDP will fluctuate between 19% and 20.7% between 2021 and 2025, with an average of 20%. Their level would average around MRU 73.9 billion over the period 2021–2025. It would amount to MRU 75.8 billion according to the most optimistic growth scenario of the implementation of the SCAPP PA2.

Because budgetary revenues and expenditures are assumed to evolve in proportion to the referential GDP and incremented by the different growth scenarios, the overall budget balance would not experience any major change according to the implementation scenarios of the PA2 SCAPP. It would, however, be impacted mainly by the behaviour of extractive industries’ revenues. In terms of level, it is expected to record a slight surplus of 0.6 billion

MRU in 2021 before falling into a deficit ranging from 2.1 billion MRU in 2023 to 0.6 billion MRU in 2024, including a deficit of 1.6 billion MRU in 2022. It will return to a surplus of MRU 2.2 billion in 2025.

Fig 4.
Fig 4.

Scenarios for the evolution of the overall budget balance in 10s MRU

Citation: IMF Staff Country Reports 2024, 195; 10.5089/9798400280818.002.A001

In conclusion, according to the assumptions used in the projections of the macroeconomic effects of the PPPA 2Ps, the SPPA 2 is not likely to deteriorate or improve the overall budget balance and therefore would not generate additional resources to fully finance the PSPA 2PSA. Indeed, if we assume that current expenditure is incompressible, only investment expenditure is able to contribute to the financing of the PA2 SCAPP. On the other hand, if we consider that investment expenditure is already allocated to meet needs other than those expressed by the SCAPP PA2, the latter would lead to a differential in public finances equivalent to the financing needs of this plan, hence the relevance of exploring other sources of financing, particularly those from the private sector and external financing.

In order to project the impact of the SCAPP PA2 on the total resources that will be made available to economic agents, it was necessary to estimate the incremented imports over the period of implementation of the action plan. Over the period 2021–2025, referential imports will average MRU 126 billion. Incremented imports would amount to an average of 4 billion MRU per year during the period 2022–2025, i.e. a cumulative overall impact of around 16 billion MRU if we refer to the most optimistic impact scenario.

The cumulative imports and GDP incremented by the SCAPP PA2 makes it possible to estimate the total incremented resources that will be used by economic agents during the period 2021–2025. These will amount, on average, to MRU 15 billion per year during the period 2022–2025 if we refer to the most optimistic scenario, i.e. a cumulative impact of nearly MRU 60 billion, of which MRU 16 billion would come from imports and the rest would be generated by domestic resources.

On average, 73% of referential resources will be absorbed by domestic demand over the period of implementation of the AP2 SCAPP. This share would vary from 67% in 2021 to 76% in 2023 to reach 73% in 2025. The variability in the share of domestic demand in aggregate demand is expected to be due to the expected downward behaviour of exports in 2023, which is estimated to be driven by lower commodity prices. This trend would correct the increases in these prices observed in 2021 and 2022 following the pressures on international prices induced by Covid-19.

Assuming that this aggregate demand structure applies to incremented resources, the SCAPP PA2 would generate, under the most optimistic scenario, additional domestic demand of the order of MRU 11 billion per year, i.e. an aggregate contribution during the implementation period of the order of MRU 44 billion. According to the same scenario, incremented exports would average around MRU 4 billion, i.e. an overall contribution during the implementation period of around MRU 16 billion.

In this context, final consumption will be the main component of domestic demand. If we refer to its reference value, it would represent on average 71% of final demand during the period of implementation of the SCAPP PA2. The strong impact scenario of the SCAPP PA2 suggests an average additional final demand of around 8 billion MRUs per year, i.e. an overall contribution of around 32 billion MRUs over the period 2022–2025. The low-impact scenario would be limited to an overall contribution of MRU 9 billion, while the medium-impact scenario could reach MRU 20 billion.

Gross fixed capital formation is expected to account for an average of 29% of domestic demand over the period 2021–2025. According to the reference scenario, it would reach an average of MRU 107 billion per year over the period 2022–2025, i.e. an average increase of MRU 22 billion per year compared to 2021. According to the most optimistic impact scenario of the SCAPP PA2, it would benefit from an additional contribution of 3.3 billion MRUs. However, this contribution would be limited to MRU 1.9 billion and MRU 1.1 billion respectively according to the medium and low impact scenarios of the SCAPP PA2.

The basic projection used to approximate the effect of the PA2 SCAPP on gross national disposable income (GNI) is that of the IMF framework. This projection approximates GNI by GDP plus net transfers. Expenditure on transfers is almost zero and has only a marginal impact on net transfers. According to projections, these will be in the order of MRU 11.3 billion in 2021. They will decrease to 9.7 billion in 2022 before resuming an upward trend to reach almost the same level of 2022 in 2025 with 11.2 billion MRUs.

Transfer receipts depend mainly on growing conditions in their countries of origin and are almost independent of growing conditions in Mauritania. In view of this remark, it was assumed that transfer expenditure would evolve at the same rate as incremented GDP and would therefore impact GNI.

According to macroeconomic framework projections, GNI would average around 386.8 billion MRU during the period 2022–2024 against a GNP of around 376.4 billion MRU during the same period. The difference between these two quantities would result from an average net transfer contribution of the order of MRU 10.4 billion. Based on the median impact scenario of the PA2 SCAPP, the average GNI over the period 2022–2024 would be in the order of MRU 393.8 billion. The SCAPP PA2 would thus generate an average incremental contribution to GNI of around €7 billion in additional resources, mainly due to the positive evolution of GDP.

This additional contribution would make it possible to absorb the growth in domestic demand induced by the SCAPP PA2 and to generate additional savings. Indeed, according to IMF estimates, average gross national savings during the period 2022–2024 would be around MRU 121.9 billion while domestic savings would be around MRU 120.9 billion. The difference is due to the consolidated balance of the transfer and factor income accounts of MRU 1 billion. The IMF’s projections predict a volatile evolution of this balance, mainly driven by the behaviour of net incomes factors that are likely to fluctuate between a positive balance of MRU 0.5 billion in 2022 to record negative balances of around MRU 22 billion in 2024 and MRU 15.5 billion in 2025.

Given these baseline projections, the simulation of the impact of the PA2 SCAPP on saving was based primarily on the assumption that the share of saving relative to GDP is stable. By adopting this assumption, the PA2 SCAPP could contribute to generating an average gross national saving of around MRU 127.4 billion instead of MRU 121.9 billion, i.e. an incremental contribution of around MRU 5.5 billion. This contribution would be in the order of MRU 3.9 billion if we take into account the evolution of the cumulative balance of transfers and factor income. Indeed, average gross domestic savings would be around MRU 120.9 billion according to the macroeconomic framework projections, while it would reach MRU 124.8 billion according to the median impact scenario of the PA2 SCAPP. By contributing to the improvement of national savings, the SCAPP PA2 could thus create part of the resources needed to achieve it. Public finances would serve as a tool to initiate this virtuous process.

b) Social framework

In terms of demographics, according to ANSADE projections, Mauritania’s population in 2021 was 4,271,197 inhabitants, compared to 3,537,368 inhabitants in 2013 and 2,508,159 inhabitants in 2000. Over the last decade, the population growth rate has fallen slightly to 2.702% compared to 2.77% over the period 2000–2013. In addition to demographic change, Mauritania’s urbanisation rate is constantly growing. This reached 55.3% of the total population in 2020 compared to 48.3% in 2013 with an acceleration of sedentarization.

The last two Permanent Surveys on Household Living Conditions (EPCV), conducted in 2014 and 2019–2020, show that the poverty prevalence rate has fallen from 30.9% to 28.2% (a decrease of 2.7 points). The latter remains a rural problem, with an incidence of 41.2% in rural areas, compared to 14.4% in urban areas. The contribution of rural areas to extreme poverty represents more than 80%, regardless of the poverty measure chosen. This still worrying level of poverty, particularly in rural areas, constitutes a potential danger for social cohesion and peace.

In this context, poverty has a particular impact on women and young people. It places young people on the trajectory of illegal migration and that of radicalisation and violent extremism. Despite this concern for relative inequality, accompanied by the risks cited, there is a positive trend. Indeed, Mauritania’s Human Development Index in 2019 rose to 0.546 from 0.397 in 1990 (an increase of 37.5% – UNDP) and the human inequality coefficient to 31.8% in 2019 against 34% in 2014 (ANSADE).

In terms of economic integration, the level of unemployment seems to be persistent, recording a rate of 12.2% in 2019 (ANSADE) against 11.8% in 2017 (Common Country Report 2020). Unemployment in 2019 affects women more than men, with rates of 17.3% and 9.3% respectively. It is also noted that there is a predominance of men in the labour market who are better integrated professionally. This predominance can be explained mainly by social and cultural reasons.

In addition, youth unemployment also affects girls more than boys regardless of age: 25.6% (26.3% for 14–19 year olds, 37.3% for 20–24 year olds, etc.) compared to 14.5% (i.e. 18.9% for 14–19 year olds and 22.6% for 20–24 year olds). This situation demonstrates the need to take into account the gender and youth dimension in the country’s development strategies in order to ensure social equity and reduce inequalities.

In this context, there is a strong recognition at the continental level that poverty significantly impacts women and contributes to accentuating the violation of the human rights of girls and women. For example, female genital mutilation and child marriage often take place in contexts of harmful gender inequalities, limited educational opportunities, and intersecting poverty. The social change sought to support the abandonment of these harmful social practices requires that all strategies and interventions recognize that girls and women have equal rights and equal access to opportunities. It is also important to note the inequality of access to education due to socio-economic factors, including migration status and civil registration. Despite many advances, Mauritanian society is indeed marked by discrimination rooted in cultural traditions and mentalities. Women continue to experience some forms of violence, including Female Genital Mutilation (66.6%) and child marriage before the age of 18 (35.2%). A bill criminalizing violence against women and girls is still awaiting adoption by the National Assembly, despite the upsurge in violence suffered, for which victims are struggling to obtain compensation. On issues relating to the status, roles, rights and advancement of women in society and at the level of national and local governance, these have acquired increasing importance and are characterized by greater sensitivity to issues related to equality. In fact, a lot of progress will have to be made in this direction.

At the level of vulnerable people, the issue of the rights of people with disabilities has made interesting progress in Mauritania, in particular with the signing of agreements with the CNAM and the International Labour Office for health insurance covering 2300 people, the distribution of disabled people cards and the granting of cash transfers for the benefit of children with multiple disabilities. Important actions aimed at personal autonomy and mobility and the assistance and integration of people with disabilities have also been carried out, such as the financing of income-generating activities or the distribution of disability compensation equipment (wheelchairs, pairs of crutches, foldable walkers, etc.). The guardianship department has also worked to strengthen the national system of specialized trainers for children living with disabilities and has opened two units to provide the required supervision for autistic children in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. This impetus has been reinforced by the creation of a National School of Social Work with a training course in autism and mental disability. Despite these significant advances, the question of the rights of people with disabilities is acute. Indeed, the number of beneficiaries of these initiatives is relatively limited and the approach adopted is more of a one-off support than a “law approach”.

Regarding the protection of children from violence, abuse and exploitation, the latter has been the subject of efforts by the government in recent years. In response to its commitments made by the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2018, the legal and strategic framework was improved with the adoption of the General Child Protection Code in the same year and the revision of the National Child Protection Strategy in 2020. Progress has also been made in responding to violence and supporting children in need of protection with the adoption of operational standards for case management, the strengthening of the capacities of centres for the protection and social integration of vulnerable children (CPISE) and the adoption of a legal framework for the reception of children without parental care in families. Despite these important advances in strengthening the child protection system, recent data show that children continue to be exposed to numerous violations of their rights, including exposure to violence, exploitation, discrimination, abuse and neglect.

With regard to access to education, the state of play of the education system shows a steady improvement in quantitative indicators (gross enrolment rate of 100.4% for primary education and 36.83% for secondary education – UNESCO 2019, Institute of Statistics). This improvement is coupled with a deterioration in qualitative indicators, particularly with regard to the level of teacher training, the ratio of pupil supervision, the level of school dropout and the continuity of education (only 34% of schoolchildren reach the first year of lower secondary education and only 12% access the last year of secondary education). In addition to all these dysfunctions, there is the inequality between the educational provision in urban and rural areas, as well as the growing tendency of parents to use the private sector for their children’s education.

The low levels of learning in primary school are confirmed by the 2018 SDI (Survey Delivery Indicator) survey, which indicates that students in the fourth year of primary school master only 50% of the curriculum content in Arabic, 34% of the numeracy curriculum and 14% of the curriculum in French.

The most recent assessment of the achievements of middle school students, conducted in 2015 with the support of the World Bank, also showed that only 10% of the third year students of the middle school master more than 60% of this year’s curriculum in mathematics and French. This proportion is 20% for Arabic. In 2019, the success rate for the BEPC was 40%, but only 18% had an overall average of 10 or higher and only 2% had the average in the basic disciplines (Arabic, mathematics and French). In 2020, the success rate for the baccalaureate was 15.6% with a number of 7200 admitted out of a total of 49,754 candidates, including 3,603 declared absent. This rate has fluctuated, from 12.88% in 2017 to 7.94% in 2018 and 7.2% in 2019.

In addition, according to SDI 2018, the teacher absenteeism rate is 20% and less than 16% of students have a textbook. According to the same data, only about 10% of teachers have the minimum pedagogical knowledge.

In terms of literacy, Mauritania is making significant progress. According to the latest censuses, the number of illiterates is nearly 677,527 people over the age of 15, three-quarters (75.1%) of whom live in rural areas (ERAM, 20081). A survey conducted by the National Statistics Office in 2010 revealed that the literacy level of women in the 15–24 age group was around 57% and the general population and housing census (RGPH 2013) showed that Mauritania’s illiteracy rate was 36.3%.

In terms of access to care, the health status of the Mauritanian population remains generally marked by: still high rates of maternal, neonatal and infant and child morbidity and mortality; a persistent burden of communicable diseases and a rapid increase in non-communicable diseases, most of which are chronic diseases with expensive care. Overall, deaths related to contagious, maternal, neonatal and nutritional diseases have decreased, except for malaria, whose deaths have increased significantly, which has become the leading cause of death. Deaths from noncommunicable diseases related to common risk factors such as physical inactivity, obesity, diet, smoking and population ageing have also increased. These are cardiac ischemia (+27.3%), stroke (+16.1%), diabetes (+24.5%) and chronic kidney failure (+14.5%). In addition, despite the efforts made between 2015 and 2019, which led to an almost universal increase in vaccination coverage, with the exception of hepatitis B; the vaccination programme in Mauritania has not yet reached a desired level of performance.

This situation has a direct impact on the standard of living of the population due to the high costs of medical care. In this context, the adoption, in 2013, of the National Social Protection Strategy (SNPS) led to its implementation, in 2016, by the creation of a social register allowing a better targeting of populations and the implementation of the National Social Transfer Program, Tekavoul. This same program was integrated by the SCAPP 2016–2030 as part of the improvement of the resilience of the most vulnerable groups.

At the nutritional level, according to the results of the SMART 20212 survey, the prevalence of global acute malnutrition at the national level is 11.1%, while it was 9.5% in 2016 and that of severe acute malnutrition is 1.9%. As for global chronic malnutrition, the situation of the latter has improved significantly, it has fallen below the 20% mark, i.e. 17% in 2021 compared to 23.3% in 2018 and 3.7% of severe cases. Improved nutrition is key to achieving

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and represents both a “factor and a marker” of a population’s well-being and national progress.

In addition, annual household food insecurity rates are 30% during the lean season and 20% during the post-harvest period. The number of people recorded as food insecure sometimes reaches peaks of 800,000 people. There are also significant differences on these issues between the area of residence (urban, rural) and between Wilayas.

Particular emphasis is placed in Mauritania on reproductive health, in particular through the SWEDD project for Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend in the Sahel, which aims globally to accelerate the demographic transition and thus achieve the broader objectives: to trigger the demographic dividend and reduce gender inequalities in the participating countries. The SWEDD project primarily targets adolescent girls and young women aged 10 to 19 who may be at risk of child marriage, early pregnancy, female genital mutilation, and early school dropout, as well as their communities. This project acts through three components:

  • (i) Increase demand for Reproductive, Maternal, Child, Newborn, and Nutrition health products and services through Communication for Social and Behavior Change and the Empowerment of Women and Adolescent Girls; Strengthen regional capacities to improve the supply of

  • (ii) reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and nutritional health commodities and qualified personnel; and Strengthen advocacy, policy dialogue, and policy-making capacity on the

  • (iii) demographic dividend and project implementation.

