Mauritania to improve access to justice and accelerate digitisation through cooperation deal with Morocco

On 20 October, Mauritania and Morocco signed a two-year cooperation deal to digitise Mauritania's justice system, with Morocco’s Minister of Justice set to share its digital and institutional expertise to help modernise court administration.

The Ministers of Justice for Mauritania and Morocco, Mohamed Ould Soueydatt and Abdellatif Ouahbi met earlier this week and signed a new two-year cooperation agreement to deepen collaboration between the two African nations in relation to improving access to justice and the digital transformation of the justice system.

Ahead of the signing, Soueydatt noted his visit to Morocco, leading a delegation of senior justice officials from Mauritania, provides an opportunity for sharing expertise to consolidate relations between the two brotherly countries in the judicial sector.

During his visit to Morocco, the Mauritanian Minister of Justice also met with several other senior officials and visited judicial institutions to discuss areas of cooperation, judicial independence, strengthening the rule of law, strengthening coordination and cooperation to tackle transnational organised crime, capacity building, and more.

The new agreement between the two African nations, for a work program in 2026-2027, reportedly builds upon the strong foundations of bilateral cooperation and shared commitment to modernising judicial administration, strengthening transparency, and enhancing access to justice for citizens. It includes:

Developing digital infrastructure for the judicial sector.

Exchanging expertise on the electronic transformation of judicial services.

Activating cooperation mechanisms for training judicial personnel.

Updating legislation related to modern technologies in the judicial facility.

During the meeting on Monday, Morocco’s Minister of Justice said the agreement and work program reflected the “shared will to strengthen cooperation and make digital transformation a lever to improve and bring justice closer to the citizen”.

The two Ministers of Justice also discussed shared challenges including migration and human trafficking, which require enhanced cross-border coordination, emphasizing the importance of legal protection and humanitarian solidarity.

Minister Ouahbi renewed Morocco’s readiness to share its digital and institutional expertise with Mauritania to reinforce fraternal ties. Minister Soueydatt praised Morocco’s legislative and democratic reforms, and expressed pride in Mauritania-Morocco relations, noting “the intertwining of interests mandates the creation of new partnerships based on solidarity and integration”.

Digital transformation in the judicial sector is a strategic step to meet modern challenges, contributing to speeding up judicial procedures, improving access to justice, and enhancing transparency. The Ministries say this new work program exemplifies successful African cooperation, boosting the status of Morocco and Mauritania as leaders in developing the justice system using modern technology.