President Paul Biya yesterday at the 65th General session of the UN focusing on assessment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) regretted that despite some efforts made since 2000, when the initiative was launched, positive results by the year 2015 are uncertain.

The Cameroon leader called on member States to develop a global partnership for development which he considered essential for the attainment of the MDGs objectives.

The challenges nations face as far as the tasks are concerned, include the implementation of all that ensures debt reduction, provision of infrastructure, access to drugs and reduction of the digital divide.

Citing Cameroon’s long term development vision which includes fiscal reforms, improvements of the business climate and investment, President Biya made it clear that his country looks forward to becoming and emerging country by the year 2035. The president concluded the statement by expressing his country’s commitment to what makes possible a united and indivisible human community capable of meeting the development needs of its people.

For other details concerning the Millennium Development Goals, see our editorial commentary and reports on the 65th General Assembly of the UN.

The 2008 - 2009 Human Development Report shows progress in some areas of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) while others still leave much to desire.

According to the report presented to the public last week, the country has made progress in three of the MDGs while the other five are still subject to worry. There is improvement in education as the school going rate has moved from 76.3 per cent in the 1990s to 82.8 per cent in 2009. There is also improvement in gender balance as much has been done to step up the feminine population in schools which represented 41 per cent in 2005/2006.

However, much still remains undone in the domains of child mortality, fight against poverty and diseases, among others. According to the United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in the country, Thierry Mertens, Cameroon could do better. "I think that Cameroon is working towards attaining the MDGs", he said, adding that the launching of the report was to call on everyone to contribute to the last stretch to meet and achieve the MDGs.

Placed under the theme, Challenges of Realising the MDGs, the 21-page report gave recommendations which government could integrate in its development policies. It stressed, among others, on the need to integrate all and sundry in government's efforts to ensure sustainable development, improve the investment climate as well as ensure a proper implementation and follow up of the Employment and Growth Strategy Paper.

With visible signs of growth after the tumultuous 2009, marked by the global economic slowdown, a strong determination especially with orientation from development partners, could catapult the country's development to boom. This would certainly require love for fatherland where national interests supersedes personal gains, integration of all who can contribute their quota and courage from the administrators who must strive to leave old habits and adapt to changes and recommendations that can move the country's development forward.

Brenda YUFEH

As world leaders meet in New York, head quarters of the United Nations Organization, and economic hub of the United States to talk development, cooperation and peace, the topic that measures the level of commitment to the development of poor members of the World Body, is the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) launched in September 2000. In his statement at the UN General Assembly session yesterday, September 21, 2010, president Paul Biya noted that although some progress has been made since September 2000, the year 2015 remains uncertain as far as the MDGs are concerned. The timely and impressive objective of the undertaking is to reduce, if not stall poverty and misery by the year 2015. But with only five years left, the high-level plenary meeting of the UN currently assessing the progress, so far made does not doubt that despite some breakthroughs, developing nations especially, those of Africa have much more to worry about than to celebrate. President Paul Biya in his statement confirmed this, when he said the pace and even quality of the results does not spur optimism but rather at best, they are reasons for conscious satisfaction.

This, however, does not mean lack of appreciation of some progress, which has been made in the fight against AIDS which is said to have declined from 2.3 million in 2001 to 1.9 million in 2008. TB and malaria are also said to have declined in many African countries, while the pervasive wars in Liberia, Sierra Leone, the Sudan and Uganda have either ended or abated. Regrettably, Somalia- Africa’s stubborn trouble spot continues to maintain its record with lives and property being lost every year. Health wise measles and yellow fever have almost been stamped out. Measles for example has dropped from 90 percent between 2000 and 2008, while life expectancy in many poor countries, is also said to have risen in many countries, although infant mortality remains a persistent problem. A lot more could have changed for the better, health wise were it not for the fact that most donors cut back financing for immunization to the surprise of many African Nations.