In terms of access to drinking water, between 2016 and 2020, all the activities and projects carried out under this component have contributed significantly to improving the rate of access to drinking water in rural areas (from 62.1% in 2015 to 76% in 2020), and to improving the service rate, which reached 76% in 2020 and the connection rate, which increased to 42% during the year. same year (2020). In this context, several projects have been carried out for the mobilization, monitoring and protection of water resources. Finally, in urban areas, the rainwater drainage network has reduced the depth of the water table in Nouakchott, although it is still at 20% in cities that can be connected to a collective network. As for the reuse of wastewater, it has not changed much in the capital and in Nouadhibou and is around 30%.

In terms of energy, the proportion of the population with access to electricity in Mauritania has increased from 41% in 2017 to 44% in 2020, with very strong disparities between urban and rural areas. In this context, many works have been carried out on the electricity network infrastructure in order to better connect the country: In 2020, the territory is developed with 3000 km of Low Voltage (LV) network, 1000 km of Medium Voltage (MV) network and 800 Km of High Voltage network. It should also be noted that Mauritania has world-class gas reserves, considerable solar and wind potential that is being developed. The country also has significant hydropower resources under development under the OMVS, a favorable geographical position close to the European and American markets, vast opportunities for the development of gas-to-power and low-carbon hydrogen projects as well as a strong potential for energy, hydrocarbon (LNG) and hydrogen exports. Despite this significant potential, the sector is weighing on public finances. Many actions still need to be carried out in order to develop the competitiveness of the sector and exploit all its potential, both nationally and internationally (particularly in terms of infrastructure, institutional framework, etc.).

In terms of housing, the main challenges facing Mauritania lie in the development of policies and mechanisms for access to land and real estate ownership for all inhabitants, improving access to public services and strengthening social facilities (educational, health, sports and administrative facilities, etc.) at the city level. The launch of economic and social housing programmes for low-income citizens in urban centres has led to the construction of 700 low-cost housing units (600 in Zouerate, 50 in Chami and 50 in Selibaby) and 854 social housing units (148 in Nouakchott (wharf area) and 706 in Nouadhibou).

From the above, it appears that Mauritania’s development cannot be carried out exclusively on the economic level but must also integrate the social dimension, particularly in terms of human development, the promotion of rights, including equality, the protection of the most vulnerable populations and access to basic social services. It should be noted that strong demographic pressure risks undermining economic gains and delaying progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Significant reforms are therefore necessary to make human capital a fundamental pillar for the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Such an approach will require, firstly, the strengthening of the service offer in terms of quality and physical access and, secondly, the strengthening of human capital in synergy with the expectations of the economy.

It is in this context that the Mauritanian government places the themes of employment and youth among its priorities, taking into consideration the various disparities that may arise from the dimensions of gender and social vulnerability (in particular poverty). This is reflected in particular in the implementation of different strategies to which the SCAPP is aligned. These relate to the promotion of employment and youth in order to promote the social inclusion of the different strata of the population (largely under 35 years of age), and to enable the integration of all, and particularly young people, into the socio-economic environment of the country (National Employment Strategy, National Youth Strategies, sports and recreation, strengthening the education system, etc.).

c) Environmental Framing

The environmental framework is in line with the SNEDD and with reference to the objectives of the SCAPP in the field of Environment and Sustainable Development. The SNEDD is structured around four strategic axes:

  • (i) Environmental Governance,

  • (ii) “GREEN” Environment, “BLUE”

  • (iii) Environment and “GREY”

  • (iv) Environment).

These areas are supported by a set of specific strategies and plans. These are the National Biodiversity Strategy, the Wetlands Strategy, the National Action Plan for the Environment and Sustainable Development, the Action Plan to Combat Desertification and the Action Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change. In addition, this framing takes into account the lessons learned from the implementation of the SCAPP, the NSEDD and other specific sectoral strategies and plans for the period 2016–2020.

Indeed, from an environmental point of view, most of Mauritania’s territory is located in the arid zone and is therefore affected by the problem of desertification. The climate scenarios suggest trends for Mauritania with impacts on the disappearance of the coastal plain (in the long term) and the increase in extreme temperatures with risks to human health (in the short and medium term).

In addition, Mauritania is in the midst of a transition from a nomadic agro-pastoral society to an urban society, dominated by the tertiary sector, mining and oil exploitation and sea fishing, as well as an increasingly increased industrial transformation.

This development, concentrated on the coast, creates new challenges and generates new environmental risks (overexploitation of fishery resources, strong urbanization, increase in solid and liquid waste, risk of flooding of Nouakchott and pollution by oil spills, pollution by mines, industries and traffic). The coastal and marine zone is also subject to great anthropogenic pressure linked to overfishing and the installation of socio-economic infrastructures on the coast (ports, hotels, factories, etc.).

Mauritania’s development also puts pressure on biodiversity. For the time being, Mauritania is still home to a mammalian flora and fauna characteristic of the desert environment that has escaped poaching and the process of desertification. They are grouped into small populations, including some of the most emblematic in the country. The local status of the species indicates the presence of four animal species (monk seal, dama gazelle, addax and bighorn sheep) that are seriously threatened by poaching. The poor vegetation cover as a whole is mainly dependent on rainfall. It has several rare or endangered species that deserve special protection measures. In view of the scarcity of this plant cover and the pressures it is under, there is a risk of tension or even conflict between breeders and farmers. In terms of fishing, there is considerable exploitation of fishery resources due to a significant fishing effort. The exploitation of fisheries resources is on the rise overall, with a negative impact on marine biodiversity.

The trends in the various economic sectors imply strong impacts on the environment for the future, which will have to be taken into account in the context of the country’s development. In particular, infrastructure and extractive activities using cyanide, arsenic, mercury, can create problems of air pollution, fragmentation and destruction of habitats. These environmental risks, if not taken care of, can have negative impacts on the natural environment, populations and river regimes.

In this context, pollution linked to industrial activities, particularly mining, dissipates large quantities of dust laden with asbestos and fine particles responsible for silicosis and releases pollutants directly into nature. This pollution threatens the health of the population. Industrial or mining companies claim that their Environmental Management Systems are designed in accordance with Mauritanian legislation and that they meet international standards. But civil society and workers often accuse them of being polluters without being able to provide convincing scientific evidence. In addition, it should be noted that the recent practice of gold panning, which has experienced strong growth since 2016, and its large-scale use of mercury and cyanide constitutes a new environmental and health threat to be controlled, despite the benefits it brings in terms of jobs created (more than 25,000).

At the level of the quarries, their exploitation causes a lot of nuisance for the environment due to the non-compliance with the clauses stipulating the restoration and rehabilitation of the quarry sites after the cessation of their exploitation as stipulated in the specifications to which the exploitation of the quarries is subject. In addition, the advent of digital technology with submarine cabling will have a definite impact on the fauna, flora and natural habitats for these specific ecosystems that must be analysed and taken into account in the implementation of these structures.

It should also be noted that there are certain gaps and inadequacies related to the legislative provisions on environmental and social assessments as well as the mechanism for their application. Indeed, the two completed decrees on Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) deserve to be updated with regard to the list of works, developments and infrastructures subject to environmental and social assessments, with better consideration of the pre-evaluation phase of activities.

In addition, the poor management of watersheds is the result of the fact that hydraulic structures (dams and boreholes) are carried out in a suboptimal manner. Indeed, in a country that is 75% arid and where water is precious, integrated management of watershed water from a sustainable development perspective is essential.

Finally, the question of climate change and its foreseeable effects for Mauritania is acute. Mauritania belongs to one of the most vulnerable regions of the world to climate change, the effects of which are already affecting all sectors of its economy, ecosystems and people, especially women and children. According to climate scenarios (IPCC3, 2007), the climate will evolve within twenty years towards greater aridity, an increase in the frequency of extreme climatic events, and a decrease in rainfall. Climate change is characterized by short-term negative impacts, including on land: (i) progressive soil erosion, (ii) reduction in latitude of pastoral rangelands, (iii) reduction in usable agricultural area, and (iv) reduction in water availability, also linked to the country’s demographic change. At the coastal and marine level, the main short-term impacts relate to: i) the gradual and aggravated weakening of the barrier beach, ii) the development of lagoons, iii) the disappearance of the coastal plain, iv) the fluctuation of fish stocks linked to the fluctuation of the thermal front.

This implies the need for the country to have a multi-risk contingency plan to deal with the various threats of natural disasters.

At the international level, Mauritania is fully committed to the implementation of the CCNUCC4 and the Paris Agreement to contribute to global efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by making available to the world community all the mitigation potential at its disposal. This potential is constituted by its enormous source of clean energy production, wind and solar. Thus, Mauritania’s updated NDC5 forecasts a net reduction in economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions of 11% in 2030 compared to the baseline scenario with the country’s own resources supported by international support comparable to that received until 2020. With more substantial support, Mauritania could ensure its carbon neutrality, up to a conditional 92% reduction compared to the BAU6. The overall cost of this ambition is estimated at $34,255 million, of which $635 million is unconditional, or 1.85%.

In view of its extreme vulnerability, Mauritania has broadened its adaptation ambition to cover the following areas: protection and conservation of ecosystems including wetlands, sustainable rangeland management, biodiversity conservation, fisheries and aquaculture, housing and urban planning, agriculture and food security including genetic improvement, health, water, coastal management, prevention of extreme climatic events, infrastructure and education. This expansion is based on the Green Climate Fund (Readiness) Readiness Program and the results of the first studies carried out as part of the country’s National Adaptation Program (NAP) development process.

It should also be noted that Mauritania, alongside 10 other African countries, is fully committed to the Great Green Wall project. This large-scale project consists of fighting desertification by planting a vegetation belt more than 8000 km long, stretching from Senegal to Djibouti.

d) Ambitions of the Second Action Plan of the SCAPP

The Covid 19 pandemic has revealed the urgent need to rethink Mauritania’s adaptive planning strategy and implement policy instruments and frameworks designed to balance the quest for economic growth with the improvement of the well-being of Mauritanian citizens. The crisis has highlighted some structural challenges that have significantly aggravated the negative impacts of the current crisis, including (i) a lack of emergency preparedness and the establishment of reactive emergency plans, (ii) insufficient national fiscal architectures that do not prioritise both economic growth and the well-being of citizens. Therefore, it is important that the Second Action Plan of the SCAPP 2021–2025 provides answers to the current context of Mauritania, following the holistic diagnosis made before and during the Covid 19 situation. These ambitions should make it possible to have:

  • A prosperous and attractive Mauritania, able to exploit its economic and ecological potential through the development and diversification of its productive sectors, in particular through wealth creation that will be materialized by a target annual GDP growth rate of 7.5% over the next 4 years;

  • Mauritania that sets itself up as a model for sustainable development, by respecting its commitments, both national and international, by taking into account the dimensions of sustainability in the context of its socio-economic development and by preserving its natural resources and its environmental heritage;

  • A Mauritania that places people at the centre of its concerns, having succeeded in eliminating extreme poverty;

  • A Mauritania that advocates a just, peaceful society that is fully committed to the fight against social inequalities in all their forms, particularly those related to gender;

  • A Mauritania that protects its most vulnerable citizens, especially children, women, people with disabilities and the elderly;

  • A Mauritania that provides its population with all the necessary prerequisites for a decent life, particularly in terms of access to basic infrastructure (education, health, water, electricity, etc.);

  • An emerging Mauritania, connected to the world and having initiated its digital transition;

  • Mauritania with an efficient governance model capable of enabling it to manage its territory effectively at all levels.

II. Strategic levers of intervention

In order to meet the various ambitions mentioned above, this section of the report presents each of the strategic levers defined for the SCAPP as well as the projects that will have to be deployed for the second action plan. Each of the levers is broken down into projects that can be the subject of several interventions.

1) Strategic Lever 1: Promoting strong, sustainable and inclusive growth

This first strategic lever aims to promote strong, sustainable and inclusive growth through the establishment of the necessary conditions for structural transformations of the economy and society. This is organized around three sectors or areas of action: 1/ the promotion of more diversified growth in promising sectors, 2/ the rational management of natural resources and the reduction of disaster risks and 3/ the strengthening of infrastructure to support growth. The transformation sought through this pillar will have to be carried out in such a way as to benefit all categories of the population, and in particular women and the most vulnerable people, at the level of all the country’s territories (in terms of impacts, such as job creation, increased income, or access to infrastructure). The territorial dimension is of major importance in this sense, in order to be able to project ourselves into a dynamic Mauritania and put an end to the economic concentration observed in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. This transformation will also have to take into account, in terms of the approach taken, the environmental dimension, which is essential in the context of the protection of the national natural heritage, the fight against climate change and various forms of pollution, etc.

a) Project 1: Promoting diversified growth

The objective sought in this project is to diversify productive activities by sustainably exploiting existing sectoral potential through greater integration of economic value chains, the strengthening of locally created added value, the promotion of exports and import substitution. Indeed, the Mauritanian economy is characterized by a sectoral concentration of the added value created, a low diversification of productive activities despite a great potential in resources, a low valuation of local production resulting in exports centered around raw or unprocessed products and massive imports of finished products.

Eight productive sectors represent significant potential for Mauritania’s economic diversification: agriculture, livestock, fisheries, extractive industries, manufacturing industries, handicrafts, trade and tourism.

The observation also highlights that, in terms of gender, women are essentially on the margins of exploiting these potentialities. For example, only 4 out of 10 women are employed in the rural sector, where they have difficulty owning land. They are relatively well present in certain fields such as clothing, jewellery, goldsmithing, processing of natural products and fishing (production of natural drinks, artisanal processing of fish). At the level of the formal economy, the few women present are mainly assigned to positions considered “subordinate”.

The present project is divided into 8 interventions representing the target productive sectors.

  • Intervention 1.1: Promotion of productive, competitive and sustainable agriculture

The agricultural sector employs a large number of inhabitants and its contribution to GDP is estimated at 4% in 2020. It is managed on the basis of the National Agricultural Development Plan, PNDA (2016 -2025). The country has a significant agricultural land potential of 513,000 ha (0.44% of the total area of the country), divided into four agro-ecological zones: (i) the arid zone (16,000 ha, or 3%), (ii) the Sahelian zone (310,000 ha, or 61%), (iii) the Senegal River Valley area (175,000 ha, i.e. 34%), and (iv) the maritime zone (12,000 ha, i.e. 2%), which is currently very under-exploited and can be developed, in the context of food security.

The main challenge for agriculture is therefore to take advantage of the great potential of agricultural land and water potential for crop diversification and intensification through public and private investment.

The strategic orientations of the second SCAPP Action Plan are organized around:

  • - Intensification and diversification of agricultural production through the improvement of rainfed production systems for the enhancement of traditional crops (traditional cereals sector) and support for the development of oasis crops. Special efforts will have to be made at the level of (i) agricultural transformation, (ii) the establishment of an agricultural credit agency, and (iii) the development and implementation of a market adjustment strategy (imports, exports).

  • - Promotion of the competitiveness of agricultural sectors through the improvement of storage, processing and packaging infrastructure and equipment, as well as the strengthening of the marketing of agricultural products.

  • - Sustainable management of natural resources through the promotion of land management integrating all parties (local communities, State and private investors), the protection and rehabilitation of agricultural land and the improvement of the management and development of wetlands and unexploited irrigable land, with total or partial control of water, on the basis of tripartite agreements between the State, traditional owners and private developers (block policy).

  • - Improvement of the quality of agricultural services through the strengthening of the capacities of central and decentralized services and the agricultural research system, the agricultural advisory system, agricultural training, professional integration as well as the improvement of working conditions, including those of migrants.

    • Intervention 1.2: Increasing the impact of the livestock sector

The livestock sector is one of the main pillars of Mauritania’s economy. It is led by the National Livestock Development Plan (PNDE). Its contribution to the national economy was, on average, 10.9% of GDP over the period 2016–2020. The average real annual growth rate is 4.2% over the same period. It provides income to nearly 60% of the population. It comprises three systems: (i) extensive livestock farming, (ii) sedentary livestock farming, (iii) peri-urban livestock farming. The livestock is constantly increasing, with the exception of periods of great drought during which it experiences declines such as in 1973.

