and the improvement of detention conditions in Mauritania took place. The Chairperson recalled the cooperation initiatives that had taken place in the months preceding the Mission,2 welcoming these as a first step at putting some of the recommendations ensuing from the meetings in Addis Ababa and Geneva into effect. She further recalled that the Mauritania is a huge country, but in the area of human rights, it is confronted with challenges. She stated that it is in the light of these major challenges that the CPTA decided to undertake a Promotion Mission. 60. In response, Mr. Marcel Carlos Akpovo welcomed the delegation and expressed his appreciation to the African Commission for taking the initiative to meet with him. He expressed the wish that the Mission would help the country to adopt an inclusive process in the promotion and protection of human rights. He briefed them on the work of the OHCHR in Mauritania and stated that slavery is one of the most pressing human rights issues in the country and the OHCR has been working with the Government and local NGOs to eradicate the ill. He stated that the official position of the Government seem to be that slavery does not exist in Mauritania, and that only the effects of its legacy are left - a stance which he said was not helpful since there are still cases of slavery that are reported and which the courts have been dealing with. He, however, lauded the efforts of the Government in the fight against slavery stating that there is an observable and genuine political will to address the problem. He informed the delegation of a number of legislative measures, policy decisions and projects that have been put in place to ensure that slavery is eradicated, not least the recently amended Constitution that absolutely prohibits slavery. He however regretted the fact that the practical application of the law against slavery remains a problem. 61. On the fight against torture and other forms of ill-treatments, Mr. Akpovo said there has equally been a positive evolution in this respect with the signing of the OPCAT by Mauritania in September 2011, and that his office was pushing for the ratification and effective implementation of the instrument. He emphasized the need for specific legislation to be adopted criminalizing torture and said his office as well as the National Human Rights Commission was working towards this end. He expressed optimism about the progress being made in the fight against torture with the support of his office, especially in the legislative front but regretted that the practical application of laws remained a fundamental problem. These initiatives included a meeting between UN Special Procedure Mandate holders and those of the Special Mechanisms of the African Commission in January 2012 in Addis Ababa, a meeting between UN and African regional mechanisms on the prevention of torture and persons deprived of their liberty in February 2012, as well as various meetings between the Chairperson of the African Commission and officials of the OHCHR in Geneva, in March 2012 during the session of the Human Rights Council. 2 22 | P a g e