GE.18-03395 (E) 160318 200318
Human Rights Council
Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review Thirtieth session
7–18 May 2018
National report submitted in accordance with paragraph 5 of the annex to resolution 16/21 of the Human Rights Council*
Cameroon
* The present document has been reproduced without formal editing. Its content does not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations.
A General Assembly
Distr.: General5 March 2018 English
Original: French
Contents
Page
Introduction and methodology ... 3
I. Implementation of recommendations from previous cycles ... 3
A. Ratification of international instruments (recommendations Nos. 1–28, 67) ... 3
B. Promotion of human rights ... 4
C. Civil and political rights ... 5
D. Economic, social and cultural rights ... 7
E. Rights of specific groups ... 12
F. Cross-cutting issues: arbitrary detention, improvement of conditions of detention and eradication of torture in prisons (recommendations Nos. 100–105) ... 15
II. Cooperation and overview of progress and challenges ... 16
A. International cooperation and cooperation with civil society (recommendations Nos. 72–82 and 170) ... 16
B. Overview of progress, best practices, challenges and constraints ... 17
III. Expectations in terms of capacity-building, requests for technical assistance and support received ... 17
List of annexes ... 18
Introduction and methodology
1. The present report, which is intended for use in the assessment of Cameroon to be undertaken during the third cycle of the universal periodic review, has been prepared under the supervision of the interministerial committee responsible for monitoring the implementation of recommendations and/or decisions of regional and international human rights mechanisms. This committee reports to the Prime Minister, who is the Head of Government. The report has been prepared in accordance with the general guidelines issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and is the outcome of consultations among the Parliament, the relevant government departments, independent administrative authorities, civil society organizations and the National Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms. Upon its completion, a validation workshop for all stakeholders was held in Yaoundé on 31 October and 1 November 2017.
I. Implementation of recommendations from previous cycles
2. The amount of progress made in putting into practice the recommendations from previous cycles that have been accepted by Cameroon has varied; the implementation of some recommendations has been completed, while in other cases it has been partially achieved or is pending.1
A. Ratification of international instruments (recommendations Nos. 1–28, 67)
3. With regard to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the Code of Military Justice (Act No. 2017/12 of 12 July 2017) provides that persons charged with that crime shall be tried by the military courts (art. 8 (a) and (b)).
4. In respect of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, the Technical Council on Labour Migration was established by Decree No. 022/CAB/PM of 22 February 2016 to examine the issues involved in its ratification.2, 3 This process is currently under way.
5. Consideration of the possible ratification of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Intercountry Adoption is proceeding.
6. The instruments of ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment are in the process of being deposited.
7. The process involved in ratifying the UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education is under way.
8. The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities have been signed and are in the process of being ratified.
9. The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography was signed on 5 October 2001 but has yet to be ratified. However, Act No. 2010/012 of 21 December 2010 on Cybersecurity and Cybercrime in Cameroon and the Tourism Act (No. 2016/006 of 18 April 2016) (art.
43) reflect its provisions.
10. It should be noted that Cameroon has ratified a number of other international and regional instruments.
11. The international instruments that it has signed are:
• The International Labour Organization (ILO) Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention of 2 June 1976 (No. 144), ratified by Decree No.
2015/578 of 16 December 2015;
• The ILO Occupational Safety and Health Convention of 22 June 1981 (No. 155), ratified by Decree No. 2015/579 of 16 December 2015;
• The Paris Agreement of 12 December 2015, ratified by Decree No. 2016/320 of 12 July 2016.4
12. Regional agreements that it has signed include:
• The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Establishment of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights of 10 June 1998, ratified by Decree No. 2014/266 of 22 July 2014;
• The African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa of 22 October 2009, acceded to by Decree No.