The main sectors of the livestock sector are red meat, milk, hides and skins and poultry. The main challenge for the livestock sector is to build on this great potential for accelerated and diversified growth in the fight against poverty.

The strategic orientations of the second SCAPP Action Plan are organized around:

  • - Strengthening the governance of the sector through the involvement of stakeholders, the strengthening of the regulatory framework and the improvement of the public services responsible for steering the sector in order to make them more present and efficient in their sovereign mission. This must be done within the framework of a holistic approach aimed at an integrated development of the sector;

  • - Development of intensive animal sectors through the increase of production in quantity and quality while ensuring better access of products to national and international markets;

  • - Development of pastoralism and family livestock through the strengthening of the management of pastoral resources, the development of pastoral water resources (including rational management of surface water), the enhancement of traditional knowledge and small-scale livestock and the strengthening of the capacities of pastoralists and pastoralists and butchers;

  • - Improvement of animal health and veterinary public health with a view to improving livestock productivity and enhancing consumer safety and welfare;

  • - Development of the industrialization of the sector with a view to strengthening the capacity for the development and export of livestock products;

  • - Strengthening of the national system of livestock statistics to ensure effective management of the sector.

    • Intervention 1.3: Integration of fisheries into the economy, enhancement of seafood products and preservation of marine heritage

The fisheries sector, whose share in GDP amounted to nearly 6.5% in 2020, has an estimated potential of 1.8 million tonnes, of which 1.5 million are exploitable, including 42,000 tonnes of cephalopods, 7,840 tonnes of crustaceans, 1.4 million tonnes of pelagics (small pelagics, tuna), 97,000 tonnes of demersals and 300,000 tonnes of clams not yet exploited. Policies built around the sustainable exploitation of this potential have made it possible to make significant progress in deep-seas, coastal and artisanal fisheries. Despite these important advances, the results have often not lived up to the ambitions due to overexploitation and the low creation of local added value.

The main challenges for the sector are therefore to ensure the sustainable exploitation of the fishing potential for integrated economic development, significantly increasing the local share of the added value derived from fishery resources, including inland fisheries, for the benefit of the population.

The strategic orientations of the second SCAPP Action Plan are organized as follows:

  • - Increased contribution of the maritime economy sectors to the country’s economic and human development through the strengthening of transformation, industrialization and optimization of all stages of the value chain and the increase of locally created added value.

  • - Promotion of innovation and development of new sectors such as aquaculture while diversifying the exploitation of seafood products and neglected species (such as clams, etc.).

  • - Sustainability of marine fishery resources and preservation of environments through regulated and sustainable exploitation as well as effective surveillance of the sea coast.

  • - Strengthening the governance framework and the fisheries and maritime economy sector.

    • Intervention 1.4: Promotion and development of the extractive industries

Extractive industries occupy an important place in the Mauritanian economy. Overall, their share of GDP has been on an upward trend since 2016, when it recorded the lowest weight (6.2%), reaching 15.1% according to estimates in 2020. In terms of extractive industries, there are two sub-categories: hydrocarbons and mining.

As far as hydrocarbons are concerned, exploitation began with the offshore exploitation of the Chinguitti oil field. This operation ended with the demobilization of the FPSO7 in May 2018. The Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) field development project is progressing satisfactorily and the first gas production is expected in 2023. The expected outlook is reinforced by the identification of the Bir Allah gas field, which contains larger gas reserves than the GTA field and is entirely located in Mauritanian waters. The potential of gas resources has now reached a level that can largely justify considering a world-class liquefied natural gas project for the country.

As far as mining is concerned, iron dominated for many years, before being joined by gold, copper and gypsum. The mining sector has therefore been, since the middle of the first decade of the 21st century, the main driver of the Mauritanian economy, although it is dependent on the high volatility of world mineral prices. In 2021, the annual production of iron was 12.7 million tons, that of gold in 2020 was 13 tons and that of copper was 28 thousand tons. ANSADE data give an average contribution of mining activities to GDP of 3.2%, with 2.3% for iron and 0.9% for gold and copper. Mining revenues account for the largest share of the country’s export earnings, 59.8% in 2019 (Iron 31%, 0r: 22% and copper 6.8%). In terms of employment, the industrial mining sector is one of the country’s major providers of formal employment, with more than 15,000 direct and indirect jobs.

In addition, there is the artisanal component of the extractive industries sector, materialized for more than half a decade by significant development on several fronts, which has led to the creation of more than 47,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs in 2020.

The main challenge arising from this context is to make the mining sector an important lever for supporting diversified, strong, inclusive and sustainable growth, in particular by improving the business climate in order to strengthen its attractiveness to investors.

The strategic orientations of the second SCAPP Action Plan are organized as follows:

  • - Overhaul of the mining legal framework, acceleration of the exploitation of iron deposits under inactivated exploitation permits, and optimization of promotion procedures and processes.

  • - Promotion of mining heritage through diversified exploitation (uranium, phosphate and black sand);

  • - Development of the latent potential of the extractive sector, in particular by strengthening the integration of upstream and downstream value chains (valorization, processing and marketing) and improving the overall business climate of the sector to make it more attractive to investors;

  • - Maximization of the contribution of the extractive sector to social well-being through the implementation of a specific environmental and social policy, coherence of operators’ social responsibility policies, improvement of the role of women in the mining sector and their working conditions, especially in the artisanal component of the sector and strengthening transparency in its management;

  • - Integration of the hydrocarbon sub-sector into the national economy as a strategic priority through the promotion of gas industries and the strengthening of local content in the sector;

  • - Strengthening of infrastructure to support the extractive sector, particularly in support of specialized institutions, in order to contribute to a better knowledge of the potential of the Mauritanian subsoil.

    • Intervention 1.5: Impetus from the industrial sector

Industry is one of the main vectors of the country’s economic and social development. Several reforms have been initiated on the basis of successive industrial development policies. Mauritania first began with a policy of direct state intervention, through the creation of public companies or semi-public companies. From 1979 onwards, a mechanism to encourage private investment was put in place, followed in 1989 by reforms aimed at liberalising the economy. Among these reforms is the creation of the General Directorate for the Promotion of the Private Sector (DGPSP). Despite this, the objectives have not been achieved, mainly due to the lack of sufficient consideration of competitiveness issues and the problems of technological progress and innovation. Indeed, until now, in the Mauritanian economy, the emphasis has been placed more on the sphere of distribution (trade and exchange) than that of production. In terms of employment, the active population employed by the manufacturing sector in 2017 was nearly 84,000 people, including about 47,000 women.

The main challenges for the industrial sector therefore revolve around the need to provide the country with a diversified industry, at the level of all productive sectors and to promote innovation, research, transformation and the promotion of value chains in promising sectors to support growth and contribute to economic development and the fight against poverty.

The strategic orientations of the second SCAPP Action Plan are organized as follows:

  • - Establishment of an environment more favourable to the development of industries by reducing the costs of production factors, particularly energy, and making inputs (raw materials, etc.) available.

  • - Development of industrial potential and provision of a quality workforce that meets the sector’s skills needs through the adequacy of training with employment.

  • - Promotion of the quality of industrial products through high-performance laboratories and standards for quality measurement.

  • - Promotion of innovation and research as well as the use of new technologies in industrial production.

  • - Facilitating access to finance to develop a diversified industry.

    • Intervention 1.6: Promotion of crafts with a strong cultural content and generating income and employment

The handicrafts, by its historical roots, its authentic character, the diversity of its production and the number of jobs it contains, is one of the sectors that promote inclusive growth. Its traditional and diversified character is a strength, but also a weakness due to its difficulty in integrating new techniques of artisanal creation. The handicrafts sector is still informal for a large part of the trades that make it up. It remains handicapped by the failure to take into account the arts and crafts, by the weakness of the vocational training system at the national level, and by competition from industrial products that jeopardize the very existence of the craft trades. In addition, the low profitability of craft production and the devaluing social perception of the practice of manual trades are obstacles to the attractiveness of the sector.

The main challenges of the handicrafts sector lie in the development of handicrafts based on natural and cultural heritage and traditional know-how, while at the same time making strong progress towards the use of new technologies in handicraft production processes and by organizing the sector.

The strategic orientations to meet these challenges are organized around:

  • - Promotion of creative crafts, preserving memory, integrating modern technologies and generating income and decent jobs;

  • - Capacity building of artisans and their organizations through training and the construction of dedicated infrastructure;

  • - Promotion of formalization at the level of the handicrafts sub-sector

    • Intervention 1.7: Trade promotion

Despite its advantageous geographical location, with the exception of 2020, Mauritania’s trade balance remains in deficit.

The weight of trade, particularly foreign trade, is reflected in the fact that it employs 21.4% of the employed labour force in 2017. The major constraint on foreign trade is structural. This is the excessive concentration of exports on a limited number of unprocessed commodities (mining products, particularly iron and fishery products) that are highly dependent on the terms of trade (very high price volatility for some of these products). Imports are dominated by petroleum products, capital products, food products, equipment and construction materials. The main suppliers are Europe, Asia (China, Japan) and the United Arab Emirates. Imports from Africa account for only about 10% of total imports. The main constraints on the development of trade are: (i) the low competitiveness of domestic processed products, resulting in particular from the high costs of production factors, (ii) the inadequacy of the supply of basic infrastructure and services in terms of production and logistics (road network, adapted ports, energy, water, etc.). ...).

In addition, Mauritania occupies a very advantageous geostrategic position for the development of North-South and South-North trade. The country also has a particularly enterprising class of traders.

The construction of the Rosso Bridge over the Senegal River, the possible transformation of the Nouadhibou Rosso road into a highway, the start of work on the Tindouf Zouerate road, the completion of the extension of the capacity of the Port of Nouakchott constitute new opportunities for a greater contribution of trade to the creation of new wealth in the country.

However, trade is one of the sectors most impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic today through the disruption of supply chains.

Its main challenges arising from this context are: (i) the development of competitiveness, (ii) the improvement of attractiveness for investors and (iii) the development of a high-performance manufacturing sector.

To achieve this, the strategic orientations of the trade are based on:

  • - Promotion of the private sector, in particular through the implementation of policies to improve the business climate;

  • - Increase exports through diversification based on the promotion of gross and processed production of the productive sectors and the facilitation of trade with national, regional and international markets while taking advantage of the implementation of trade agreements, in particular the African Continental Free Trade Area;

  • - Promotion of healthy competition and strengthening of consumer protection through the implementation of appropriate regulations and mechanisms.

    • Intervention 1.8: Revitalization and development of tourism

Mauritania’s tourism offer is limited, despite its great potential. Desert tourism began in the north of the country at the end of the 1980s, to experience a certain development from 1996 onwards and reached 15,000 tourists to Adrar in 2003–2004.From 2007, following the multiplication of terrorist acts in the north and south-east of the country, Tourism is hampered in its development. A certain recovery is currently underway. The number of beds increased from 9100 in 2016 to 11500 in 2018, an increase of more than 26%. Regarding the number of tourists, Mauritania welcomed 4000 foreign tourists in 2018–2019, compared to 1500 in 2017–2018, an increase of 166%). The country is now considered a safe destination in Africa, despite the various calls for vigilance from foreign services in various Western countries that may discourage some international tourists. Tourism has therefore once again become, in terms of jobs and the fight against poverty, a promising sector. However, this improvement was halted in 2020 due to travel restrictions related to the COVID 19 health crisis. It has been one of the sectors most affected by the pandemic.

The major challenges arising from this context are: (i) to imagine and create a tourism that conveys image, identity and sustainable development, in the service of the attractiveness of the territory and its economic and social development, (ii) to renew and diversify the tourist supply and demand, in particular ecotourism, and (iii) to prepare and structure an internal tourist demand.

The strategic directions for tourism that stem from the sector’s specific context and issues are as follows:

  • - Development of tourism that conveys image, identity and sustainable development, in the service of the attractiveness of the territory and its economic and social development;

  • - Strengthening the tourist offer;

  • - Diversification of the tourism offer through the development of ecotourism through the safeguarding and enhancement of the country’s cultural and natural heritage in an innovative way and the strengthening of business tourism;

  • - Promotion, development and structuring of domestic and external tourism demand.

b) Work area 2: Environment and disaster reduction

Environmental management is a central issue for any economic and social policy. Mauritania’s recent development trends, as specified in the environmental framework, imply potentially negative and strong impacts on the environment for the future, which will have to be taken into account in order to find appropriate mitigation measures

These are mainly industrial, water and air pollution linked to transport and industrial transformations; the fragmentation and destruction of natural habitats by new infrastructure and mines; the risk of an increase in biochemical industrial accidents; the modification of watercourse regimes linked to irrigation development and the replacement of natural regimes by infrastructure and human activities (cities, infrastructures, cultivated areas); discharges from fish processing industries (more than 10,500 tonnes of waste per year in Nouadhibou alone); the impacts on the natural environment and the risks that populations may incur due to artisanal and semi-industrial mining activity (in particular gold, metal extraction using cyanide, arsenic, mercury); the exploitation of new offshore gas and oil fields, the environmental consequences of which will be an increase in maritime traffic and the risk of accidental pollution; the increase in natural disasters with its corollaries of livelihood destruction (floods, drought, bush fires, epidemics, etc.). It should also be noted that exposure to environmental hazards at home and at work can have a disproportionate impact on women’s health because their response to the toxic effects of various chemicals is different from that of men. Women’s health is particularly at risk in urban areas as well as in low-income areas where there is a high concentration of polluting industrial establishments. In addition, there is a marked absence of gender-specific data. This project will also promote the creation of many green jobs and will allow, in particular the strengthening of various regulations, to impact all activities within the country towards an aspect of sustainability and preservation of the environment in all its dimensions.

In this context, several issues have been identified relating to:

  • - Preparing for and coordinating the prevention and response to natural disasters

  • - Convergence between environmental, social and economic issues

  • - better knowledge of resources and their follow-up

  • - Limiting the growing desertification

  • - the control of anthropogenic pressures on the coastline

  • - the preservation of biodiversity and raising awareness of its importance

  • - the restoration of biodiversity in protected areas (including the Banc D’Arguin National Park -PNBA) and the creation of new protected areas

  • - Promoting alternatives to the inefficient use of natural resources among communities

  • - Limiting the impacts of quarrying

  • - the control of pollution linked to industrial activities

  • - Controlling the impacts and management of disasters

Responding to these challenges requires action at several levels: strategic, regulatory and governance. To this end, the strategic orientations defined are as follows:

  • - Strengthening environmental governance by improving the regulatory framework, increasing environmental knowledge and strengthening the capacities of the MEDD and sectoral departments on environmental issues.

  • - Restoration of degraded ecosystems and biodiversity by acting on the preservation of forest resources and degraded ecosystems, by implementing the Great Green Wall program as well as the Diawling and Aouleigatt Parks programs and by securing the coastal dune barrier through the WACA project.

  • - Better management of pollution by implementing the national environmental control plan, improving waste management and implementing the national action plan to reduce chemicals in gold panning.

  • - Strengthening the green economy and combating climate change by supporting green economy activities, promoting green jobs and implementing the NDC.

  • - Development of environmental awareness and education through the implementation of awareness programs and the environmental education program (Green Schools Program).

  • - Strengthening coordination in disaster management by increasing the number of civil security personnel, improving the various operational resources (GIS, drones, means of communication, means of transport and intervention, etc.) and strengthening early warning systems.

The implementation of the action programme in the field of environment and disaster management must take into account the following major risks: (i) Non-application of regulatory texts; (ii) Weak coordination for environmental management and that of crises and disasters; and (iii) Low mobilization of the funding required for the operationality of environmental and disaster management systems.

