Cameroon: Human Rights commission trains focal points on international mechanisms

Focal points of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms (NCHRF) in government ministries, members of the civil society and other actors involved in the protection and promotion of human rights here have been drilled on the mechanisms of understanding international conventions on human rights and writing periodic reports on the respect of these conventions.

By Yemti Harry Ndienla

This was during a two-day workshop that took place at the nation's capital -Yaounde recently
The workshop focused on the submission of periodic human rights reports to treaty organisations and follow up of recommendations of special procedure.
The workshop came on the hills of increasing difficulties encountered by many countries, including Cameroon, in relation with treaties they have signed and ratified.
Reason why Cameroon's NCHRF chairman, Chemuta Divine Banda, said the non-respect of human rights is responsible for most national and international tensions. Arguing that there is need for stakeholders and civil society to understand what they can do to respect laid down rules on the respect of the rights of man.
He further explained that the presence of members of civil society in the workshop, was to arm them to monitor government action on the protection and promotion of human rights which are constantly being violated in the country.
In course of the workshop, participants were drilled on the main instruments and mechanisms relating to the respect of human rights, how they could evaluate the national system on the submission of reports among many others.
The workshop also served as a forum for participants to evaluate what they have been doing and map out new strategies on how to step up the respect of human rights in the country, which they all agreed, still leaves much to be desired.
NCHRF partnered with the UN development programme (UNDP) to organise the workshop.
UNDP’s intervention was in line with its programme, United Nations Development Assistance Framework that runs from 2008 to 2012 and aims at giving assistance for democratic governance.
The reports of the human rights situation in Cameroon, according to the calendar of the United Nations would be examined during the fourth UN session billed for 2-13 February 200