As for as the economy is concerned, many African countries, whose per capita GDP declined by 0.3 per year, witnessed a 3.1 per cent increase per year between 2000 and 2010. Most impressive is this year’s per capita GDP which is said to have risen to 2.5 per cent. Meanwhile, the extreme poverty rate is also believed to have declined to 50 per cent this year, 2010, compared to 58 per cent in 1999.

Considered globally or collectively as far as the poorer nations of the world are concerned, the developed nations that pledged finances to concretize the MDG dream would hardly believe that what they thought very necessary is today believed by some observers to be unrealistic. UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon harped on the challenges of the MDGs to member nations of the UN when he said, “Our world possesses the knowledge and resources to achieve these Millennium Goals. Coming together with renewed commitment to build on our achievements so far and to bridge gaps identified, we can through shared responsibility, forge a better world for future generations. This demands individual and collective efforts at national and collective levels by all member states of the UNO. For, without such concern and commitment, great initiatives like the MDGs and other important programmes in the interest of mankind could be relegated to wishful thinking.” Crucial issues concerning the environment as regards its protection and joint efforts to confront the challenges of climate change would also be considered elitist and far-fetched. In the face of these challenges and all that the UN is already doing to usher in changes for the better, or stall the imminent danger, responsible citizens of member states of the World Body, religious groups, none Governmental Organizations ought to face the tasks, at hand with the kind of commitment that ensures the attainment of goals and the rational of the costs of bringing together hundreds of leaders and experts to talk health, wealth, peace and development.

As world leaders meeting at the 65th session of the UN General Assembly delve into burning issues concerning their global village, they are all challenged to relinquish high-level protectionist tendencies and to give greater meaning to globalization by giving the Millennium Development Goals the meaning they deserved not only in the poor nations of the world, but also in the commitment by the rich nations to fulfill the material pledges that gave hope about changes for the better by the year 2O15.

SHEY Peter MABU

An exciting crowd of Cameroonians were present in front of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel down New York to welcome President Biya and First Lady, Chantal Biya on monday.

Drum beats from the Centre Region of Cameroon and a jubilant crowd of Cameroonians from all walks of life living in the United States of America hailed the arrival of Cameron’s Presidential couple yesterday in New York for the 65th United Nations General Assembly. In a bid to acknowledge the presence of President Paul Biya and First Lady, Chantal Biya, Cameroonians living in the United States of America and beyond transformed the 50th street of Lexington Avenue, down town Manhattan in New York City, into a dancing ground to showcase some of the cultural heritage from their fatherland. The tight police security that was present around the Waldorf Astoria Hotel which is hosting President Paul Biya and wife, Chantal Biya, during their stay in New York, did not prevent Cameroonians from displaying their joy in songs and dances as they saw the motorcade carrying the Presidential Couple pass through Lexington Avenue.

Several hours before the arrival of President Biya and wife, Chantal Biya at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, the jubilant crowd of men, women and children who had come from far away cities such as California, Atlanta, Washington DC could be seen dancing to the Balafon tempo from the Centre Region of the country. Dressed in the Cameroon’s People Democratic Party (CPDM) fabric, the crowd send out echoes which left passers-by anxious to know what was happening. Through songs, the waiting crowd revealed their visions and hope such as “President Paul Biya, you are our President and should be our president for the next seven years”. T-shirts and caps carried effigies of President Paul Biya and wife, Chantal Biya with messages which read “Welcome President Paul Biya and First Lady, Chantal Biya, to the United Nations 65th General Assembly”.

The excitement of the waiting crowd reached apex with the arrival of the Presidential Couple at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel at 6:00 pm New York time that is 11:00pm, Cameroon time. The General Manager of the Hotel, Eric Long and Jasmin Howanietz who is the hotel’s Director of Diplomatic Affairs, saluted the arrival of the Presidential Couple. “We are happy to see you again”, Jasmin Howanietz told Mrs Biya. In a solemn ceremony, the Presidential couple received bouquets of flowers from two young Cameroonians living in the United States. While shaking hands with some members of government present at the hotel lobby as well as authorities from the Permanent Mission of Cameroon at the United Nations in New York, CPDM militants again echoed songs which reveals that they want President Paul Biya for another term in office.