To this end, the following recommendations are made to mitigate major risks and improve environmental and disaster management: (i) Implement the texts adopted in the field of environmental management; (ii) Strengthen the regulatory framework for environmental management, including the establishment of national standards for liquid discharges, to better protect the resource from the risks of pollution; (iii) Strengthen coordination in environmental management (biodiversity, climate change, combating desertification, brown environment, blue environment,...) and disasters; and (iv) Establish a dynamic and effective system for mobilizing finance; (v) Strengthen women’s participation in the formulation, planning and implementation of environmental policies; and (vi) Integrate gender issues into environmental programmes and policies.

c) Project 3: Strengthening infrastructure to support economic growth

Often considered as a prerequisite for the creation of national wealth, but also a key element in the context of strengthening the population’s access to basic services (testifying to the strategic interconnectivity between the different pillars of the SCAPP), the development of infrastructure in Mauritania benefits from particular attention from all stakeholders. Covering five main areas of intervention, this project of the second SCAPP Action Plan has as its main objectives to guarantee the availability of energy services, in particular clean energy at an affordable cost; the strengthening of infrastructure investments in the equipment, transport and housing sectors; the development of drinking water supply and sanitation and finally, the promotion of innovation, digital transformation and the development of electronic services. The choice of these 5 areas of intervention is based on their strategic importance, both at the economic level (via energy projects to support the country’s development, the upgrading of transport networks to boost trade, digitalization, etc.), at the social level (in particular through the improvement of the population’s access to electricity and drinking water, etc.). as well as housing, particularly for rural populations and the most vulnerable groups, ), and at the environmental level (by strengthening the share of renewable energies in the national energy mix, etc.). This area of intervention also touches on the gender dimension by freeing up women’s time and contribution to development through their development.

  • Intervention 3.1: Energy infrastructure

In terms of energy infrastructure, Mauritania has a large production park and transmission and distribution networks that currently provide access to electricity to 48% of the country’s total population, with a great disparity between rural and urban areas. Indeed, 78% of urban households have access to electricity compared to only 6% of rural households in 2020. Also, the country has strong solar, wind and hydroelectric potentials supported by a growing consumption of renewable energies which has increased from 32% of final energy consumption in 2015 to 42% in 2020.

In addition, the country’s favourable geographical position gives it a strong potential for energy exports outside the country. In addition, the energy sector is the subject of reforms of the legal, regulatory and institutional framework marked by: (i) a new Energy Policy Statement for the country currently being drafted, which will be complemented by an Energy Sector Development Policy Letter and an Action Plan; (ii) the revision of the Electricity Code, which will soon be presented to the Council of Ministers; (iii) the development of an Energy Strategy, to include all new forms of energy; and (iv) a deep restructuring of SOMELEC in order to meet the challenges and requirements imposed by the sector’s transformation strategy aimed at making the country a regional hub in the field of renewable energy.

The main challenges arising from this context would be (i) to reduce the burden of the energy sector on the State budget thanks to the growing participation of the private sector, (ii) to expand access to reliable and modern energy services, (iii) to increase the energy mix in favour of renewable energies, (iv) to guide the development of the sector with a view to an energy transition in favour of the decarbonisation of industrial activities and ( and (v) to position it as an engine of economic growth and a real creator of jobs.

In order to lead to energy accessible to all, a driver of growth and job creation, and in line with the transition to decarbonisation, the strategic orientations proposed following the diagnosis carried out are:

  • - Development of a legal and regulatory framework conducive to the development of the sector, the intervention of the private sector and the clarification of the role of stakeholders, through a profound restructuring of the electricity sector;

  • - Increase of the country’s electricity production capacity and improvement of the energy mix while promoting the production of electricity from national resources, namely gas, hydro, solar and wind, waste and hydrogen.

  • - Continuation and strengthening of electrification and network extension programs, particularly in rural areas, through the acceleration of the strategy of connecting production areas to the electricity grid and the establishment of a modern electricity transmission and transmission system in the main consumption centers;

  • - Reduction of electricity production costs to support economic activity and households;

  • - Support for the country’s energy transition, through the development of the production and use of hydrogen, so that it becomes a driver of economic growth, innovation and employment.

    • Intervention 3.2: Equipment and transport infrastructure

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in transport infrastructure. Indeed, these are a lever for opening up territories and play a central role in the development of trade and more generally in economic growth. Mauritania’s infrastructure and transport infrastructure consists of a network of 5586 kilometres of asphalt roads, a railway line transporting iron ore, 7 port infrastructures and 5 airport facilities.

In terms of road infrastructure, the country managed to guarantee access to the road network within 2 kilometers to 70% of its population in 2020 compared to only 40% in 2016. Between 2019 and 2021, the execution of about twenty road infrastructure projects has resulted in the completion of 433 paved km, and efforts to improve road safety have reduced the number of road accidents by more than 1300 accidents from a road accident fatality rate of 44.85 in 2016 to 28.8/1 million inhabitants in 2020.

Port infrastructure has also undergone significant improvements with two new ports made operational between 2016 and 2020 and the implementation of construction work on a container terminal at the Autonomous Port of Nouakchott.

As for the airport system, study work for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the airports of Nouakchott, Nouadhibou, Zouerate, Nema, Atar and Selibabi is being carried out.

On the other hand, this area of intervention suffers from major constraints in terms of monitoring the implementation of projects started, which is not at the expected levels, and from a significant lack of sustainability of the newly built infrastructure.

The major challenges that respond to this context are characterized by the continuation of the projects begun in terms of construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of the road network in order to provide the country with a safe and efficient road network. It also raises major challenges relating to the development of Mauritanian port and airport facilities to equip the country with adequate transport infrastructure in view of economic ambitions.

To this end, the strategic orientations for equipment and transport are organized around the following axes:

  • - Legal and institutional reform of the general transport framework, in order to improve governance through consultation with all the sectors involved.

  • - Revitalisation of the Public Transport Company (STP) to improve the quality of its offer and expand its scope.

  • - Construction, rehabilitation, maintenance of road infrastructure, and improvement of road safety.

  • - Development of transport networks promoting regional and sub-regional trade.

  • - Resolution of the problem of urban mobility in Nouakchott and in the major cities.

  • - Development of port, rail and airport infrastructure and upgrading of airport security standards.

    • Intervention 3.3: Water and sanitation infrastructure

Mauritania, in the context of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and given the low rates of access to drinking water and sanitation services, combined with inequalities in access between rural and urban areas, has placed the issue of drinking water and sanitation at the top of the national development priorities.

With regard to water and sanitation infrastructure, Mauritania has managed to improve its entire network over the past five years. Indeed, the rate of access to drinking water (i.e. the population of localities supplied by at least one modern water point, excluding wells, in relation to the total population) is 84% in 2021 nationally, and 68% for rural areas. The projects implemented under the first SCAPP Action Plan have also enabled the water and sanitation sector to record a 10% improvement in the rates of connection to the rainwater collection network and wastewater reuse in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. These reinforcements are the result of an institutional and regulatory framework adapted to the issues and objectives related to water and sanitation, but also the result of significant investments made by the State and its technical and financial partners who have been supporting the sector for several years. Nevertheless, several constraints need to be overcome, such as the lack of knowledge about underground water resources, which leads to under- or over-exploitation, the absence of protective measures in favour of it, the absence of a surface water management strategy, the weakness of decentralized water management structures in rural areas, weak sectoral coordination and the very low sustainability of the structures built.

This context creates important challenges for Mauritania that affect the field of intervention of water and sanitation infrastructure. Mainly, it is a question of providing access to water and sanitation services to the entire population of the country, but also to the various production areas so that an economic benefit is derived. It is therefore essential to put in place measures to protect water resources in order to ensure their sustainability and their inclusion in national development.

The strategic orientations implied by the context and challenges of hydraulics and sanitation are based on the following points:

  • - Better knowledge, monitoring and protection of water resources in order to better exploit them and guarantee their sustainability while strengthening the governance of the sector;

  • - Improvement of access to drinking water for all, especially for the most disadvantaged populations and those in rural and semi-urban areas;

  • - Improvement of access to water for agriculture and livestock farming in the context of the development of hydro-agricultural and hydro-pastoral developments;

  • - Development of access to sanitation and hygiene for the entire population, and sustainability of the necessary equipment and infrastructure;

  • - Improvement of the governance of the sector, through the sectoral intervention framework, the improvement of the efficiency of the MHA8 role and missions and the strengthening of access to the public water and sanitation service.

    • Intervention 3.4: Infrastructure related to new technologies

Infrastructure related to new technologies has been the subject of numerous projects initiated as part of the SCAPP’s first Action Plan. In this sense, Mauritania has undertaken the implementation of international connectivity by submarine cable, the construction of sections of fiber optic internet backbones and the launch of 4G on the national territory. These projects have led to a considerable improvement in the connectivity of Mauritanians. This improvement is reflected in a mobile network coverage rate (all technologies combined) of 95% and a 4G coverage rate of 31% (in 2019), although many municipalities are only covered by a 2G network, and some are still located in white zones. In addition, 20% of Mauritania’s international traffic in 2021 was destined for neighbouring countries (source: MTNIMA, National Digital Transition Agenda). However, the ICT sector is experiencing significant constraints relating to cybersecurity that endanger the progress made but also constraints in relation to the high rate of digital illiteracy that negatively impact the performance of the actions implemented to promote and develop the sector.

From this context, there are major issues related to new technologies, which are materialized by increasing the population’s awareness of ICTs in order to maximize the results of the various actions undertaken and to develop a digital economy that contributes to the socio-economic development of the country. The integration of new technologies into public administration is also a key issue for the sector in the context of the decentralization of administration and the increase of regional and national connectivity.

To lead to the emergence of an ICT sector that encourages innovation, promotes growth and access to information, and is part of the digital transition in Mauritania, the following guidelines have been formulated on the basis of the National Strategy for the Modernization of Administration and ICTs, Mauritania’s National Digital Security Strategy 2022–2025 and the National Strategy for the Promotion of Broadband and Universal Access.

The main strategic directions by policy area are as follows.

  • - Digital Infrastructure: Generalization of access to digital broadband infrastructures to the entire population

  • - Digital Administration: Transformation of the administration through the use and adoption of Digital Technology for better efficiency and transparency oriented towards citizens and companies – E-gov

  • - E-business and Innovation: Promoting Innovation as a driver of digital development, entrepreneurship and business competitiveness.

  • - Governance and Regulatory & Legal Framework: Optimization of the overall governance and strengthening of the existing legislative and regulatory framework.

  • - Digital skills: Skills development and initial and continuing training

  • - Digital Culture & Trust: Democratization and strengthening trust in the use of digital technology

  • - Support for sectoral digital transformation: Taking advantage of digital technology for better competitiveness of priority sectors and social impact.

    • Intervention 3.5: Building and Public Facilities, Housing and Urban Planning Infrastructures

  • - The MHUAT will pay all the required attention to the cleaning up of the overall environment of the construction sector and the implementation of the necessary reforms. In this context, reforms relating to the General Construction Regulations and the qualification/classification of operators (companies, project managers and control offices) will be developed and implemented in accordance with the rules of the art and recognized standards, Similarly, the Government will take all necessary measures to remove bottlenecks in the construction sector and its professionalization.

  • - In parallel with these reforms, the national supply of public buildings, infrastructure and facilities will be strengthened. Thus, ambitious programs for the construction, rehabilitation and extension of infrastructure, equipment and public buildings will be implemented. This program will include:

  • - religious infrastructure: Rehabilitation, renovation and extension of the Ibn Abbass Mosque in Nouakchott and El Atiqh in Nouadhibou, Construction of the Mahadra Chinguitiya El Koubra and a training center for Imams-Khatib;

  • - Cultural infrastructure: construction of cultural centres in the main cities;

  • - Administrative buildings:

  • - Programme for the construction of the headquarters of constitutional institutions: Economic, Social and Environmental Council, High Council for Fatwas and Non-contentious Appeals;

  • - Construction program for buildings and administrative centers;

  • - School infrastructure for primary, secondary and higher education: Continuation of the implementation in the educational infrastructure component of the EWLEWIYATI priority programme with the ongoing construction of 805 classrooms for 146 primary and secondary schools with a five-year objective of building 3,500 classrooms; construction of a training centre for crafts trades; construction of the School National Administration (ENAJM).

  • - Health infrastructure: construction of regional hospitals. Extension and upgrade CHN, CHME and CHS. Completion of the construction works of the Selibaby Regional Hospital).

  • - Youth and sports infrastructure: Construction of stadiums in Rosso, Sebkha and Ksar and mini-football stadiums in the interior of the country, youth centres and youth spaces in the various moughataas.

  • - Market infrastructure: Construction of a National Handicrafts Fair in El Mina and Commercial and Office Automation Complex in Arafat.

  • - In terms of urban planning, after the launch of the activities of assembling all the subdivision plans in a geo-referenced and secure information system that can serve as a basis for the geo-located urban cadastre, the MHUAT will proceed with the revision of the urban planning code, the elaboration and adoption of its implementing texts, will also be developed and adopted, the General Regulations of Simplified Urban Planning (RGUS) for cities that do not have planning and documentation documents urban management as well as subdivision plans for our regional capitals, cities and agglomerations.

  • - The adoption of the Master Plan for Development and Urban Planning of the city of Nouakchott in 2019 provided a reference framework and a vision for the harmonious and balanced development of the city. Thus, during the period 2021–2025, the priority projects resulting from this orientation document will be launched, in particular the delimitation of the Priority Zone to Urbanize (ZPU), the City Center Development Plan and the Local Urban Plans (PLU) of the Moughataa. The finalization of these urban planning tools and documents will allow the Urban Control created to begin its rise in power with a gradual strengthening of its means of action.

  • - The restructuring of precarious neighborhoods, which will be definitively completed, will be an opportunity to launch reforms relating to the institutional repositioning of the Urban Development Agency and the Establishment for the Renovation and Rehabilitation of the City of Tintane (ERRT). Thus, an institution will be created to which will be entrusted operational urban planning throughout the national territory, as well as constitute a technical structure for implementation and support-advice for local authorities. The objective is to create a new dynamic of urban development based on the Program for the Modernization and Extension of Cities and the Support Program for the Decentralization and Development of Intermediate Cities (MOUDOUN) co-financed by the World Bank.

  • - It will be a question of providing our cities with adequate urban frameworks and the necessary infrastructure to promote the attractiveness sought for a new dynamic of local development. This programme will be based on a medium-term strategy to take account of the new players in the regions and to seek the necessary synergies. Also, this program will take into account new dimensions such as sanitation and solid and liquid waste management in Nouakchott and Nouadhibou, the development and paving of urban roads in cities as well as the development of public squares and recreational parks.

  • - With regard to the HOUSING sector, a National Housing Strategy backed by adequate financing mechanisms and opening up broad new perspectives for real estate development will be drawn up as well as the regulatory texts relating to real estate development and the status of real estate agents, operators and intermediaries in land matters.

  • - The closure of the project to build 50 social housing units in local materials in selibaby, will allow feedback on which more ambitious projects will be based, particularly in the context of the implementation of the Localities Regroupment Program, the creation of new towns and the realization of road and public square development works in our main cities. In this context, a programme contract will be concluded with the Etablissement pour l’Execution des Travaux Realise en Materiaux Locales (ETR-ML).

  • - Also, a project to build 2000 economic housing units through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and affordable social housing construction projects will be launched.

  • - The building and public facilities, housing and urban planning sector implies the following strategic orientations by its context and its challenges:

  • - – Strengthening of urban planning and management documents and tools to improve access to land ownership (subdivision plans of regional capitals, cities and agglomerations of the country, (RGSU, subdivision plans, PLUs, etc.).

  • - – Real estate development through the servicing of plots and the construction of economical and affordable housing.

  • - – Establishment of a programme for the construction of buildings and public facilities and the strengthening of their maintenance and promotion of the use of local materials in construction.

  • - – Strengthening of urban control and control of construction, extension and maintenance operations of public buildings and facilities.

2) Strategic Lever 2: Human Capital Development and Access to Basic Social Services

This second strategic lever aims to improve the living conditions of the Mauritanian population (in terms of income, health, food security, social inclusion, etc.), to strengthen social cohesion and access to essential services such as education, as well as to promote the development of human capital capable of contributing effectively to the country’s economic growth and contributing to shared prosperity. These are: 1/ raising access to and quality of education and vocational training, 2/ improving the conditions of access to health services as well as 3/ promoting employment, youth, culture, and the resilience of the most vulnerable groups.

a) Project 4: Improving access to and quality of education and vocational training

Despite significant progress in terms of access to educational services and, to a certain extent, the availability and quality of infrastructure, the Mauritanian education system is still of low quality and does not meet the expected hopes of socio-economic development (the deficit in classrooms is more than 6000). This situation is reflected in a massification of young people who are under-trained and difficult to integrate into working life, in particular because of the mismatch between the training provided and the needs of the labour market. In addition, the drop-out rate is high: nearly 350,000 young people, aged 15 to 25, leave school without qualifications (United Nations Mauritania -2020). In the absence of an integrated education system connected to the modern labour market, these young people are doomed to marginality.

