56. Hon. Mohamed ould Beilile also informed the delegation that there is a police oversight body within the Ministry that ensures that members of the police force carry out their duties in conformity with the law and that training on human rights and all the relevant laws are dispensed to the police force. He said the police also collaborate closely with the National Human Rights Commission which has the right to carry out unannounced visits to police cells to ensure that the treatment of detainees conforms to both Mauritanian and international the law. 57. Responding to a question from the Chairperson on the role of his Ministry in the fight against slavery and incidences of torture, the Minister emphasized that slavery no longer exists in Mauritania, even though the effects of its legacy are still manifest. He outlined the efforts of the Government in fighting slavery, notably through the enactment of the 2007 law criminalizing slavery and the absolute prohibition of slavery and torture in the 2012 Amended Constitution of Mauritania, as well as the prosecution of those found guilty of practicing slavery. He assured the delegation of the determination of the Government to completely eradicate slavery, but regretted that the socio-economic situation of the country characterized by extreme poverty, made the eradication of slavery within a short period of time very difficult. He further stressed that there is need to uplift the affected populations from poverty and change mentalities, the reason why the Government has put in place specific programs for this purpose. He admitted that there have been reports of slavery and but maintained that such cases were rare and usually dealt with by the competent authorities. 58. Responding to allegations of torture, the Minister stated that as far as he is aware no cases of torture have been brought to his attention. Commenting specifically on the February 2012 arrest and detention of students from the University of Nouakchott, who had allegedly been tortured and subjected to ill-treatment by the police, the Minister stated that as far as he is aware, no student was ill-treated whilst in police custody. ix. Meeting with the Representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights , 27 March 2012 59. The Delegation visited the offices of the UN Representative in Nouakchott where they met with the Representative of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Marcel Carlos. After the exchange of the usual courtesies, discussions on the new dynamic of cooperation between the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and the African Commission, as well the role of the OHCHR in the fight against slavery, torture 21 | P a g e