MAURITANIA-ABORTION-TBs-CCPR

Concluding Observations on Report 2 (2019) (Link)

Voluntary termination of pregnancy

22. The Committee takes note of the steps taken by the State party to improve access to health-care and information services in the field of sexual and reproductive health and to combat maternal and infant mortality, particularly the adoption and implementation of Act No. 2017-025 on reproductive health and the national strategy on reproductive health for the period 2016–2020. The Committee is nonetheless concerned by article 293 of the Criminal Code, which criminalizes abortion except in limited circumstances. It is concerned that such restrictions drive women to turn to unsafe backstreet abortions under conditions that put their lives and health in danger (arts. 3, 6, 7, 17 and 26).

23. The State party should amend its legislation to provide safe access to abortion in order to protect the lives and health of pregnant women and girls in situations in which carrying a pregnancy to term would cause the woman substantial suffering, especially when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or is not viable. Furthermore, it should ensure that women and girls who have abortions, and the physicians assisting them, are not subject to criminal penalties.

---

Concluding Observations on Report 1 (2013) (Link)

[no mention]

---