Indeed, the state of play of the Mauritanian education system shows a steady improvement in quantitative indicators (GER: 81.1%), on which the focus has been almost exclusively since the end of the 1980s. On the other hand, a constant deterioration has been observed, particularly in terms of qualitative indicators (nearly 96% of primary school teachers do not have the level required to work as teachers9, the pupil/teacher ratio is 47 (between 15 and 21 in OECD countries), with peaks of 80 in rural areas, 65% of schools remain incomplete, Only 9.3% of pre-school children are actually eligible10, nearly 350,000 young people, aged 15 to 25, leave school without qualifications, etc.). It is also observed that the inclusion of young migrants in the public education system remains mixed and that the low supply of preschool is mainly provided by the private sector.

  • - The main objective of the Mauritanian education system is to strengthen its quality and improve its access, which must also be generalized to the entire territory and populations, and in particular to women, whose access is much more restricted than for men, regardless of the age groups concerned as well as to the most vulnerable populations, where school enrolment rates are lower than average. The evaluation of the Strategy’s first Action Plan shows that results have been achieved in this area, despite a continuing disaffection of public education in favour of private education. There is also a decline in the level of teachers, and therefore of students, and a high attrition rate (34% of schoolchildren reach the first year of lower secondary education, of which only 12% reach the last year of the second cycle). In addition to all these dysfunctions, there is the inequality between the provision of education in urban and rural areas as well as that of access to education due to socio-economic factors, and in particular migration status and civil registration.

The multiple challenges of education in Mauritania range from i) strengthening the governance of the sector, which is currently disjointed and dispersed among several governmental and administrative structures, ii) investing a larger share of GDP in education (3.1% currently, the internationally agreed standard being 5.4%), iii) improving the quality of teachers, to the effectiveness of basic education for 10-year-olds, (iv) raising the quality and relevance of programmes, including at the level of higher education, vocational training and literacy, as well as the promotion of developing and inclusive scientific research. Hence, the educational approach must deal with various cycles and fields of education, in their interdependence and complementarity.

As part of this second Action Plan, Mauritania aims to have a better quality human capital equipped to contribute to sustainable development through, in particular, a higher level of education, more relevant in terms of training/employment match. The country’s ambition is to succeed in the in-depth reform of its education system to make school a tool of authenticity and progress.

In addition, the country plans to make pre-school education, reorganized and generalized, as well as original education and literacy: the basis of a republican school oriented towards quality and efficiency. The country also aspires to improve the internal and external quality and efficiency of primary, secondary and higher education, and to establish technical and vocational training capable of supporting the country’s development and creating effective bridges between original education and professional life.

To raise the quality of and access to education and make it a social ladder, the strategic orientations in this area are:

  • - Improvement of the public provision of pre-school, basic and secondary education (in terms of quality, quantity and compliance with standards) and increase in the capacity of the FTP.

  • - Development of access to basic and secondary education, particularly for the benefit of women and rural and vulnerable populations.

  • - Strengthening the institutional and administrative governance of basic, secondary and higher education, as well as the institutional management of the latter.

  • - Improvement of the legal and institutional framework, as well as of the monitoring and evaluation of original education and promotion of cooperation and communication in the service of the latter and literacy in general.

  • - Modernisation of the education sector, in particular through the promotion of digital and distance learning.

  • - Strengthening the involvement of socio-economic development actors and providing means to mobilize and increase the reception capacity to support the increase in the number of students.

  • - Improving the internal and external efficiency of higher education.

  • - Promotion of endogenous and inclusive research and development.

  • - Increased international cooperation in higher education and scientific research.

  • - Development and diversification of quality diploma and qualification training adapted to the country’s economic context, as well as varied and relevant literacy and non-formal education programmes, promoting peace and respect for differences.

  • - Capacity building and the establishment of the necessary bridges between original education and higher education or vocational training.

  • - Capacity building in terms of both quantitative and qualitative human resources (recruitment of teachers, training, etc.).

b) Project 5: Improving conditions of access to health services

As in other low- and middle-income countries, the health situation in Mauritania is characterized by an epidemiological transition. Indeed, although infectious diseases are still a public health problem, the burden of costly non-communicable diseases is becoming more and more important. The country’s health systems are poorly prepared for the prevention, diagnosis and management of these diseases. In addition, in recent years, Mauritania has also been facing the emergence of diseases with epidemic potential, most of which are zoonotic diseases, the management of which requires the establishment of a OneHealth platform (human, animal health and environment) operational at all levels.

In this context, the issue of improving the conditions of access to health services covers several sectors or areas of intervention, including nutrition, which have been the subject of a diagnosis in order to identify the main gaps and propose strategic orientations to address them.

As such, these are:

  • - Maternal, newborn, child and child health.

  • - Combating communicable and non-communicable diseases, including malnutrition.

  • - Health security, public health emergencies, and infection prevention and control.

  • - Medications, consumables and blood products.

  • - Universal health coverage.

Thus, overall, indicators measuring maternal, newborn, child and child health are on a downward trend, but it remains high compared to the objectives of the National Health Development Plan (PNDS) 2017–2020 and the SDGs. These indicators are also very disparate depending on the different regions.

According to the 2019 and 2020 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), the maternal, neonatal, infant and infant-child mortality rates are 454 per 100,000 NV, 22%o, 33%o and 41%o, respectively. The causes of death are diverse and varied, and for the most part preventable and treatable in the country. The rate of unattended childbirth in Mauritania also remains high.

Infectious diseases are still a public health problem in Mauritania, with high incidence and prevalence rates. The incidence rate of tuberculosis is 87 per 100,000 inhabitants, the AIDS epidemic has a high prevalence among key populations (PS, MSM, prisoners, etc.) and malaria is still endemic in eight wilayas of the country (South and East).

Noncommunicable diseases, long considered a problem in developed countries, are on the rise and add to the already high burden of poverty-related diseases.

In addition, in recent years, the country has faced the great challenge of managing public health emergencies, particularly with regard to diseases with epidemic potential such as dengue, covid-19, hemorrhagic fevers, and health risks related to floods, drought, etc.

Particular attention must be paid to public health emergency management, infection prevention and control capacities, although strengthened in the context of the management of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Regarding the part of drugs, consumables and blood products, it is characterized by low capacities at all levels leading to a problem of availability and quality. The reforms undertaken to clean up the sector must continue and be supported by a real will on the part of the State to guarantee access to quality health products as well as products for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition.

Universal health coverage also presents a problem of access to care, which varies between geographical areas and between categories of populations for various reasons, including poor protection against the financial risks associated with the disease (15% of the population is covered by health insurance).

The inclusion of transhumant, nomadic and migrant populations in public health policies must remain a priority. This includes adapting services to the social particularities of some communities, such as nomadic communities, and removing financial barriers to access for others.

Health governance is therefore characterized by a weak capacity for leadership at all levels due, among other things, to an inadequacy of the texts and normative framework of the health system.

The overall vision of the sector is to have a healthy and productive population that contributes to economic growth and national development, with the objectives of:

  • - Increase the level of public resources allocated to the health sector to 12% of the general state budget by 2025.

  • - To improve motivating factors and in particular the salary conditions of medical staff.

  • - Reduce the maternal mortality ratio from 454 to less than 140 per 100,000 live births

  • - To reduce neonatal and infant mortality to no more than 12 per 1,000 live births and to 25 per 1,000 live births at most, respectively.

  • - End the epidemic of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases.

  • - Halve, through prevention and treatment, the burden of noncommunicable diseases.

  • - Ensure that everyone, regardless of legal status, has health insurance, including protection against financial risks and providing access to quality essential health services and safe, effective, quality and affordable medicines and vaccines.

  • - The sector’s vision must also include zero tolerance for GBV (gender-based violence) and access to comprehensive quality care for survivors of GBV (rape, FGM, ME and FO).

In order to be able to respond to these issues, specific strategic orientations have been defined and remain dependent, in part, on the establishment of quality health infrastructures that meet international standards.

  • - Reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality through interventions focused on: safer motherhood, newborn care, birth spacing, improving the health and nutritional status of adolescents and young people, combating gender-based violence, combating gynecological cancers, combating anaemia and improving access to maternal health for all women, including migrant women.

  • - Reduction of infant and child mortality through interventions aimed at improving vaccination coverage, ensuring the prevention and management of malnutrition and promoting the Integrated Management of Childhood Diseases. These measures can be deployed as part of an emergency obstetric and neonatal care network with an effective referral and counterreferral system. Emphasis will also be placed on scaling up proven health and nutrition interventions, integration of services and the community level.

  • - Addressing communicable diseases through strategies to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, treatment and addressing barriers to access to care for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases.

  • - Fight against non-communicable diseases through targeted interventions on diseases with common risk factors (cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic lung diseases and diabetes), road accidents, mental health including psychosocial support for mothers/caregivers of sick children including malnourished children and oral health.

  • - Management of public health emergencies through strategies to strengthen preparedness and response capacities at all levels, the establishment of a collaborative framework for preparedness and response to health and nutrition crises, and the strengthening of epidemiological surveillance, including zoonotic diseases according to the One Health approach.

  • - Continuation of the reforms undertaken to strengthen: the capacities of the regulator, storage capacities at both the central and regional levels, the capacities of the national quality control laboratory, the availability of blood products, transfusion safety as well as reproductive health products, the fight against smuggling and falsified medicines

  • - Implementation of the roadmap drawn up at the end of the WHO mission to Mauritania to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage, which will also have to take into account populations that are often marginalized in access to health, such as migrant populations, especially people in an irregular situation, and Mauritanian populations who are not registered in the civil registry or who belong to nomadic groups.

  • - Continuation of the reforms undertaken by the sector in order to have a regulatory base strengthening its organization as well as the various standards and procedures for the management of human and financial resources, service delivery, coordination and monitoring and evaluation. The power of regulators at all levels will be strengthened as well as technical and logistical capacities with the promotion of a culture of results.

c) Project 6: Promotion of employment, youth, culture and resilience of the most vulnerable groups

This project of the second SCAPP Action Plan is of paramount importance since it deals with several strategic aspects:

  • (i) “Employment for all and promotion of youth, culture and sport” which covers two interventions: (a) “Promotion of productive employment and decent work for all” and (b) “Promotion of culture, youth and sports”.

  • (ii) “Better resilience of the most vulnerable groups” which covers: (a) “Social protection, equality, gender, children and family” and (b) “Improving food security”

Indeed, the youth, who constitute a large part of the population, represent the future of the nation’s human capital. In addition, employment is the engine of growth and social inclusion par excellence. Finally, social protection and resilience as well as food security are the necessary foundations for reducing inequalities. They also serve to develop a sense of security, equity and social justice among the population as a whole and the well-being of individuals, while promoting their development and offering them better prospects for the future. Several interventions were thus the subject of analyses and strategic orientations.

  • Intervention 6.1: Promotion of productive employment and decent work

This area of intervention is at the heart of the various policies of the State and its development partners. Indeed, access to employment for all is a major factor in the fight against precariousness and the participation of human capital in economic growth, through the creation of added value, but also through the stimulation of the market through the income acquired.

The National Employment Strategy (NES) 2019–2030, adopted by the Government in June 2019, in line with the SCAPP (2016–2030) proposes as its overall objective: “ productive employment and decent work for all and promoting employment as a vector for sharing prosperity

The analysis of the employment context in Mauritania is worrying because it is characterized by a level of unemployment (12.2% in 2019 according to the EPCV) accentuated by significant disparities related to age, gender (only 24.5% of women aged 15–64 actively participate in the production of goods and services in the country), place of residence (urban or rural), social status. The demographic weight of the young population is high and its massive influx into the market is favoured by low school retention (nearly 50,000 young people per year). The inadequacy of citizen training and a national economic performance dependent on the extractive sector, which provides 30% of budget revenues and 70% of exports, are also major obstacles to employment opportunities (89.2% of which is dominated by the informal sector).

The main challenges of this sector are to establish (i) a legal and institutional framework conducive to its development (which affects the public and private sectors), (ii) to stimulate the national economy by promoting its diversification and entrepreneurship in strategic sectors, (iii) to strengthen retention in the school system in order to reduce the weight of newcomers on the labour market and (iv) to support the population in its integration vocational (in particular through access to training, the promotion of the employability of the unemployed, the gradual formalisation of key sectors, etc.).

The strategic orientations of the second SCAPP Action Plan are based on:

  • - Supporting sectoral policies through employment policies by working on transversality so that they are applicable to all sectors

  • - The strengthening of public employment and integration services in order to provide the necessary institutional basis for their promotion and the inspection of working conditions to avoid exploitation or trafficking.

  • - The development of the employment governance framework in order to improve the management of policies and strategies relating to it.

  • - The gradual formalization of key sectors such as petty trade, fishing or self-employed trades (plumbing, housekeeping, electricity, etc.) in order to improve the protection and safety of workers and the economic contribution of the sectors to the overall development of the country.

    • Intervention 6.2: Promotion and protection of youth

According to the latest General Population and Housing Census (2013), the under-35s represent 70% of the population, which requires a better response to the expectations of the youth, who symbolize the future of the country, within the framework of an integrated and systematic approach. Indeed, the age groups included in this segment of the population (10–14 years old; 15–24 years old and 25–34 years old), require specific responses to meet their needs according to their place of residence, school curriculum and gender, etc.

The National Youth, Sports and Leisure Strategies (SNJSL) (2011–2015 and 2016–2020) have undertaken major projects in the areas of employment, infrastructure, the financing mechanism (1% of customs revenues) and protection against inequalities. Overall, the results remained mixed in terms of the achievement of the ambitious objectives of youth development and their responsible participation in economic and social development.

The situation of young people is worrying and characterized by the prevalence of unemployment, the lack of training and professional integration, the inadequacy of socio-educational infrastructure, the very low level of involvement in the process of elaborating, implementing and evaluating programmes and actions concerning them, and exposure to many ills (AIDS, irregular migration, drug addiction, etc.). drugs, banditry, religious fundamentalism, violence and terrorism).

The main challenges of youth promotion are characterised by their cross-cutting nature with other sectors. In particular, it is a question of ensuring that these young people receive quality education and vocational and technical training, promoting their employment and their economic and social integration as well as the development of socio-educational infrastructures for their benefit (stadiums, theatres, youth centres, etc.). In order to protect the country’s young people as well as young migrants residing in Mauritania, it is also necessary to provide them with adequate supervision and awareness of any deviance in order to make them full citizens in the country’s development work and therefore a responsible vanguard. This can be done in particular by promoting the practice of sport and culture as vectors of both physical and mental health, including the gender dimension.

The strategic directions of the second CSAPP Action Plan are as follows:

  • - Socio-economic inclusion of young people for citizen participation in decision-making and fulfilment within society and the fight against inequalities in access to education and employment by taking into account the gender dimension.

  • - Protection and training of young people, who constitute a real pool of resources to be maintained in order to enable them to enjoy their full potential and to preserve them from deviance that is harmful to their health and to society as a whole.

  • - Promotion of an operational framework for raising awareness among the population for better development of youth, sport and culture as well as a strengthening of local structures for young people while adapting them to the specific needs of women.

  • - Promotion of social cohesion through the inclusion of migrant youth in state programmes.

    • Intervention 6.3: Strengthening social protection

The vulnerability of populations and their resilience still remain a major challenge, particularly in rural areas but also among urban populations in peripheral neighbourhoods according to the various “EPCV” surveys carried out since 1988, despite policies and programmes to combat poverty. The results of the 2019–2020 LCPS confirm this by identifying the main social, spatial and inequalities related to poverty as well as the determinants of poverty. Poverty and extreme poverty are major challenges for rural areas (41.2%) compared to 14.4% in urban areas and are differentiated by wilaya: Guidimakha (48.6%), Tagant (45%), Brakna (41.1%) and Assaba (39.4%). These wilayas concentrate 43.1% of the country’s poor, i.e. more than 4 out of 10 households.

The first National Social Protection Strategy (SNPS) adopted in 2012 for the period 2012–2021 reflects the Government’s commitment to a long-term vision for the gradual creation of a coherent and integrated social protection system, based on: i) national values of solidarity; (ii) the principles of equity and social justice, and (iii) the rights of citizens.