2014/610 of 31 December 2014;
• The Organization of African Unity (OAU) Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism of 14 July 1999, ratified by Decree No. 2014/605 of 31 December 2014;5
• The Protocol to the OAU Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism of 8 July 2004, ratified by Decree No. 2014/606 of 31 December 2014;6
• The Charter for African Cultural Renaissance of 24 January 2006, ratified by Decree No. 2014/607 of 31 December 2014;7
• The Water Charter of the Lake Chad Basin of 30 April 2012, ratified by Decree No.
2014/608 of 31 December 2014.8
B. Promotion of human rights
1. Adoption and implementation of the 2015–2019 National Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (recommendation No. 60)
13. The 2015–2019 National Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights was adopted on 15 December 2015 and is already operational. The Plan covers four technical programmes dealing with civil and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights; the rights of specific groups; and cooperation, piloting, monitoring and evaluation.
2. Incorporation of international conventions ratified by Cameroon into national law and implementation of action plans and laws (recommendations Nos. 62, 63, 64, 68, 69 and 83)
14. The incorporation of these instruments into national law is under way. The provisions of the conventions listed in the footnote have been incorporated into the Penal Code (Act No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016).9 The implementation of action plans and legislation is entrusted to the corresponding government institutions in each case.
3. Public education on human rights (recommendations Nos. 158, 159 and 160)
15. A national human rights education programme is now in place in the country’s primary and secondary schools. In addition, the National Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms (CNDHL) has organized a number of activities, including a consensus-building workshop on the mainstreaming of human rights education in 2016. It also organizes human rights events and produces a bilingual radio broadcast designed to raise people’s awareness of their rights.
16. In 2016, the Government launched campaigns to inform government agencies, civil society organizations and the general public throughout the country about the National Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.10 In addition, various government agencies and civil society organizations, as well as the National Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms, organize seminars or workshops on an ongoing basis. They also carry out awareness-raising campaigns, participate in international human rights events
and broadcast weekly public service programmes; some of these broadcasts are conducted in local languages in order to reach a wider audience.
4. Strengthening of the National Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms (recommendations Nos. 61, 70 and 71)
17. In order to heighten the independence and financial autonomy of the National Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms, its staffing table has been consolidated and its budget has been increased every year since 2012.11,12 In addition, the Government is reviewing the Commission’s organizational structure with a view to helping it to improve the way in which it carries out its work.
18. As part of its fulfilment of its advisory role, the Commission assists with the preparation of State party reports for various regional and international human rights mechanisms in accordance with article 2 of its founding legislation of 2004.
C. Civil and political rights
1. Human rights training of judicial staff (recommendations Nos. 138, 170 and 171) 19. (recommendation No. 171) Human rights courses continue to be taught as part of the initial training provided at the National Police College, the Gendarmerie Schools and Training Centres Command, the National School of Prison Administration and the National School of Administration and Judicial Studies (annex 1). A training module on human rights has been taught at the Gendarmerie Academy since 2011, and the National Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms trained approximately 30 officers of the Gendarmerie on the observance of human rights in 2016. The instruction provided at the Military Academy continues to include modules on international humanitarian law.
20. Civil servants take part in sessions on human rights as part of their ongoing in- service training. Seminars and workshops have also been held by State and non-State actors, including the National Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms, for civil society organizations.13 Thanks to an allocation that has been included in the budget of the Ministry of Justice every year since 2014, over 130 judges have already benefited from capacity- building and training in the field of human rights.14
21. Awareness-raising activities and educational talks have been organized for police officers and other officials, and a community police force has been established to provide assistance to victims and witnesses of human rights violations.
