Cameroon, through its Ministry of Justice, has again reinforced its commitment to promote and protect human rights in society. About 100 human rights focal points, drawn from sectoral ministries and other public entities, are being drilled at a workshop at the Ministry of Justice, titled, “Capacity-building workshop for Human Rights Focal Points on the implementation of recommendations accepted by Cameroon at the end of the 4th Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Cameroon”.
The workshop which opened on Wednesday 11 September 2024, under the auspices of the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Justice, His Excellency Jean De Dieu MOMO, personal Representative of the Minister of State, Minister of Justice, Keeper of Seals, Laurent ESSO, is organised in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Regional Office for Central Africa.
« The promotion and protection of human rights constitutes priority areas of public policies in Cameroon. The desire to guarantee human rights at the highest level has been a long-time commitment of His Excellency Paul BIYA, » the Minister Delegate remarked.
At the official opening ceremony of the workshop, Minister MOMO was joined by the Regional Representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who doubles as the Director of the United Nations Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa, Sangaré NOUHOUM. And, the Attaché of the General Secretariat of the Prime Minister’s Office/Coordinator of the technical inter-ministerial committee in charge of implementing the UPR recommendations.
Created in March 2006 by the United Nations General Assembly, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is designed to encourage, support, and develop the promotion and protection of human rights in each country. The UPR encourages each Member State to carry out an evaluation by other States of its human rights record every 4 and a half years.
Since 2008, Cameroon has been subjected to 4 reviews. The fourth cycle of review was conducted in November 2023. During an inter-ministerial meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Joseph Dion Ngute, Cameroon accepted 220 recommendations out of the 291 formulated by 110 States. These recommendations cut across civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.
The workshop is therefore aimed to discuss and identify – in view of implementation – the challenges, opportunities and projects of the accepted the UPR recommendations