The assessment of the implementation of this strategy, which has covered 10 years, has not yet been carried out. Among the weaknesses of this strategy is the absence of a monitoring and evaluation system and action planning. On the other hand, there are several lessons to be learned, to mention only the variety of dimensions and axes of social protection, including: (i) food security, nutrition, environment and climate change; (ii) access to health services and education; (iii) social, labour and employment security; (iv) the improvement of the living environment and (v) social assistance and the promotion of vulnerable groups.

These dimensions are currently taken care of by several government institutions (Ministries: Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Environment and Sustainable Development, CSA, Health, Education, Ministries of Labour, Employment, Economy, MASEF and General Delegation for National Solidarity and the Fight against Exclusion: Taazour).

Several opportunities are currently available to ensure the updating and implementation of the NSPS, including:

  • - The commitments of the President of the Republic in the field of social protection.

  • - The development orientations and approaches followed during the years 2020 and 2021, which gave quite encouraging results in the sense that the budgets of these two years were more sensitive to social protection and that the results recorded were among the most convincing.

  • - The diversity of social safety nets (social protection programs and projects) with great potential for articulation in terms of targeting beneficiaries and geographical areas.

  • - The existence of a social register that serves as a one-stop shop for social protection.

The first pillar is the Social Registry (SR) which is a fundamental database in Social Protection, particularly in terms of identifying potential beneficiaries and targeting for social programs. Housed within the General Delegation of Taazour, the Social Registry aims to provide as much information as possible on poor and vulnerable households, on poverty in all localities of the country but also on the state of these localities in terms of basic services, economic activity and associative life.

The creation of the SR as a comprehensive database on poor and vulnerable households will allow governmental and non-governmental partners to accurately define the target population for their social interventions. The SR is currently deployed throughout the national territory and its data is used by various stakeholders in the field of Social Protection.

The second element is the National Social Transfer Program Tekavoul. It is a conditional cash transfer program. A flagship programme for social protection in Mauritania, it is also under the responsibility of the General Delegation. Taazour targets households in extreme poverty and is based on a combination of quarterly cash transfers with social promotion activities aimed at adopting positive behaviours related to essential family practices and investing in early childhood development. In its first phase completed at the end of 2020, the Programme supported more than 30,000 beneficiary households, selected from the Social Register, with payments of MRU 1,500 per household per quarter.

For its second phase, an extension of the Programme has been decided by the Government to cover the 100,000 households that constitute the extreme quantile of poverty of the population and gradually increase the aid distributed to households to reach 3,600 MRU. A process has also been initiated by Taazour to provide all members of households in Tekavoul with free health insurance.

Another important tool of Social Protection is that of the shock response system. Indeed, food insecurity and poverty threaten many households in both urban and rural areas due to shocks related to climate change and disasters. Among the elements of the response to these shocks is a short-term social safety net program based on cash transfers (El Maouna). With the specific objective of supporting the most vulnerable populations affected by drought during the lean season, this Program annually benefits thousands of households that are food insecure (27,000 households in 2021).

However, challenges arise in the face of this implementation, namely:

  • - Weak coordination and monitoring of implementation.

  • - The weak delineation of the notion of vulnerability and the absence of an information system capable of identifying vulnerable households and individuals.

  • - The diversity of social protection programs and projects that constitute social safety nets with little synergy or even a lack of articulation both in terms of targeting vulnerable groups and areas covered.

In addition, child protection is of major interest in Mauritania and is the subject of various interventions. The assessment of the department’s action in favor of children covered the establishment and formation of coordination committees, with the revision and translation into national languages of the image box on child protection, the launch of the project to strengthen the Child Protection System and the renewal of the children’s parliament. made up of 122 girls and boys in respect of gender parity, which is considered to be a forum for the expression of the latter, as well as for learning democratic practices, citizenship and participation. Other actions carried out include the launch of the process of developing standard operating procedures for the management of child protection cases, the development and presentation to the Council of Ministers of the National Child Protection Strategy focused on the prevention of all forms of abuse and the protection of children’s rights based on regional and local response mechanisms, ...

Despite the convincing results of the various actions previously carried out, efforts still need to be made to support the large part of the population that is still vulnerable, with the main challenge of improving their protection and resilience and ensuring that they derive maximum benefit from the fruits of growth through appropriate and inclusive social protection (particularly for migrants and their children) and by improving their food security.

The strategic orientations of the second SCAPP Action Plan are as follows:

  • - Improvement of the framework for national solidarity and the fight against exclusion by mobilizing all actors against poverty, social exclusion and the reduction of disparities in all their forms

  • - Ensuring transparency, effectiveness, and inclusiveness of social protection programs, including for migrant populations legally residing in Mauritania, and establishing a social safety net based on well-articulated social safety nets in terms of beneficiary targeting, geographic coverage, and nutrition-sensitive coverage.

  • - Strengthening the safeguarding of the family and the well-being of all its members, especially children, by working to provide them with a stable social environment conducive to their fulfilment.

  • - Development of social assistance and promotion programmes for the most vulnerable groups, including indigent people living with chronic diseases, people with disabilities and people vulnerable to malnutrition (pregnant and breastfeeding women, children under 2 years old)

  • - Strengthening the institutional capacities of the structures for the implementation of the various programmes by setting up a solid institutional framework facilitating the deployment of the various national policies and strategies (in particular the implementation of the SCRAPP by giving priority to the category of wilayas with the highest poverty lines).

  • - Improvement of the empowerment of women, who are still an under-exploited resource in Mauritania and who constitute a considerable lever for action for the country’s development while strengthening their socio-economic inclusion.

  • - Adaptation of social protection policies to all socio-economic categories, including nomadic and transhumant populations.

  • - Implementation of actions focused on capturing the demographic dividend as a bridge to social well-being and equity.

  • - Taking into account international, regional and national commitments in this area.

  • - Improvement of the coordination of services and actors involved in the field of social protection (education, justice, health, etc.).

  • - Strengthening data collection on the protection and well-being of children.

    • Intervention 6.4: Strengthening food and nutrition security

Mauritania faces many challenges in terms of food security and nutrition, due to (i) a low rate of food self-sufficiency, resulting in particular from cereal production covering only 20 to 50% of needs, (ii) a prevalence of poverty (particularly in rural areas), (iii) a high dependence of agricultural production on climatic hazards and impacts on the living conditions of rural households. Indeed, the annual rates of household food insecurity (30% during the lean season and 20% during the post-harvest period) and those of global acute malnutrition among young children reach 10%. The number of people recorded as food insecure sometimes reaches peaks of 800,000 people.

The results of the 2019/2020 EPCV on this insecurity, calculated on the basis of the FIES11 indicator, developed by the FAO, give higher rates: 43.9% of households are concerned, of which 36.9% are moderate and 7% are severe. There are also significant differences between the areas of residence (urban, rural) and between the Wilayas.

In Mauritania, 17% of children under 5 years of age suffer from chronic malnutrition, including 3.7% in its severe form (SMART Survey 2021). The prevalence rate of Global Chronic Malnutrition (GCM) exceeds the threshold of 20% in six wilayas of the country, between 20 and 30%. These include Hodh Echarghi, 28.5%, Hodh El Gharbi, 22.8%, Guidimakha, 22.2%, Assaba, 21.6%, Gorgol, 21.5%, and the Northern Wilayas (Adrar, Inchiri and Tirs Zemmour), 21.5%.

Underweight affects 15.8% of children under 5 years of age, 2.7% of whom are severely underweight. Malnutrition is associated with more than 45% of the number of deaths observed each year worldwide in children under 5 years of age. In addition, about one in ten children under 5 years of age (11.1%) is acutely malnourished, 1.9% of whom are severely malnourished. Knowing that this prevalence is at a critical level, according to WHO standards, in 05 Wilayas (MAG >15 and/or MAS >2%), including Guidimakha, Assaba, HEG, Gorgol and Brakna.

The infant and young child feeding situation also remains worrying due to the persistence of certain practices that are harmful to good nutrition, according to the latest DHS. For example, less than half of infants before the age of six months are exclusively breastfed (41%) and only a fifth of children aged 6 to 23 months receive adequate complementary feeding. Low birth weight newborns account for 37% of children and only 3% of the population consumes iodized salt. Anemia affects nearly 77% of children under 5 years and 56% of women of childbearing age. Also, the consumption of iodized salt by households remains very low (18%) according to SMART 2018.

The fundamental challenge in this area of intervention is to respond effectively and in a timely manner to situations of food insecurity and vulnerability resulting from the climatic context and the various constraints relating to the different dimensions of food security and nutrition. In its desire to make investment in human capital more efficient by drastically reducing the rate of malnutrition in all its forms, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania has made strong commitments to the development of nutrition and food security in the perspective of the 2030 Agenda.

These include:

  • - Promote an efficient, resilient, inclusive and sustainable food system where the entire population, especially its most vulnerable groups, has access to healthy, nutritious food in sufficient quantities at all times;

  • - Strengthen political commitment and social participation for improved nutrition at the country level, using policy dialogue and advocacy in a multi-sectoral framework;

  • - Strengthen the inclusion of nutrition in relevant national strategies, policies, action plans and programmes and adapt domestic financial resources accordingly; and

  • - Strengthen infant and young child feeding, promote the fight against micronutrient deficiencies and the treatment of acute malnutrition (moderate/severe).

To meet the challenge of eliminating malnutrition in all its forms by 2030, the transformation of food, health, social protection, and water, hygiene and sanitation systems is necessary. It is also important to focus on the fight against undernutrition and also to curb the epidemics of obesity and diet-related diseases to strengthen human capital. To do this, the country must prioritize meeting the nutritional needs of its most vulnerable populations. Meeting this development challenge requires coherent action beyond the health sector, as good health and sustainable development cannot be achieved without good nutrition.

As part of its second Action Plan, the SCAPP therefore intends to establish an efficient, accessible and equitable system for the development of nutrition and food security. This system, which will aim to satisfy the right to good nutrition of all Mauritanians, especially the most vulnerable, will be established as a strategic development axis. This strategic objective reflects the priority given to achieving SDG 2 which aims to end hunger, ensure food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture, as well as SDG 3 (ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages).

To this end, the second SCAPP Action Plan has put in place the following strategic orientations:

  • - Promotion of a profitable, diversified rural and peri-urban economy adapted to climate change and implementation of a policy for the promotion of traditional crops (subsidies and/or guaranteed prices);

  • - Improvement of intra-national, cross-border and regional trade and trade channels through the establishment of a national value chain capable of meeting the various food security needs:

  • - Sustainable improvement of access for vulnerable groups, particularly children under 2 years of age, pregnant and breastfeeding women and populations in rural and urban areas, to a diversified, healthy and balanced diet;

  • - Strengthening mechanisms for the prevention and management of food and nutrition emergencies at the central and decentralized levels, by acquiring the capacity to predict and protect against potential crises;

  • - Promotion of good governance of food security in a process of decentralization and local development;

  • - Promotion of quality food and nutrition practices in Mauritania (quality culinary and nutritional model to be generalized in the country through CSA programs), strengthening of Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) through the implementation of the IYCF 2017 – 2026 scale-up plan as well as the fight against micronutrient deficiencies;

  • - Optimization of nutrition governance, including the implementation of the CNDN (National Council for Nutrition Development) as part of the scaling up of nutrition activities (SUN) in Mauritania. This strengthening of governance must be accompanied by generalization of coverage of CRENAM12, CRENAS13 and CRENI14 and prevention of malnutrition, including functional nutrition and community education (multisectoral mechanisms and networks);

  • - Implementation of the National Mechanism for the Prevention and Response to Food and Nutrition Crises (DCAN) with the creation of a National Fund for the Response to Food and Nutrition Crises (FNRCAN) to finance emergency situations;

  • - Establishment of a national food security stock to avoid stock-outs, extravagant price increases and speculation accompanied by a revitalization of the Village Food Security Stocks (SPACs), including stocks of nutritional inputs for the treatment of cases of acute malnutrition. ;

  • - Creation of a permanent emergency food aid transport brigade, with a strengthening of the logistics and transport capacities of the CSA; and

  • - Regular and continuous renovation of the TEMWIN Programme to increase its supply capacity and reorganise the targeting of beneficiaries for the benefit of the most vulnerable sections of the population.

In the area of nutrition, the targets targeted through these guidelines are: (i) the reduction of the prevalence of acute malnutrition from 11.1% in 2021 to at least 5% in 2025, (ii) the reduction of the prevalence of stunting (chronic malnutrition) from 17% in 2021 to at least 14% in 2025, (iii) the rate of exclusive breastfeeding increases from 41% in 2019 to at least 55% in 2025, (iv) the rate of children aged 6 to 23 months who receive adequate complementary feeding will increase from 21.7% in 2021 to at least 35% in 2025.

3) Strategic Lever 3: Strengthening governance in all its dimensions

This third strategic lever aims to lay the foundations for governance at the level of all territories, capable of providing the Mauritanian economy and society with a framework for institutional development in line with its socio-economic development potential, while strengthening it, and of including all representative categories of civil society (in particular women, ...). This objective will be achieved by stakeholders in three sectors or areas of action: 1/ Political governance, security and decentralization, 2/ Human rights, justice and citizen control of public action 3/ Administrative, economic and financial governance and Capture of the demographic dividend.

a) Working Group 7: Political Governance, Security and Decentralization

In the context of strengthening the country’s governance in all its dimensions, political governance, security and decentralization are cross-cutting subjects of intervention with equally converging challenges and issues materialized in the difficulty of intersectoral dialogue and the low availability of human and financial resources. These topics of intervention are divided into the following eight main areas: improving political governance, strengthening the means of defence and security forces, building sustainable peace and social cohesion, protecting young people against radicalisation and violent extremism, managing migration and refugees, regional planning, decentralization and civil status.

  • Intervention 7.1: Improving political governance

Good governance is essential to optimize the management of the various aspects necessary for the functioning of the country. With its serene political climate, Mauritania is in favour of improving its political governance despite the many challenges it faces.

Its environment is made up of 25 recognised parties, and more than 7000 civil society organisations (which, despite their number, are poorly represented in the political debate). The President has also committed himself to strengthening the institutions of the Republic and a national political dialogue is already being organized, with a search for consensus and appeasement of the debate around the following themes: education, political alternation, slavery and its aftermath, humanitarian liability, economy, governance, etc.

Despite the many reforms that have taken place, such as the revision of the law on the promotion of women’s access to electoral mandates and elective functions, the establishment of a council of the institution of the democratic opposition or the adoption of Law No. 2021–004 on Associations, Foundations and Networks, allowing a better legal framework for the latter, Many legal and institutional aspects still need to be reformed and/or reorganized. Indeed, many institutional overlaps remain within the Mauritanian model, and democratic values are still poorly integrated, as are transparency and accessibility to information (mainly for civil society).

All of these elements make it possible to draw up an assessment of the main challenges to be overcome in order to improve this governance, which mainly revolve around the need to strengthen institutions and the political integration of young people and women, but also to institutionalize quality political dialogue, to improve the governance of parties and associations and finally to put in place a framework for access to information for civil society.

In order to respond to these issues but also to all the other problems encountered within the community, the strategic orientations of the second SCAPP Action Plan are organized as follows:

  • - Formulation and implementation of a charter of good governance for political parties and associations to which all institutions and actors must refer in the exercise of their functions.

  • - Strengthening transparency in governance through the establishment of accountability and reporting, which should act as control mechanisms, to ensure the proper management of public resources.

  • - Promotion and support of women’s and young people’s access to the decision-making process.

  • - Strengthening of institutions in terms of capacity and effectiveness through numerous measures related to legislative frameworks (implementation of framework laws and ensuring compliance with existing laws), human framework (in terms of resources and training) and infrastructural framework (modernization of equipment).

  • - Support for the participation of civil society in terms of resources made available to it, the allocation of budgets, and the strengthening of the regulatory framework giving it access to information through the implementation of a law.

  • - Taking into account the protection of personal data, by putting in place appropriate legislation and strengthening the security of systems (bureaucratic and IT).

    • Intervention 7.2: Strengthening of the defence and security forces

The defence and security forces are responsible for the security of the State and society (security of goods and people, terrorism, cross-border crime, drug trafficking, border security, firearms trafficking, human trafficking, etc.). Strengthening their capacity is of vital interest to the country, in order to combat external and internal threats and to guarantee peace and social cohesion.

