The Mauritanian parliament has approved a new law to regulate national documents, aiming to modernize the country's administration and protect its national memory. The law was approved during a session chaired by the deputy speaker of parliament, Ahmadou Mohamed Mahfouz Ould Ambal. The new law aims to provide a unified legal framework for collecting, classifying, preserving, protecting, and making national documents available in various forms and media.
The Minister of the General Secretariat of the Government, Mokhtar Abdallah, presented the project to the parliament, stating that it is a response to the outdated 1968 law regulating the national archives. The new law seeks to align the legal framework with the tasks of the competent authority and international standards. The project is part of efforts to modernize the administration, preserve national memory, and promote transparency and protection of citizens' rights.
The new law identifies the types of national documents and emphasizes the public and heritage character of the public archives. It also strengthens the role of the National Archives in preservation, supervision, advice, and evaluation. Additionally, the law regulates private documents of importance to national memory and sets conditions and deadlines for their availability. The law covers electronic, audio, and visual documents.
The Minister of the General Secretariat of the Government stated that the project aims to promote scientific and historical research. The law includes incentive and punitive measures to ensure the proper management and protection of public documents. The approval of this law is a significant step towards modernizing Mauritania's administration and preserving its national heritage.
The new law will help to promote transparency and accountability in the management of public documents. It will also ensure that national documents are preserved for future generations. The law is expected to come into effect soon, after its publication in the official gazette.
The approval of the law has been welcomed by various stakeholders, who see it as a positive step towards promoting good governance and transparency in Mauritania. The law is expected to have a significant impact on the management of public documents and the preservation of national memory.
The Mauritanian government has emphasized its commitment to implementing the law and ensuring that it is enforced effectively. The government has also pledged to provide the necessary resources to support the implementation of the law.
Key points
- The new law provides a unified legal framework for collecting, classifying, preserving, protecting, and making national documents available.
- The law regulates private documents of importance to national memory and sets conditions and deadlines for their availability.
- The law includes incentive and punitive measures to ensure the proper management and protection of public documents.