22. The Bar Association’s Governance and Rule of Law Project organized capacity- building activities for 885 lawyers in 2016 and 2017 (annex 2).15,16
23. (recommendation No. 138) Technical cooperation has been provided for the organization of training modules for the National Anti-Corruption Commission (CONAC), which in turn has provided training for judges, law enforcement officials, the chiefs of anti- corruption units and private-sector actors within the framework of the National Anti- corruption Strategy.17 ,18 , 19 , 20 In addition, trainee judges often do internships at the International Labour Organization (ILO). In 2017, with support from the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development, 75 magistrates received human rights training, and the compilation of international, regional and national human rights instruments published by the Ministry of Justice in 2011 has been updated.21
2. Combating impunity on the part of law enforcement personnel (recommendation No.
99)
24. Between 2013 and 2017, 84 police officers of various ranks were subject to disciplinary measures ranging from a warning to dismissal (annex 3) for human rights violations. In addition, a senior officer of the National Gendarmerie and a dozen non- commissioned officers were sanctioned and summarily discharged.22
25. In 2016, proceedings were brought against 175 law enforcement officers, and 14 convictions were handed down by the military courts for offences relating to the violation
of the right to life and/or the right to protection from physical and mental injury. The penalties applied in such cases are recorded each year in the report of the Ministry of Justice on the human rights situation in Cameroon.23 To further strengthen the nation’s legal framework for the prevention of torture and the fight against impunity, traditional authorities can now be charged with torture as well as government officials (Penal Code, art. 277-3)
3. Right to freedom of expression, association and assembly and protection of human rights defenders (recommendations Nos. 111, 112, 113, 114, 115 and 116)
On freedom of expression and communication
26. In order to facilitate the exercise of these freedoms, two new laws have been adopted: Act No. 2015/006 of 20 April 2015, which amends and supplements the Electronic Communications Act (No. 2010/013 of 21 December 2010), and the Audiovisual Act (No.
2015/007 of 20 April 2015). In addition, a special fund for the development of audiovisual materials has been set up. Public support for private communications companies has continued despite budgetary constraints (annex 4), with that funding totalling 270,000,000 CFA francs (CFAF) in 2013 and 2014, CFAF 243,000,000 in 2015 and CFAF 250,000,000 in 2016.24,25,26
27. In order to help to ensure proper media coverage, the Press Card Committee, which provides identification for media professionals, was reactivated in 2015.27 In 2016, the Committee processed a total of 1,000 press card applications and issued a total of 900 cards. In 2017, there were 1,300 legally registered newspapers, 20 television channels, 177 radio stations, nearly 50 online media outlets and over 500 cable broadcasting companies.
28. The media industry exercises its freedom of expression within the framework provided by the profession’s code of ethics.28 To promote compliance with the code of ethics, capacity-building sessions have been organized for media professionals by public institutions, professional organizations and the National Communications Council (CNC).29 As part of its regulatory duties, the Council deals with cases of non-compliance with the code and imposes sanctions, some of which have been the subject of appeals in the administrative courts. Between 2013 and 2017, the Commission registered 327 complaints, of which 116 were brought by individuals, 79 by public authorities, 21 by professional associations and 6 by other institutions; 105 cases were initiated on an ex officio basis.
These complaints have resulted in the introduction of regulatory measures and the imposition of penalties ranging from warnings to the permanent revocation of press credentials (annex 5). Most of these cases have been filed by private parties who believe that their rights have been violated by journalists. This is also true of the cases brought before the courts, although some of the cases have been initiated by public authorities (annex 6).
29. The State party cooperates with special-procedure mandate holders by responding to the questionnaires that it receives from them. For example, in March 2017, Cameroon responded to the request made a few months earlier by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.30
30. Freedom of expression may, however, be restricted if this is necessary to maintain law and order, as was the case with the temporary suspension of Internet service in the North-West Region and the South-West Region of the country in 2017.31
Freedom of assembly and demonstration (recommendation No. 139)
31. During the second biannual conference of regional governors for 2016, guidance was provided on how to manage demonstrations in order to strike a balance between respect for the freedom to demonstrate and considerations of public order.32
32. In 2017, four regional capacity-building seminars on the rule of law and the exercise of public freedoms were organized for the country’s prefects. Prefects, sub-prefects and other relevant officials are made aware of issues relating to the freedom of assembly and demonstration during the monthly and quarterly meetings of law enforcement, security and
administrative coordination committees. They then seek to raise awareness of these issues among their constituencies.