In the case of Mauritania, the latter require more resources (financial, human and technical) in order to better carry out their missions. However, the powers granted to these entities must be accompanied by responsibilities, including towards citizens and their rights, in order to prevent all forms of abuse and to establish a framework of trust between them and the population.

These are the main issues addressed by the orientations of the Second Action Plan of the SCAPP, which are articulated as follows:

  • - Re-estimation of the resources granted to the armed forces and law enforcement forces with the aim of promoting their action.

  • - Reform and modernization of the national security services in order to ensure peace, security and public order, maintaining a rapid and appropriate response throughout the country in the areas of prevention, relief and risk management, disasters and emergencies.

  • - Progress on the effective implementation of Laws 17/2020 and 18/2020 on combating trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, including in the aspects of identification and prosecution of criminals, disarticulation of networks and protection of victims.

  • - Raising awareness of human rights among the armed forces and law enforcement agencies, especially of children and women, while strengthening the application of sanctions in case of abuses.

  • - Promulgation of a military or defence forces programming law (resources that the country intends to devote to security and defence over a long period, with the requirement of transparency and accountability).

    • Intervention 7.3: Sustaining peace and social cohesion

Social cohesion and peace are essential pillars for building a future and common development based on shared values, in the interest of all, leaving no one behind.

The development of social cohesion and peace requires taking into account different dimensions, in particular those of young people, women, and all vulnerable segments of the population (those who suffer from poverty, those who still carry the scars of the past, etc.) through the establishment of governance structures at the village level (village committees) that are put in touch with the local authorities.

In order to meet the challenges of building this peaceful society, which is organized around the strengthening of social cohesion and the fight against exclusion as well as the prevention of conflicts for lasting peace, a budget of 20 billion SRMs has been mobilized for national solidarity and numerous commitments made by the government, and in line with those already taken by the President of the Republic, with a view to strengthening the empowerment of women and their involvement in the country’s development, in particular through the introduction of a gender-sensitive budget in planning and the application of the principle of inclusion by allocating resources to leave no one behind, via, among others, the establishment of a National Agency for the Financing of the Social and Solidarity Economy.

It is in order to address the obstacles that hinder the establishment of this cohesion (erosion of civic responsibility within society, great frustration among young people, strong socio-economic inequalities, low funding, still heavy humanitarian liabilities, after-effects of slavery, etc.) that the second SCAPP Action Plan has adopted the following guidelines:

  • - Enhancement of the right to legal identity and belonging to the nation, through the establishment of a legislative framework and a monitoring system to ensure that all citizens have access to civil status, especially respectful of the right of children to an identity, regardless of the status of their parents.

  • - Protection of children and their fundamental rights in a framework of the fight against precariousness, injustice and abuse, with an inclusive approach of all children in the territory.

  • - Implementation of a strategy of reconciliation and social justice with the aim of creating an easing of tensions between populations and a system of compensation for past damages.

  • - Empowerment of girls and women to strengthen their place in society, through access to education and the right to property.

  • - Conflict prevention and management, through the valorization of endogenous mechanisms, in particular through the resumption at the level of village committees that have proven their effectiveness in Hodh Chargui and Guidimakha

  • - Strengthening social assistance through an empowerment approach rather than a welfare approach to support the most disadvantaged and vulnerable segments of society.

    • Intervention 7.4: Protection of youth from radicalization and violent extremism

In Mauritania, 57% of the population is under 20 years old and 47% of people between 15 and 24 years old are unemployed with a high dropout rate. Mauritanian youth are facing many dangers and frustration that encourage them to fall into radicalization and violent extremism.

Mauritania has implemented an approach to deradicalizing young people, based on dialogue, moderation and the tradition of tolerance in accordance with the precepts of the Maliki Rite. This approach has already been successful thanks to the help of ulema who have served as mediators to prevent deviations among young people.

In addition, the G5 Sahel has developed a regional reference framework for the formulation of national strategies for the prevention of violent extremism for the Sahel countries.

The main challenges that should be addressed in this area are improving the resilience of young people, mobilizing social, cultural and religious capital, and strengthening the capacities of actors in the prevention of radicalization and violent extremism.

It is in this context that the Second Action Plan of the SCAPP has adopted the following orientations:

  • - Regulation and monitoring of Koranic learning structures and the people who teach in them in order to guarantee the granting of quality education without excesses that ensures the professional integration of young people.

  • - Strengthening the resilience of young people through related programs and training aimed at better integrating and preparing these young people for working life through vocational training, access to the labor market and support for self-employment.

  • - Involvement and support of actors in the prevention of radicalization and violent extremism.

    • Intervention 7.5: Effective management of migrants and refugees

In terms of the management of migrants (foreigners or Mauritanians migrating abroad) and refugees, progress has been made by Mauritania at the legislative level (updated laws on trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, nationality law, better management of migratory flows, better reception of refugees, etc.). IOM15-ONS Pilot Survey on Migrant Profiles, EU16-IOM Joint Initiative for the Protection and Reintegration of Migrants in Mauritania, etc.). During the revision of the action plan of the National Migration Management Strategy (SNGM), emphasis was placed on management that is more in line with human rights and the requirements of international conventions in the field, in particular by taking into account the protection of migrants, the fight against trafficking and smuggling and the commitment of the Mauritanian diaspora to the country’s development.

The migrant population is estimated in 2021 at 120,296 individuals in the cities of Nouakchott17 and Nouadhibou18 alone, including 105,264 in Nouakchott. The number of refugees amounted to nearly 75,294, including 68,825 Malian refugees living in and around the Mbera camp and 6,469 refugees settled mainly in the major urban centres (Nouakchott, Nouadhibou). In addition, a group of 2222 refugees arrived from Mali in 2021. In addition to these figures, there are 3,197 asylum seekers in urban centres. Irregular migration movements to Morocco or the Canary Islands increased in 2020 and 2021, with serious humanitarian consequences.

Migration management also presents many challenges and opportunities for cross-border peace in the Sahel. Mauritania, like most countries in the sub-region, does not have a cross-border strategic reference in the country-country frameworks, which makes it impossible to align cross-border peacebuilding investments with the country’s objectives, to measure their impacts, and to hinder the anchoring of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS). The integration of this dimension will promote cooperation between countries in cross-border peacebuilding and the integration of cross-border strategies into their respective development plans.

As for Mauritanians living abroad, the state attaches great importance to the involvement of the diaspora in the country’s development. The latter has a major contribution in the care of their families back home through remittances. The remittances made by migrants need to be better channelled to benefit the country’s development, in terms of formalisation of circuits, transfer costs and investment opportunities.

The diagnosis of the current context makes it possible to highlight three major challenges to the project, which are the promotion of the fundamental rights of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, the involvement of the Mauritanian diaspora in the economic, social and cultural development of the country and finally the continued inclusion of refugees in national systems and in development dynamics as well as the implementation of the country’s commitments (in particular those made during the Global Refugee Forum).

In order to be able to respond to this, the second SCAPP Action Plan has adopted the following strategic orientations:

  • - Establishment of an institutional anchor relating to migration management taking into account the achievements of the National Migration Management Strategy (SNGM) developed in 2010 and implemented since 2011.

  • - Promoting the rights of migrants and refugees through the continued implementation of: (a) commitments made at the Global Refugee Forum (including the strengthening of the framework for the asylum, access to the labor market and health services on an equal footing with nationals, and the registration of all refugees by civil registry services) and (b) the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (including through the granting of residence permits and work permits to migrants).

  • - Development of a national migration management strategy that takes into account the various economic, legal, social and security dimensions for the management of migration, including circular migration and transhumant populations.

  • - Strengthening the presence abroad of qualified staff at embassies and consulates in order to better understand and engage the Mauritanian diaspora and integrate it into the country’s economic development.

    • Intervention 7.6: Active land use planning policy

In terms of land use planning, Mauritania has undertaken several measures to increase the efficiency of the latter. In particular, the country has set up regional toponymy commissions in all the wilayas of the country, has hired the National Company for Agricultural Development and Works to benefit from its contributions on the subject of land use planning and has ensured the revitalization of the national observatory of land use planning in order to ensure regular monitoring and evaluation. Rigorous and accurate data to obtain the necessary data to assist decision-making in this focus area.

In the same context, the MHUAT will proceed over the period 2021–2025, with the implementation of reforms aimed at implementing the implementing texts of the framework law on territorial planning, with a view to defining its tools and means of action, in particular the national territorial development plan (SNAT) and its regional variations (SRAT). The extent of spatial and social inequalities, as well as the low competitiveness of socio-collective infrastructures, are at the origin of the implementation of the National Programme for the Grouping of Localities. This programme will be intensified in order to contribute effectively to maximising the impacts of the “CHEILA” Programme implemented by TAAZOUR.

In carrying out this policy, the MHUAT will also pay all the attention required to the development of cartography, as an essential element in the exercise of sovereignty and an essential tool for spatial planning and development planning. In this context, it will work on the definition and implementation of a National Strategy for Cartography and Topography, aiming, among other things, at the development of a multi-scale mapping.

However, the estate still lacks financial resources that hinder its development. It still suffers from land speculation and suffers from a lack of legal, regulatory and institutional framework. This context means that the field is faced with challenges of strengthening access to social housing that can be achieved through the implementation and promotion of the “Dari” housing program, the modernization of the poorest municipalities and Adouabas via the “CHEILA” program and the monitoring of the proper implementation of the Five-Year Action Plan of the Ministry of Housing, of Urban Planning and Regional Planning. Thus, and in order to optimize Mauritanian land use planning and guarantee equitable access to housing for the population, this area of intervention will articulate its strategic orientations as follows:

  • - Acceleration of the application of laws and decrees relating to land use planning.

  • - Implementation and strengthening of land use planning management tools (SNAT, SRAT, etc.), in order to achieve effective and optimal management.

  • - Improvement of the population’s access to basic social services and structuring infrastructure;

  • - Reduction of regional disparities;

  • - Fixing populations in their territory and fighting against anarchic sedentarization;

  • - Establishment of a national geographic institute;

  • - Modernization and updating of the mapping;

  • - Development of a multi-scale mapping;

  • - Development of a national strategy for sedentarization;

  • - Establishment of a national planimetric and altimetry geodetic network;

  • - Creation of the toponymic database of the NKTT region (2020–2021);

  • - Creation of the geographical toponymic information system of the municipality of Tevragh-zeina;

  • - The extraction of thematic toponymic maps of the commune of Tevragh-Zeina;

  • - Realization of the toponymic inventory of the places of the willayas of brakna, ghuidimagha and Gorgol;

  • - Realization of the toponymic GIS of the cities of Nema and Selibabi;

  • - Realization of a toponymic inventory of traditional life in rural Mauritania.

    • Intervention 7.7: Effectiveness of decentralization and local development

Composed of 15 wilayas, 58 moughataas, and 219 communes, Mauritania still suffers from great territorial disparities between its different regions in terms of development. Recent developments in the areas of decentralization, deconcentration and local development have focused on:

  • - The adoption of the Organic Law on the Region No. 2018–010 of 12 February 2018;

  • - The development of a National Strategy for Decentralization and Local Development (SNDDL) in 2018;

  • - The establishment of a National Council for Decentralization;

  • - The development of Regional Strategies for Accelerated Growth and Shared Prosperity (SCRAPP) for several regions;

  • - Implementation of actions to support decentralization and local development, including the PNIDDLE, PAGOURDEL, etc. ;

The strategic orientations that derive from the context and challenges in the field of decentralization, deconcentration and local development are articulated as follows:

  • - Better coordination between the actors of decentralisation, deconcentration and local development, in particular in application of the principle of subsidiarity.

  • - Acceleration of the transfer of skills and resources to the different levels of local authorities in order to provide them with the resources necessary for local development.

  • - Support for local authorities in the reform of their taxation in order to enable them to generate resources that will be directed exclusively towards their own development.

  • - Ensure that the administration is close to the citizens;

  • - Ensure the implementation and monitoring and evaluation of SCRAPP action plans.

  • - To ensure capacity building for decentralization and local development actors.

  • - Develop inter-municipal cooperation and equalisation systems between local authorities.

    • Intervention 7.8: Access to a civil status

Mauritania has an effective biometric civil status system. In 2019, the enlistment covered a total of 3,664,875 people, compared to the total population of the country for the same year, which is estimated at 4,077,347 inhabitants. A proportion of 44.8% of Mauritanian children under the age of 5 were registered in the civil registry. Despite the reforms to the Mauritanian civil registry with the repeal of Law No. 96.019 on the procedures for the registration of citizens by Law No. 2011–003, efforts remain to be made to ensure access to registration for the entire Mauritanian population.

This area of intervention therefore involves strategic orientations focused as follows:

  • - Formulation of a national strategy for the development of civil registration.

  • - Improved digitalization of enrollment systems to limit failures and provide online access

  • - Implementation of public awareness campaigns on the importance of civil registration.

  • - Extend the coverage of civil status to other events (marriage, divorce, death, etc.)

b) Project 8: Human rights, justice and citizen control of public action

Strengthening the rule of law and access to basic rights and an independent and effective judiciary are key elements for the development of any country. It is in this context that the interventions of the second SCAPP Action Plan are part of the following three areas: The rule of law, human rights, justice and citizen control of public action.

  • Intervention 8.1: Recognition of Human Rights:

Having ratified international human rights conventions and covenants, Mauritania is in line with international standards. The country also has several institutions whose role is to steer and implement government reforms and policies in the field of human rights.

These institutions include the Ministry of Justice, the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights, Humanitarian Action and Relations with Civil Society (CDHAHRSC), the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture (NPM), etc.

In addition, the Ministry of Social Affairs, Children and the Family and the TAAZOUR Delegation are working to ensure national solidarity, social protection for vulnerable groups and to fight poverty.

With regard to the challenges relating to this specific area of intervention, it will be a question of improving the promotion and protection of the rights of the most vulnerable social categories, in particular children, ensuring the population’s access to its basic human rights without discrimination and eliminating situations of torture or inhuman treatment in places of detention.

The strategic objective is to achieve the emergence of a multicultural society based on solidarity in a State that respects international principles and standards in terms of the separation of powers, respect for civil liberties and gives force to the law. It is a question of guaranteeing all citizens the full exercise of their human rights.

By 2025, the aim is to anchor the culture of human rights, strengthen the resilience of vulnerable populations and consolidate citizenship and good governance.

In relation to the strategic orientations related to human rights, they are mainly as follows:

  • - Operationalization of the National Social Cohesion Program (TAAYOUCH).

  • - Operationalization of the National Mechanism against Trafficking in Persons.

  • - Operationalization of the child protection policy.

  • - Strengthening Mauritania’s presence at the level of international bodies related to human rights.

  • - Implementation of the National Human Rights Strategy.

    • Intervention 8.2: Strengthening Justice:

With its desire for reform, Mauritania has begun several projects aimed at revising its legal arsenal and equipping itself with the resources necessary for its development. In particular, the prison administration has been reorganized and its legal and institutional framework updated. It has also seen its human resources increase with the recent recruitment of 50 inspectors, 120 educators and 400 supervisors. Also, two new laws affecting prison administration have been adopted. The first concerns the adjustment of sentences and the function of the Judge for the Enforcement of Sentences and the second relates to alternative sentences to imprisonment, including community service. In addition, a coordination mechanism between courts and prisons to ensure the lawfulness of detention has been established to promote the rule of law.

The main challenge in the field of justice in Mauritania today lies in the need to provide the country with an independent judicial system equipped with the infrastructure, human resources and capacities necessary for its effective and efficient functioning, making it possible to guarantee the enjoyment of fundamental rights by the entire population, without leaving anyone behind.

The strategic orientations that stem from the context and issues related to the field of justice are as follows:

  • - Constant monitoring of the independence of the judiciary and broadening the power of referral;

  • - Strengthening of the human, material, technical and financial resources necessary for the functioning of the justice sector;

  • - Guarantee to the entire population, without leaving anyone behind, the enjoyment of their fundamental rights;

  • - Improved perception of justice;

  • - Improvement of the efficiency and responsiveness of the justice system as well as its performance

  • - Operationalization and effectiveness of legal aid.

