Human Rights stakeholders yesterday July 23, 2013 validated the report in Yaounde.
Cameroon is expected to submit its fifth periodic report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee latest July 30, 2013. Human Rights stakeholders in the country yesterday, July 23, 2013 during a workshop at the Ministry of Justice validated the report, which does not only demonstrate the country’s commitment to respect international engagements but more importantly the determination to bequeath to posterity a more just, peaceful and free society.
The Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Justice, Jean Pierre Fogui, who chaired the opening ceremony of the workshop said the report answers questions the UN Human Rights Committee raised after scrutinizing the fourth periodic report on July 19 to 20, 2010 in Geneva. The issues concern Articles 1 to 27 of the International Pact on Civil and Political Rights. He called on the stakeholders to have the courage to express reticence on issues such as homosexuality and other issues that go contrary to societal norms.
Human Rights stakeholders in Cameroon, made up of government, human rights institution and civil society organizations validated the report that answers questions on the guarantee to the independence of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms, measures to strengthen gender mainstreaming, fight against discrimination based on sex and disabilities. The report also contains measures taken by the State to fight against jungle justice, torture and other forms of maltreatment, treatment of people in detention, independence of the courts, homosexuality, press abuses, protection of human rights defenders and specific judicial cases. Besides answering questions raised by the UN Committee, government is using the report to update the Committee on measures to strengthen the country’s institutional framework. Examples concern the effective putting in place of the Senate, reforms of Elections Cameroon, National Communication Council and Human Rights Commission It also mentions the creation of inter-ministerial committees to tackle human rights abuses against people living with disabilities and rights of refugees.
