Nouakchott — Mauritania is stepping up efforts to stem trans-border organised crime and terrorism through a series of seminars organised in Nouadhibou by the local appeals court.

The gatherings "aim to improve human resource skills as a central element in any activity", Ministry of Justice Secretary-General Mohamed Lemine Ould Sidi Baba said during the two-day event, which wrapped up on Thursday (June 27th).

"Participants attended lectures on transnational organised crime, the protection of human rights, international co-operation in the fight against crime, and the fight against corruption, mismanagement and misappropriation of public funds," he added.

Magistrate Abdoulaye Ba noted that it was "important to popularise the fact that the fight against crime and transnational organised crime includes the combined efforts of all concerned countries.

"All countries need to be prepared at the structural, organisational and human levels," the magistrate said.

It is essential to provide the legal tools to magistrates and judicial police in the fight against crime, in the context of law and respect for human rights, Ba added.

"These tools are strengthened by the accession of Mauritania to related international conventions, both at the multilateral level and in terms of regional and bilateral agreements," he said.

"These agreements have enabled Mauritania to strengthen its legal arsenal in the fight against crime, the fight against corruption, and the law on financing terrorism," the judge added.

All countries need to make sure their legislation is in line with the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, adopted by the General Assembly in 2000, noted attorney Moustapha Ould Sidi.

"Cross-border organised crime is one of the major challenges that needs to be met with great rigour, hence the need for effective co-operation between all countries," law professor Mohamed Ould Cheikh said. "In the Arab world, an agreement was signed for this purpose in December, 2010."

He continued, "Indeed, the changes that occurred during the Arab Spring have led to new realities that have begun to affect the entire Arab region. These events have an impact on the security and stability of all Arab countries and organisations associated with networks of transnational organised crime that are active in the Arab region and exploiting these changes."

The justice ministry is well aware of the changing realities on the ground.

"It is necessary to adapt national legislation to the current situation and to the new criminality that has ensued which is threatening the security and stability of people," Ould Sidi Baba said.

"Crimes of corruption, money laundering, cyber-crime, arms trafficking, kidnapping and terrorist financing are just as dangerous as terrorism," he added. "Therefore, co-operation in drying up of sources of funding for these crimes is vital via the consolidation and development of mechanisms adopted at the national and international levels."