Protection for human rights defenders (recommendation No. 112)
33. Discussions concerning the establishment of a formal framework for dialogue between the State and civil society human rights organizations are under way. In addition, inquiries or judicial proceedings are initiated in response to any reports of threats against human rights defenders.33
D. Economic, social and cultural rights
34. With a view to fine-tuning the measures that have already been taken, an emergency growth and employment plan was adopted for 2014–2017. A total of CFAF 925,000,000,000 in funding was set aside for the development of key social sectors; CFAF 30,000,000,000 of that sum was allocated to the health sector, CFAF 59,190,302,473 to crop farming and CFAF 19,321,040,775 to stock raising.34,35,36,37
1. Right to health (recommendations Nos. 149, 150–157 and 169)
35. In order to promote the right to health, the water supply has been expanded by building and refurbishing water treatment and catchment facilities and extending distribution networks in urban, peri-urban and rural areas (recommendation No. 149). The execution of 26 drinking water supply projects costing a total of CFAF 834,960.000 has raised the rate of access to safe drinking water from 40 per cent to 63 per cent between 2012 and 2016.38 The number of households served by the public water supply company is estimated to have climbed from 260,000 in 2014 to 421,000 in 2017.39 In order to accelerate and consolidate the expansion of the coverage of the drinking water distribution system, these works have been incorporated into the three-year growth and employment plan.40 The difficulty of securing enough funding for the water sector, which relies quite heavily on assistance from donors, coupled with the geological constraints that must be overcome in order to build and maintain water distribution systems, may reduce access to improved water sources (whose use rate was 72.9 per cent in 2014) and improved toilets (whose estimated use rate was 34.9 per cent in 2014) and thus have a negative impact on health.41 36. In order to ensure universal access to health care and services, a system for providing universal health-care coverage is being developed.42 In addition, the sectoral health strategy for 2001–2015 has made it possible to expand health-care facilities and increase the number of health-care personnel, to provide greater access to medicines and to develop a number of innovative tools for financing health-care services.43,44 This strategy has also included targeted assistance for mothers, children and adolescents and improved prevention and treatment of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria.
37. In addition to new guidelines on access to basic health-care facilities, the effort to increase the availability of health-care services has focused on primary health care and specialized health care.45 In 2014, health-care services were provided by 5,167 public and private facilities (annex 7).
38. A human resource development plan for the health sector was developed in 2013 which46 is aimed at eliminating the shortage of qualified personnel (estimated at 27,753) by 2018. Thus, for example, 520 health workers, 2,150 directors of health-care districts, 568 trainers and 51,100 community dispensary workers were trained in 2015.47 In total, the State earmarked CFAF 235,000,000 for training for health-care personnel in 2015.48 The percentage of health-care districts with at least 50 per cent of the necessary staff rose from 20.41 per cent in 2015 to 50 per cent in 2016.49,50
39. In order to improve the living conditions of health-care personnel, they are given special allowances and health insurance.51 In addition, 44 health districts located in 7 of the country’s 10 regions now have a performance-based financing mechanism which is expected to result in higher-quality hospital services and an increase in the use of those services.52
40. A pilot staff retention project was launched in remote areas of the country in March 2014. The project received a total of CFAF 50,000,000 in funding in 2015, and its funding for 2016 was increased to CFAF 145,000,000.53 ,54 As part of this project, 269 health workers assigned to remote rural areas in the North Region and the South-West Region in 2016 received bonuses.55
41. In the area of maternal and child health (recommendation No. 150), a national multisectoral programme to combat maternal, neonatal and child mortality in Cameroon has been developed for the period 2014–2018 which comprises several action plans.56,57 The 2014–2020 Multisectoral National Strategic Plan to Combat Maternal, Neonatal and Child Mortality is aimed at reducing the maternal mortality rate from 782 to 500 per 100,000 live births between 2014 and 2020 (a reduction of 6.2 per cent per year).58,59 The Strategy is also designed to provide a comprehensive, integrated response to health problems affecting mothers, children and adolescents.
