Paragraph 3: Right to adequate housing (Article 16) In the area of social housing, public authorities undertook the following activities which benefitted women: - Reorganization of vulnerable districts in Nouakchott, Nouadhibou, Rosso and Kaédi; - Construction of 600 housing units in Zouerate; - Identification of 2,600 households within the context of resettling the populations of Kebba, a peripheral district of Wharf; - Construction of 1,159 social housing units in Nouadhibou; - Preparation of a strategy on the development of local materials. Paragraph 4: Right to a healthy and sustainable environment (Article 18) Laws and regulations governing the environmental sector guarantee the right for all to live in a healthy and sustainable environment. With a view to alleviating the burden on households, and on women in particular, regarding domestic energy supply, energy-saving technologies such as improved cooking stoves and incentives for the utilization of gas and solar ovens were introduced and encouraged. The Environment Code sets out the general rules relating to requisite precautionary measures including criminal sanctions applicable to the entire toxic waste management chain, from the source to storage, transportation and elimination. A law prohibiting the use of plastic was adopted to control domestic waste. Mauritania is a party to several international conventions and agreements relating to the environment. Chapter 6: Protection of women in armed conflicts (Article 11) Pursuant to UN Resolution 1235, the Government initiated a pilot project on “conflict prevention” in four border regions with agricultural and pastoral lands. This project, which implements advocacy and awareness-raising activities, strengthened the capacities of 350 local stakeholders (religious leaders, village chiefs, local women leaders, members of NGOs and women’s cooperatives) on conflict prevention methods, the participation of women in the management of community affairs, advocacy, women’s leadership and the role of women in conflict prevention. Also, the determination of public authorities to ensure the reintegration of Mauritanian returnees from Senegal and Mali was reflected in the creation of a national agency in charge of managing the entire repatriation and reintegration process: National Agency for Refugee 66