When he assumed the position of Cameroon’s Head of State on 2nd November 1982, with the words, “I do so swear,” Paul Biya was not only committing himself to what the Speaker of the National Assembly, expected of a compatriot about to take such an office.

He was, in effect, committing himself to the courage, energy, intellect, wisdom, dynamism, and above all, love of one’s country as demanded of true leaders.

President Biya’s activities since the celebration of Cameroon’s fiftieth anniversary, and his participation at similar events in Congo Brazzaville, and Gabon, before his visit to Brazil have indeed been hectic, considering the nature and pace at which national and international events have been unfolding of recent.

One of such events at which the President participated and demonstrated in plenaries, as well as in other sessions, his commitment to the needs of Cameroon, and the international community, was the sixty-fifth session of the United Nations General assembly during which a High-level meeting during which the Millennium Development Goals, were assessed and important decisions taken to forge ahead in spite of obstacles.

The session which brought together the highest number of world leaders, the U.N has ever witnessed at its headquarters coincided with the fiftieth anniversary of Cameroon’s admission into the United Nations Organisation. But what made significant President Biya’s presence in New York was not just his participation in discussions that assessed very objectively the progress made since 2000 so as to give some meaning to the MDGs by the year 2015. During the session, the President presented two papers, the first on 21st, and the second, on 23rd September 2010. In his first, the Cameroon leader after appreciating some efforts that have been made to attain the MDGs targets could not help regretting that the pace, and even the quality of the results so far obtained, were a cause for concern.

Considering this lag which in effect, contributes to the ever widening gap between the rich countries of the North, and the poor of the South, President Biya prescribed the following strategies.

- Mobilization and development of resources

- Development of a more equitable trading and financial system.

- Rational and comprehensive handling of the debt problem.

- Provision of constant Development assistance.

- Facilitation of access to essential drugs, and,

- Reduction, of the Digital Divide between countries.

The Cameroon leader stressed the importance of energy and the need to see that it is accessible to citizens. For, without energy it is difficult to ensure education, health, environmental protection and poverty alleviation at large. It was also made known to delegates what Cameroon has already effected, and is still doing to progress in the area of energy production, which will be continued so that by the years 2015 and 2020, its production in Cameroon should double, or even triple, thus making it Cameroon an emerging country by 2035.

The vision it is envisaged, would also improve business and create fiscal incentives, as well as make possible other reforms to boost domestic savings, and attract foreign investment.

The disclosure of such information to the world at the headquarters of the UNO was indeed a challenge for Cameroonians to commit themselves to socio-economic activities, which can transform the plans into reality. For, without economic activities, there can hardly be enough revenue to execute all that is planned for development.

Much was emphasized when the President in his second paper frankly expressed the many burdens that for years have plagued Africa. While it is not expedient to spend years regretting the pangs of slave trade, colonization among other post colonial ills, it is at least necessary for the rich nations of the world in general, and member nations of the UNO in particular, to forge sane relations between them and developing countries, especially those of Africa.

Development gaps for example, should not continue to widen while the UNO sees nothing wrong in not making Africa a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

The challenge is for nations to seek happiness and peace by making others happy and peaceful elsewhere on our planet.