The Mauritania has been officially included on the International Maritime Organization’s “white list”, signalling international recognition of its commitment to upholding global standards in seafarer training, certification, and maritime licensing.
The announcement was made by the Mauritanian Maritime Affairs Agency (AMAM), which described the development as a significant endorsement of the country’s regulatory and institutional framework governing maritime education and professional certification.
According to the Agency, this designation reflects the alignment of Mauritania’s maritime training and qualification systems with internationally accepted standards. It further positions Mauritanian seafarers to access broader employment opportunities across the global maritime labour market.
These opportunities extend to key sectors including international shipping, specialized maritime services, offshore oil and gas operations, platforms in deep-water environments, and fishing activities beyond national waters—areas where certified competence under recognized global frameworks is a prerequisite.
AMAM noted that the achievement is the result of sustained reforms in the maritime sector, encompassing regulatory strengthening, administrative modernization, and technical capacity building. It also credited national leadership for advancing institutional restructuring through the establishment of the agency as part of a wider governance reform agenda.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime and Port Infrastructure reaffirmed its commitment to deepening these reforms, stressing the need to consolidate maritime governance systems in line with evolving international requirements and the rapid transformation of the global blue economy.
In effect, the inclusion on the IMO “white list” is being framed in Nouakchott as more than a procedural milestone—it is a strategic opening, placing Mauritania more firmly on the global maritime map and signalling a new phase of integration into international standards-based seafaring and marine industry participation.
