10. During the second cycle, Kenya recommended Mauritania to reform its Nationality Law to uphold women’s right to acquire, change, retain, and confer nationality on an equal basis with men in line with international standards, a recommendation noted by the state. Mauritania also noted a recommendation by the Netherlands to fully and effectively implement recommendations by the CEDAW Committee, which include the Committee’s recommendation that the state address gender discrimination in its nationality law. Many states made recommendations to promote the rights of women, including through the legal framework, with five of these recommendations accepted by the state.8 Mauritania was recommended by Brazil to continue its cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and related agencies, in order to identify, repatriate and provide proper citizenship documents for the displaced population in the wake of tensions with Senegal and the expelling of citizens from both countries between 1989-1991. This recommendation was noted. Turkey recommended that Mauritania step up efforts to facilitate administrative procedures so that all children are registered at birth, which was supported. Mauritania’s International obligations 11. Mauritania is not a signatory to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons or the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. 12. Mauritania has nonetheless international obligations to protect the right to a nationality and protect the rights of stateless persons on the basis of other UN and regional treaties to which it is a party. These include, among others article 24 (3) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), articles 2 (2) and 3 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the article 7 and 8 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC), article 9 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Article 5 (d) (iii) of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), Article 18 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Article 25 of the International Convention for the Protection of All persons from Enforced Disappearance, and Article 29 of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (CPRMF). 13. Furthermore, as a member of the United Nations, Mauritania is obligated by the Charter of the United Nations to promote "universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion". The principle of non-discrimination – particularly on the grounds of race – is a peremptory norm of customary international law and must be applied in relation to protecting the right to nationality. 14. Mauritania has relevant reservations to UN treaties as listed below. In relation to the ICCPR, there are reservations on article 18.1-4 and 23.4. In relation to the CRC, Mauritania stated upon signing the Convention that it makes reservations “to articles or provisions which may be contrary to the beliefs and values of Islam, the religion of the Mauritania People and State.” The state did not specify which CRC articles are in question, nor the parameters for the state’s interpretation of conflict with religious beliefs and values. After making a general reservation to CEDAW upon accession, the Government of Mauritania partially withdrew its general reservation in 2014, while maintaining a reservation to articles 13 (a) and 16. 8 Recommendations made by Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Niger, and Norway. 3