The President of the 65th session of the UN General Assembly met with heads of the organisation’s agencies in Cameroon last Friday.
The President of the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Joseph Deiss says the 17 UN agencies in Cameroon are to help the government in its development endeavours and their actions have to tie with the country’s development programme. He was speaking to the press in Yaounde on January 28, 2011 on the second day of his three-day maiden visit to Cameroon, after meeting with the representatives of the United Nations System in the country.
The UN team in Cameroon led by the Resident Coordinator of the UN System, Thierry Mertens presented their activities and programmes to Joseph Deiss during the one-hour meeting held behind close doors at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office. Talking to the press after the meeting, the visiting UN General Assembly President said, “I first of all came to listen to the heads of UN agencies in Cameroon to better understand the ties between Cameroon and the UN”, adding that “We have 17 UN agencies in Cameroon and this shows that the UN is really present in the country”. He said following the reports on the efforts of the UN agencies and organisations in fostering development, “the UN is present in all spheres of life”. The balance sheet, he disclosed was mixed, stating that much efforts need to be made in curbing infant mortality and ensuring mother healthcare.
Joseph Deiss advised that Cameroon’s economic development needs to be strengthened, considering that all programmes need means that could only be obtained through a functional economy. He expressed happiness that the UN team was working in Cameroon following the government’s National Growth Programme spanning through 2008 to 2012. Government and its partners, he further advised, should besides employment and the economy, target other crucial sectors such as education, health and agriculture. The President of the UN General Assembly equally lauded Cameroon’s contributions in UN peacekeeping missions, and encouraged the country to keep on working to ensure peace and stability in the Central African Sub-region and beyond.
