A/HRC/47/6 120. Burkina Faso welcomed the implementation of the national strategy to combat female genital mutilation, which had led many communities in the regions where the practice was most prevalent to publicly declare their commitment to abandoning it. 121. Italy appreciated the efforts Mauritania had made since the previous review, particularly to eradicate slavery, fight against torture, prevent female genital mutilation and criminalize discrimination. 122. Senegal welcomed the efforts Mauritania had made to implement the road map to eradicate contemporary forms of slavery, in consultation with the public and civil society organizations. 123. Djibouti welcomed the measures Mauritania had taken to implement the recommendations received during the previous review, particularly the reform of the Constitution of 2017 aimed at improving democracy and rule of law. 124. In its concluding remarks, the Mauritanian delegation stressed that foreign nationals and non-Muslims were free to practise their religion in accordance with national laws and moral values. It was a criminal offence for Mauritanian nationals to change religion on pain of the penalties provided for in that regard. 125. Mauritania had focused its response to the COVID-19 pandemic on providing care to vulnerable groups. The Government had formulated operational guidelines aimed at incorporating human rights into the pandemic response. Considerable sums had been allocated to the ministry responsible for human rights. These steps had not affected the funding initially allocated to the socioeconomic programme to promote and protect human rights. 126. The Government had set up a new agency for solidarity and the fight against exclusion. The agency had funded 29 primary and 6 other schools and the construction of 20 health clinics and 6 water supply systems for rural populations. The agency had launched a large-scale programme to increase household income. In that connection, it had distributed food supplies to 20,200 households, 200 of which included foreign nationals. 127. The Government had also disbursed a first round of cash assistance to 187,000 households, followed by a second round to 210,000 households, in both urban and rural areas. 128. The definition of terrorism in Mauritania was in line with the definition used by the regional organizations of which Mauritania was a member. Acts of terrorism were clearly defined, in keeping with the definitions in universal instruments, and counter-terrorism efforts were carried out with due regard for human rights. The National Counter-Terrorism Committee was up and running, and the cooperation mechanisms were restructured and operational. Act No. 2005-048 of 27 July 2005 on combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism had been revised in 2016. 129. The Mauritanian delegation reaffirmed the country’s commitment to redouble its efforts to promote and protect human rights and stated that it was counting on the international community’s support to that end. II. Conclusions and/or recommendations 130. The following recommendations will be examined by Mauritania, which will provide responses in due time, but no later than the forty-seventh session of the Human Rights Council: 130.1 Expedite the ratification of the main international human rights instruments to which Mauritania is not yet party, as previously recommended (Uruguay); 130.2 Ratify the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Rwanda); 130.3 Sign the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, as previously recommended (Armenia); 10 GE.21-04660