The members of Cameroon’s National Assembly will henceforth not only champion the promotion and protection of human rights through laws they vote, but will be veritable human rights defenders in their respective constituencies. They were trained on Friday, December 10 on the stakes of human rights for a parliamentarian, mechanisms for the protection of human rights and the role of parliamentarians, Cameroon’s national system of protecting human rights and principles of fighting against discrimination done to disabled persons. This was on the occasion of the commemorative activities of the 62nd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that took place at the National Assembly.
The event celebrated under the theme, “Speak up, end Discrimination”, was organised by the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms, the United Nations Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa, the African Network for the Promotion of Human Rights and Sight savers Cameroon. Hon. Hilarion Etong, the First Vice President of Cameroon’s National Assembly, who chaired the opening ceremony on behalf of the House Speaker, Hon. Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, cited the various ways the country’s parliament was promoting and protecting human rights. Parliamentarians, he said, were members of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms and expressed satisfaction at the fact that Human Rights Day celebration targeted members of parliament.
Speaking on behalf of the government, the Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Justice, Maurice Kamto said the quest for the respect of human rights was not only the concern of government but of all human rights defenders. He said government has created a favourable framework to ensure the promotion and protection of human rights in Cameroon, stating that all must be done in strict respective of the law. Professor Maurice Kamto called on human rights defenders to stop all unorthodox practices that could jeopardise the law and stressed that those who violate the law must face justice.
Members of government such as the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Relations with the Assemblies, Grégoire Owona, Minister Delegate at the Ministry of External Relations in charge of Relations with the Islamic World, Adoum Gargoum joined the participating members of parliament, human rights focal points in ministries, members of civil society organisations to listen to different presentations and messages. The Chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms, Dr Divine Chemuta Banda stressed that, “The special focus on human rights defenders is to remind us that we are all human rights defenders in one respect or the other”. He stated, “ Our believe is that if we all strive to promote equality, respect for the dignity and worth of each individual and ensure that persons are treated on the basis of equity and fairness, we would be contributing to the emergence of society of equals”. The messages of the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, among others were read during the occasion. The Coordinator of the African Network for the Promotion of Human Rights, Hon. Vincent de Paul Emah Etoundi gave the inaugural lecture on the stakes of human rights in Cameroon’s parliamentary action.
