Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly yesterday, March 17 gave the kick off to the scrutiny of four bills already tabled in the ongoing March ordinary session of the 2011 legislative year.

The Minister of Defence, Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o, assisted by the Minister  Delegate in the Ministry of External Relations in Charge of the Commonwealth, Joseph Dion Ngute defended in the Foreign Affairs Committee, the bill to authorise the President of the Republic to ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions, adopted in Dublin on 30 May 2008. The Convention that entered into force on August 1, 2010, prohibits the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster bombs. It seeks to definitely end the sufferings of new victims and loss of the human life caused by the use of cluster munitions at the time of their use, when they fail to function as intended or when they are abandoned.

Yesterday afternoon, the Committee on Economic Affairs examined the bill to lay down guidelines for territorial planning and sustainable development in Cameroon.  Today, the Foreign Affairs Committee in the morning examines the bill to authorise the President of the Republic to ratify the Niger Basin Water Charter, adopted in Niamey, Niger, on 30 April 2008.  The Finance and Budget Committee on its part, will still today at 10:30 am start examining the bill relating to the practice of the accounting profession and functioning of professionally qualified accountants of Cameroon (ONECCA)

The first question time plenary sitting for the March session will take place today at 3:00 pm at the Ngoa-Ekelle Hemicycle.