    • Intervention 8.3: Citizen control of public action and development of CSOs and the media:

Citizen control of public action is achieved through two main channels: civil society and the media. Mauritania has more than 8000 associations in various fields of intervention and no less than 230 media outlets. Mauritania’s media landscape consists mainly of public television and radio networks, a public information agency, more than 10 private television and radio channels, 22 print newspapers, 122 private electronic news sites, and 8 audiovisual production agencies. As for civil society organizations, the number of actors identified (8000 associations) is expected to increase following the adoption of the new law which establishes a declaratory regime for associations in the country.

CSOs aim to:

  • - Fight against mismanagement, embezzlement of public funds and corruption;

  • - Development of civic culture and promotion of the duties and obligations of the citizen;

  • - Work for equal opportunities and the respect and enjoyment of human rights

  • - Ensure free, institutionalized and equal access to information for all

  • - Environmental protection.

With regard to the media, Mauritania’s information policy is based on the total liberalization of the field of communication and information. However, the state remains present through public service companies and finances a fund to support the private press. Despite this, it is necessary to overcome many shortcomings in the sector, particularly concerning the concentration of most of the media in large cities, the lack of training and professionalization of journalists, etc.

In terms of challenges, this area of intervention is confronted with the need to develop a strong civic culture, the need to promote the duties and obligations of citizens and to ensure equal opportunities and respect for and enjoyment of human rights, and finally the importance of working for free and equal access to information for all.

Civil society and the media play a key role in good governance. It is in this sense that the strategic orientations of the field are as follows:

  • - Empowerment and support of civil society in its actions;

  • - Strengthening the operational, technical and financial capacities of civil society;

  • - Development of the media and their access to information;

  • - Strengthening of the HAPA and the Advertising Regulatory Authority.

c) Project 9: Administrative, Economic and Financial Governance and Capturing the Demographic Dividend

As part of the cross-cutting nature of the action carried out through the SCAPP, governance is a crucial element in achieving the objectives pursued by Mauritania. This SCAPP project covers the following areas of intervention: Improving the performance of the Development Planning System / Statistical development, in support of decision-making / Capturing the demographic dividend / Fight against corruption / Improving the business climate and promoting the private sector and investment / Improving public financial management / Promoting a stable and inclusive financial sector / Transforming the sector administration and improvement of the performance of its human resources.

  • Intervention 9.1: Improving the performance of the Development Planning System

The process of elaboration and monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Shared Prosperity (SCAPP) has led to transformations in recent years in terms of planning mechanisms in Mauritania. Progress has focused on:

  • (i) The formulation of development strategies and programmes including the SCAPP and the ProPEP;

  • (ii) Renovation of the legal framework of the SCAPP and its formulation and monitoring and evaluation system;

  • (iii) Achievement of an SDG NVR;

  • (iv) Development of MOUTABAA for SDG, SCAPP and SDG monitoring indicators SCRAPP;

  • (v) Development of some SCRAPP and

  • (vi) The organization of a round table of partners for the mobilization of resources for the implementation of the Hodh Charghi SCRAPP.

Despite real progress, the system of planning, mobilization of financing, monitoring and evaluation of the SCAPP and public development policies remains confronted with challenges that hinder the improvement of its performance, including: the lack of qualified human resources, the weakness of the results-based management culture, the virtual absence of accountability mechanisms, the weaknesses of the coordination mechanisms resulting in the lack of coherence of public policies, the non-existence of conceptual frameworks for monitoring public policies, the weakness of the bodies in charge of evaluating public policies, the delay in the process of developing the Accelerated Regional Growth and Shared Prosperity Strategies (SCRAPP), the significant deficit in the alignment of the different programming frameworks (CDMT, PIP, Finance Law) with the SCAPP Action Plan, the absence of finalized macroeconomic framing instruments and the weakness of the mobilization of financing for the implementation of the first action plan 2016–2020 and other development strategies.

The strategic orientations for improving the performance of the Development Planning System are organized as follows:

  • - Reform of the national planning system in order to improve the performance of the formulation system, in particular through the development and adoption of a reference framework for planning and monitoring and evaluation of public strategies and policies, and the establishment of the necessary mechanisms to ensure the coherence of development strategies.

  • - Improvement of the institutional mechanism to make it more functional through a better functioning of the CDS19 to become real sectoral frameworks for dialogue around the SCAPP and the various sectoral strategies, and a better functioning of the CDRs.

  • - Strengthening the technical and material capacities of the administrations in charge of monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the SCAPP, the SCRAPP and the various development strategies, the SDGs and Agenda 2063.

  • - Development of a national strategy to improve the coverage of SDG indicators and targets and their location.

    • Intervention 9.2: Development of Statistics, as a decision-making support

The transformation of the central body of the National Statistical System (NSS), the National Statistical Office, into a new agency (ANSADE), is a first milestone in the process of statistical reform in Mauritania. In terms of human resources training, a Higher Institute of Statistical Professions (ISMS) has now existed since 2018 within the Ecole Superieure Polytechnique (ESP) in Nouakchott with the aim of reducing the deficit in qualified human resources. Significant efforts remain to be made in terms of the regularity of the collection, production, analysis and use of statistical information, in particular in the context of the monitoring and evaluation of the 2021–2025 Five-Year Action Plan of the SCAPP, the ProPEP, the SDGs, the SCRAPP and the various other sectoral development policies. These efforts are the subject of the 2021–2030 Ten-Year National Strategy for the Development of Statistics (SNDDS) and its 2021–2025 action plan covering the entire National Statistical System (NSS).

The strategic directions are as follows:

  • - Upgrading of the governance of the SSN, in particular the operationalization of the National Statistics Council;

  • - Strengthening the capacity of the NSS, including at the sectoral level.

  • - Meeting the demand for statistical data through quality production, including disaggregated data.

  • - Valorisation of statistical products.

    • Intervention 9.3: Effective capture of the demographic dividend

The national population policy is the strategic framework for initiating actions on demographic changes and the coordination of socio-economic policies in order to improve human capital and obtain a demographic dividend (DD) that can be converted into economic assets.

As part of the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and following the Nairobi Summit on ICPD+25 in 2019, Mauritania has made a set of commitments that contribute to ensuring the capture of the demographic dividend and the achievement of the SDGs by 2030. Indeed, Mauritania is still experiencing rapid population growth, estimated at 2.7% per year. This poses significant challenges in all sectors of development. With a very young population and a high demographic dependency ratio, it is necessary to convert this potential into economic development through well-targeted actions and human capital development.

On the one hand, it is a question of working to accelerate the demographic transition and the coordination of socio-economic policies in favor of the capture of the demographic dividend and, on the other hand, to ensure the integration of the demographic dividend into development policies and regional programs, in particular the SCRAPP, in order to achieve the following strategic orientations:

  • - Guarantee of permanent monitoring and effective coordination so that socio-economic policies lead to the capture of the demographic dividend.

  • - Acceleration of the demographic transition and coordination of socio-economic policies in favor of capturing the demographic dividend and its integration into development policies.

  • - Increased women’s decision-making and economic empowerment.

  • - Improving the retention of adolescent girls in high school;

  • - Improved accessibility to sexual and reproductive health products and services.

  • - Strengthening the institutional, legal, policy and policy framework to make it conducive to women’s empowerment.

    • Intervention 9.4: Effective fight against corruption:

Mauritania has been a party to the United Nations Convention against Corruption since 2006. In recent years, progress has been made in the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NCS). Thus, efforts to combat corruption have continued in several institutional, legislative and regulatory areas, including the consolidation of public finances, the improvement of the business climate and the reform of the public procurement system. These efforts have had some positive impact, but preserving the gains made and completing the reforms undertaken still require a sustained effort.

Despite the efforts made in recent years by State and non-State actors and technical and financial partners to promote good governance, corruption remains present in all sectors, encouraged by State dysfunctions and the culture of impunity, leading to a deterioration in the quality of services. However, the fight against corruption is high on the government agenda and is one of the commitments made at the highest level of the top of the state.

The strategic orientations of this area of intervention are as follows:

  • - Updating and operationalization of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy;

  • - Capacity building of state and non-state actors;

  • - Application of the 2016 law on the fight against corruption.

  • - Implementation of the provisions of the new Public Procurement Code.

  • - Updating and application of the Code of Ethics for Public Officials.

    • Intervention 9.5: Improving the business climate and promoting the private sector and investment

The public authorities are working to put in place a mechanism for the private sector to fully play its role as the engine of the economy. In this context, a High Council for Investment, chaired by the President of the Republic, has been created. The establishment of an investment promotion agency in Mauritania (APIM) will also contribute to attracting FDI and achieving this objective of productive transformation of the country’s economy.

Despite achievements in the field of infrastructure to support growth, reforms of the business climate, and an economic growth rate that was around 5% before Covid-19, the national economy has remained poorly diversified and generally dependent on the exploitation of mining and fisheries potential, with a significant gap in the processing and development of local products, particularly those in the productive sectors of fisheries, agriculture and livestock and a poorly developed manufacturing industry. Some obstacles persist and do not allow the country to take full advantage of its economic potential. Among these constraints, it is important to mention the structural weakness of the Mauritanian private sector, dominated by the informal sector, the low capacities and limited competitiveness of the modern business fabric, which is already very small in quantity, a financial service not adapted to the needs of companies, the embryonic state of scientific research, which is not oriented towards exploiting the country’s economic potential and towards innovation and technology transfer, and the inadequacy of a technical training offer that can support and meet the needs of industry. In addition, the commercial legal framework would benefit from improvement. In addition, there are the latest lessons learned from the Covid-19 health crisis, which has disrupted international supply chains and demonstrated the urgency of developing a diversified productive economy that is resilient to exogenous shocks.

To address these challenges, APIM20 is working to improve the country’s brand image as an investment destination, strengthen investment security, including in collaboration with the commercial justice sector, and corporate solvency, factor cost relief, facilitation and monitoring of investment projects through its one-stop shop. Similarly, the public services concerned with improving the business climate (business creation, building permits, etc.) will be digitized. In order to alleviate the risks at the level of small and medium-sized enterprises, a guarantee fund, which is currently being set up, will be made operational. In addition, an investment fund will soon be set up with the participation of foreign investors. Dialogue and Public-Private Partnership will also need to be reinvigorated.

The following directions will guide action on private sector development:

  • - Improvement of the business climate and promotion of balanced and trusting relations with partners in the sector, including the revision of the investment code;

  • - Training and qualification of human capital to meet market needs;

  • - Development of entrepreneurship, performance and competitiveness of the private sector to take advantage of new export opportunities for Mauritanian products, through the development of promising sectors and value chains in the productive sectors;

  • - Development of technology parks capable of meeting the needs of the private sector in terms of infrastructure and equipment while improving the business climate

  • - Design of an incentive tax system for the development of the private sector;

  • - Promotion of Public-Private Partnership and the contribution of the private sector to the financing of the economy.

  • - Updating and operationalization of the National Strategy for the Development of the Private Sector.

    • Intervention 9.6: Effective Public Financial Management

The current budgetary, accounting and financial management system needs to be reformed to meet the country’s development imperatives. Public finances were governed between 1978 and 2018 by an organic law based on the average-budget approach and an inappropriate nomenclature. In 2018, a new Organic Law on Finance Laws was adopted, with a roadmap currently being implemented over a period of five years, two of which can be renewed once. This law reflects the country’s commitment to move towards the logic of results-based management (RBM), which aims to seek performance in public action.

The reforms included in the LOLF will be carried out in a gradual and progressive manner, thus giving time for the satisfaction of all the prerequisites required for the deployment of this type of reform. Despite a challenging context marked by the persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic, progress has been made in the implementation of reforms.

The main orientations for the development of public financial management, enshrined in the SD-RFP include:

  • - Updating and implementation of the Master Plan for the Reform of Public Finances and the LOLF roadmap.

  • - Strengthening and optimizing revenue mobilization.

  • - Strengthening the management of the State’s financial operations, including the automated system of the expenditure chain.

  • - Strengthening the capacity of parliamentarians in public finance.

    • Intervention 9.7: Promoting a stable and inclusive financial sector, including insurance

The rate of banking of the population is currently around 30% when microfinance institutions are included. To improve this rate, the Mauritanian Central Bank (MBC) is considering the implementation of a national financial inclusion strategy (SNIF). However, pending the launch of the SNIF, the gradual establishment of a regulatory framework dedicated to Islamic finance, digital finance, the protection of consumers of financial services, and the adaptation of due diligence measures relating to the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism will considerably increase public confidence in the banking sector and consequently increase the rate of banking and contribute to the improvement of the population’s standard of living.

A law on facilitating access to payment methods services was passed in 2021. In addition to the platforms and banking agents already active, several banks in the market have their own solution that they intend to launch. To ensure the interoperability of these solutions, GIMTEL is currently working on offering a solution. A national switch will allow this interoperability between these different solutions. In addition, the modernization of the financial infrastructure began as part of the implementation of the PAMIF Project. Thus, the systems (RTGS, ACH, etc.), which are currently being set up, will be operational in 2022 and will allow real-time and automated management of financial transactions.

Despite the progress made in recent years, the diagnosis of the Mauritanian insurance sector points to several shortcomings that hinder its expansion despite its development potential. Among these shortcomings are: low penetration in the national economy with less than 0.3% in 2019, the modest role in mobilizing savings, and the low density of about 193 MRUs (or just over USD 5). In addition to these shortcomings, there are legal and regulatory, cultural, institutional and organizational constraints.

The financial sector development guidelines are as follows:

  • - Strengthening the supervisory system to ensure compliance with international norms and standards, as well as the supervision and development of payment systems, services and means. In addition, there is monitoring compliance with the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT).

  • - Establishment of a national financial inclusion strategy to ensure the coverage of financial services to the entire population, especially low-income citizens, in application of the principle “Leave no one behind”.

  • - Consolidation and diversification of monetary and exchange rate policy instruments and improvement of performance in stabilizing domestic prices.

  • - Restructuring of the insurance sector with a view to promoting it and strengthening its contribution to the financing of the economy, by setting up an insurance supervisory system and creating a reinsurance company.

    • Intervention 9.8: Transformation of the administration and improvement of the performance of its human resources

The Mauritanian civil service needs to be reformed because the current status of civil servants and state agents dates back to 1993, i.e. nearly 30 years. It is a system based on career management and difficult to apply, especially in relation to the provision of annual evaluation of agents and in the absence of job descriptions and positions.

Despite the reforms undertaken, the public administration is unable to keep pace with the changes in Mauritanian society and the external environment and suffers from several structural dysfunctions that prevent it from accompanying these changes and the overall development of society. Indeed, it lacks skills and needs to innovate to guarantee good governance and be closer to the citizen and at the service of users.

The strategic directions for the transformation of public administration are as follows:

  • - Improvement of legal texts, in particular the revision of the 1961 law on retirement, the revision of the pension system, the creation of a pension and social security fund for civil servants of the State and the remuneration system of civil servants and contractual agents of the State.

  • - Modernization of management tools, in particular the establishment of a modern integrated information system for the management of the State’s human resources, and the introduction of modern tools in the management of the civil service.

  • - Implementation of an extensive training and development program for public servants.

  • - Improved efficiency and synergy within the public administration and ensured the integration of information systems.

  • - Availability of administrative procedures online and digitization of their means of payment.

  • - Rapid implementation of the project for the Modernization of the Administration through the development of electronic services (e-Government).

III. SCAPP Action Plan (2021–2025):

The second action plan of the SCAPP 2021–2025, through its three strategic levers and its various projects, proposes a portfolio of projects composed of 282 projects for an estimated preliminary budget of nearly 496 billion MRU. These projects account for more than 57% of the first lever, which deals with issues relating to the productive sectors, the environment and basic infrastructure. It is also the most budget-intensive lever with nearly 88% of the total budget of the SCAPP. The second and third levers, on the other hand, account for 31% and 12% respectively of the SCAPP projects as well as 10% and 2% of the budget for the implementation of the second action plan. The SCAPP PA2 comprises 15 active Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects being prepared by the Contracting Authorities and the PPP Directorate.

In terms of the distribution of funding for SCAPP PA2 projects, it is estimated that 61% of the public contribution is made, compared to 39% for the private sector (15 PPP projects). The financing strategy of the SCAPP PA2 and its proper deployment is an essential point of attention to be taken into account.

In addition, in order to ensure the proper implementation of this action plan and to gain in clarity vis-a-vis the various partners while facilitating the convergence of public action, an approach of aggregating projects into structuring programmes has been adopted, which has made it possible to have 109 homogeneous programmes in the end.

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