The objective of the support programme was to contribute to sustainable economic development and poverty reduction in Mauritania, by supporting the development and strengthening of the country's trade policies and rules. The specific objective aimed at the establishment of an operational National Commercial Information System and the adoption of quality standards in accordance with international requirements in order to improve the quality of national products.

Two-fold purposes: Establishment of a National Commercial Information System and achieve the development of a critical mass of data in support of an effective commercial information system; and Reinforcement of standardization capacities in Public Health and Improvement of the level of Commercial Competitiveness.

Two-fold outputs:

• Set up of the National Commercial Information System
• Capacity for standardization in public health and improvement of the level of commercial competitiveness strengthened

Intervention areas:

• International Trade;
• Trade facilitation;
• Private sector competitiveness;
• Quality and international standards.

Purpose 1:  Establishment of a National Trade Information System

• Evaluation of national standards and regulations in the field of online content in the digital age - Elements of response for Mauritania undertaken;
• Establishment of an electronic trade information platform for Mauritania; www.mauritaniatrade.com operationalized;
• Training workshop for stakeholders on the national trade information system successfully;
• Technical capacity building and training of executives from the Ministry of Commerce, public institutions and those from the private sector is carried out in order to generate reporting to feed the platform.

Purpose 2 Reinforcement of standardization capacities in public health and improvement of the level of commercial competitiveness

• Inventory of 12 laboratories including INRSP, LNCQM (Physico-chemistry and Microbiology Laboratories), ONISPA (Chemistry Lab), and the Metrology Laboratory of (General Directorate for Standardization and Promotion of Quality (DGNPQ) carried out;
• Blank audits of 8 INRSP laboratories carried out;
• ISO 9001 training workshop successfully held for the key stakeholders;
• ISO 17025 training workshop successfully held for the key stakeholders;
• ISO 15189 training workshop successfully held for the key stakeholders;
• Training workshop on metrology successfully held for the key stakeholders;
• Training materials developed and widely shared;
• Final awareness workshop for public and private actors successfully held for the key stakeholders;
• Training diplomas produced and delivered to the participants.