The Islamic Republic of Mauritania, commonly known as Mauritania, is located in northwest Africa, bordered by Western Sahara, Algeria, Mali and Senegal. Its capital, Nouakchott, is the seat of government. Mauritania is a unitary state with a presidential system of government, where executive authority is held by a president serving as head of state and head of government. 

Mauritania is party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees. It is not party to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons or the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. Mauritania is party to the 1969 OAU Convention governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa and to the 2009 African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention).