The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) organized, through its Global Programme on Countering Terrorist Threats against Vulnerable Targets, a study visit for eight senior officials from Mauritania to Spain from 2 to 5 December 2025, focused on the protection of critical infrastructure. The visit took place in Madrid and Valencia, in cooperation with Spain’s National Centre for Critical Infrastructure Protection (CNPIC) and funded by the Kingdom of Spain.
The event was officially opened at CNPIC headquarters in Madrid with welcoming remarks by Mr. José Luis Pérez Pajuelo, Director of CNPIC, Mr. Carlos Torres Vidal, Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain, H.E. Ms. Zeineb Ely Salem, Ambassador of Mauritania to Spain, and Mr. Ignacio Ibá?ez, Head of the UNOCT Programme Office in Madrid and Coordinator of the Global Programme.
The opening set the tone for an intensive programme focused on sharing knowledge, information and good practices on protecting critical infrastructure against terrorist threats. Participants engaged with key Spanish entities to learn about Spain’s comprehensive, and multi-level approach to securing critical infrastructure. The programme featured technical briefings from CNPIC, the Spanish Intelligence Centre for Counter-Terrorism and Organized Crime (CITCO), the Civil Guard, the National Police, and private operators of critical infrastructure. These sessions provided insights into Spain’s legal, institutional and operational frameworks, risk assessment methodologies, resilience strategies, and models for effective public-private partnerships.
The visit also included technical tours of major infrastructure sites, such as the Water Control Station of Canal de Isabel II and the Madrid Calle 30 Tunnel Control Centre, where participants observed security management systems and coordination mechanisms with local authorities. In Valencia, the delegation visited the Port Authority to examine security port measures including crisis management and incident response protocols, as well as cyber and logistical protection systems.
This initiative builds on Mauritania’s national roadmap for protecting vulnerable targets, developed in 2024 with support from UNOCT’s Global Programme, and follows specialized trainings on energy installations, maritime security, and cybersecurity. It supports Mauritania’s efforts to enhance resilience against evolving terrorist threats, in line with the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and United Nations Security Council resolution 2341 (2017).
