Mauritania, a West African nation of approximately 4 million people, faces persistent challenges with modern-day slavery despite multiple legislative attempts to abolish the practice. For centuries, a socially entrenched racial caste system has subjected the Haratine people, also known as "Black Moors", to slavery. A cycle of forced labor, physical and sexual abuse, and economic deprivation is perpetuated by slavery's hereditary nature. According to the Global Slavery Index, an estimated 149,000 experienced forced labor or marriage in 2023.

Though slavery has been officially outlawed in Mauritania, numerous social, legal, and institutional problems allow for its continued practice. Haratine individuals who attempt to escape and/or seek justice often face violent retribution, and authorities have repeatedly failed to take preventative measures against this. Furthermore, prosecutors rarely take legal action against slaveholders despite laws permitting them to being in place.

We are calling upon the United Nations and the broader international community to take immediate and sustained action to end this widespread abuse of human rights:

1. The UN must continue actively monitoring and reporting on the situation in Mauritania, providing support to both government bodies and NGOs that are working to secure the rights of Haratines.
2. International leadership must impose targeted sanctions on both individuals and entities found to be complicit in this practice.
3. The Mauritanian government must take concrete steps to enforce the prosecution of slaveholders by punishing officials who knowingly neglect slavery-related complaints.

We are calling for justice, solidarity, and human dignity. It is time to end the suffering of Haratines in Mauritania through holding perpetrators accountable. Sign this petition now to stand up for the rights of Haratines and bring the practice of slavery to an end!