Day of exchange with the Government of Cameroon

Yaoundé, August 8, 2007 – The United Nations Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa organized a day of exchange with the Government of Cameroon.

Representatives of the Prime Ministry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, Ministry of External Relations, Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry for the Promotion of Women and the Family, and the National Commission of Human Rights and Freedoms of Cameroon also attended the meeting and made the following recommendations:

- Develop a better communication strategy both internal (within the government and NGOs) and external (with other partners) with the support of the Centre;
- Organise quarterly meetings with technical groups from the Government on human rights and democracy;
- Develop direct collaboration with ministries and the Centre through focal points;
- Develop sensitization and information programs for specialized and professional groups on human rights: lawyers, magistrates, ministries and NGOs to vulgarize Human rights mechanisms;
- Earmark all funding when making donations and also provide in kind funding;
- Organize a meeting between the Ministry of External Relations and the Centre before the Ministerial meeting of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa in September 2007;
- Provide support on treaty bodies reporting to the different ministries concerned.

The meeting was held in Yaoundé, on 7 August 2007, and provided the occasion to identify collaboration avenues to support the participation of the Government of Cameroon to sessions of the United Nations General Assembly and to enhance the work of both the Centre and the Government of Cameroon for a better respect and promotion of human Rights and democracy.

For further information, please contact Ms Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry, Regional Representative of the United Nations Centre for Human rights and Democracy in Central Africa , " Nouvelle route Bastos ", Street 1750, N° 606, Yaounde, Cameroon, P.0.box 836; Telephone (237) 22 21 24 74, Fax (237) 22 21 24 75, E-mail: unchrd-ca@undp.org ; www.unchrd.org