Mauritania SME Space

Supporting the Implementation of Mauritania's National E-commerce Strategy

📅 Date: 20 July 2026
🏷️ Theme: E-commerce | Women-led MSMEs | Creative Economy | Digital Skills | Policy Reform | National E-commerce Strategy

The ESCWA Technology Centre met with representatives of the Ministry of Trade and Tourism (formerly the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Craft Industries and Tourism) to discuss collaboration on advancing the implementation of Mauritania's National E-commerce Strategy. The discussion built on previous support provided by the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) under the AfTIAS 2.0 programme to strengthen internal trade, with the new intervention focusing on expanding e-commerce opportunities for women-led MSMEs in the creative and cultural sectors.

The proposed collaboration consists of two complementary components. 

• The first aims to strengthen the capacities of women-led creative and cultural MSMEs through practical training on e-commerce, digital skills, and AI tools, enabling them to establish online stores or successfully sell through digital marketplaces and reach wider regional and international markets. 
• The second component will support the implementation of the National E-commerce Strategy by developing an e-commerce readiness assessment covering digital payments, logistics, digital infrastructure, internet accessibility, cybersecurity, and the regulatory environment. The assessment will be validated through stakeholder consultations to identify gaps, define priorities, and develop evidence-based, gender-responsive policy recommendations that contribute to a more inclusive and enabling e-commerce ecosystem.

ETC Contribution

The ESCWA Technology Centre presented its regional approach to supporting e-commerce ecosystem development, including:

• Capacity-building programmes on e-commerce, digital skills, and AI tools for women-led MSMEs in the creative and cultural sectors.
• Technical support to assess national e-commerce readiness and identify implementation priorities for the National E-commerce Strategy.
• Facilitation of multi-stakeholder consultations to validate findings and identify key barriers.
• Development of evidence-based, gender-responsive policy recommendations to strengthen the national e-commerce ecosystem.
• Collaboration with ITFC to build on previous AfTIAS 2.0 interventions and support the next phase of e-commerce development in Mauritania.

Partners: Ministry of Trade and Tourism (Mauritania); International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC)