Background

The Court of Accounts (Cour des comptes) of Mauritania plays a central role in overseeing public financial management and ensuring transparency and accountability within the public sector. The Court operates in accordance with the principles and guidelines of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) and applies the International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions (ISSAIs), thereby ensuring the professionalism, integrity, and international alignment of its audit processes.

Its core responsibilities include conducting audits and evaluations of public sector entities, assessing the regularity, sincerity, and performance of financial practices, and issuing recommendations for improvement. The Court also produces annual public reports, special reports, and ministerial referrals, with mechanisms in place to monitor the implementation of its recommendations and to initiate legal or disciplinary action when necessary.

Accounting Standards

Accounting standards in Mauritania are primarily governed by two legal instruments: the Mauritanian General Chart of Accounts (Plan Comptable Mauritanien) established on January 20, 1999, and the Compilation of State Accounting Standards (Recueil des Normes Comptables de l'État) set out on October 8, 2019, which came into effect on January 1, 2023. The General Chart of Accounts defines the national accounting framework for both private and public enterprises, while the State Accounting Standards specify the accounting rules applicable to public sector entities. Under the current legal and regulatory framework, annual financial statements must include a balance sheet, a statement of operations, a statement of uses and resources, and notes to the financial statements. Mauritanian accounting standards are based on generally accepted principles, including the historical cost principle, the prudence principle, the substance over form principle, and the no netting principle.

Sustainability Disclosure Standards

While Mauritania is still in the early stages of developing specific national sustainability disclosure standards, the institutional mechanisms currently in place—particularly through the work of the Court of Accounts—substantially support the principles of sustainability, transparency, and good governance.

*The above is based on the information provided by the Ministry of Finance of Mauritania.