42. In addition, a national blood transfusion programme was established in 2013 to address the shortage of hospital blood supplies as one means of reducing maternal mortality. Comprehensive prenatal check-ups and assisted childbirth are pillars of this strategy, which also includes awareness-raising activities for pregnant women. In all, 625,564 expectant mothers out of a total of 845,048 received prenatal checks in 2015, for a consultation rate of 74 per cent, as compared to a rate of 69.5 per cent in 2014.60
43. In order to provide greater access to obstetric care (recommendation No. 156), health-care centres are equipped with obstetric kits, and a medical care voucher system has been set up.61
44. In addition, 10 midwifery schools have been established since 2012 in order to address the shortage of skilled birth attendants; 179 of the graduates from these schools have been recruited by the State. Between 2012 and 2014, the reproductive health skills of 5,846 staff members were upgraded.62 Between 2013 and 2016, 27 maternity wards were constructed, and 10 of those units are now fully equipped. The Endoscopic and Human Reproduction Research and Treatment Hospital was inaugurated in May 2016. As a result, the rate of attended births rose from 54.69 per cent in 2013 to 63 per cent in 2015.63 As of 2014, the contraception use rate stood at 34.4 per cent.64 Training sessions for family planning service providers and outreach activities for potential beneficiaries have been undertaken in order to broaden access to such services for women and adolescents.65
45. With regard to the reproductive health of adolescents (recommendation No. 150) in addition to the development of a national strategy for the improvement of adolescent and youth health in 2013, 13 clinics for adolescents were opened in 2016 in the East, Adamaoua, North and Far North regions, and 150 health professionals have taken part in adolescent reproductive health skill-building activities.66,67
46. Efforts to expand children’s access to health care (recommendation No. 157) have included hand-washing, deworming and immunization campaigns as part of the expanded immunization programme, which was broadened in 2015 to cover 12 potential endemic diseases.68 Treatment for children under 5 years of age for simple and acute malaria has been provided free of charge since 31 December 2013. In 2015, 59 per cent (i.e., 145,645 out of 246,553) of children under 5 suffering from simple malaria were treated free of charge, as compared with 47.03 per cent (133,998 out of 284,861) in 2016.
In the case of children under 5 years of age suffering from acute malaria, 51 per cent (109.862 out of 214,926) were treated free of charge in 2015, compared with 49.08 per cent (117,617 out of 239,615) in 2016. Mosquito nets continue to be distributed. In all, 71 per cent of households had at least one long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito net for every two persons in 2015.69
47. As part of the implementation of the 2014–2017 National Strategic Plan to Combat HIV/AIDS (recommendation No. 151), new guidance was provided by the Minister of Public Health in May 2016.70,71
48. In addition to awareness-raising activities at public events (recommendation No.
154),72 HIV prevention efforts have included the distribution of condoms in both urban and rural areas, with 30,276,849 male condoms being distributed in 2016, as compared with
33,305,441 in 2015 and 38,002,917 in 2014, and 2,346,604 female condoms were distributed in 2016, as compared with 2,344,157 in 2015 and 2,469,464 in 2014.73 In addition, 2,418,139 people were tested in the course of HIV/AIDS screening campaigns in 2016, compared with 723,096 in 2014.74,75
49. In order to ensure the availability of treatment and address the challenges involved in offering treatment free of charge, treatment units and centres for people living with HIV/AIDS in both urban and rural areas have been decentralized;76,77 the number of such units and centres in the country’s 189 health districts climbed from 164 in 2014 to 166 in 2015 and to 254 in 2016. In addition, the average cost of the viral load tests performed in the eight laboratories that were surveyed fell from CFAF 10,000 to CFAF 5,000 in 2016.78,
79 Out of a total of 46,993 patients, 29,962 had an undetectable viral load, for a suppression rate of 63.75 per cent
50. The number of people receiving treatment increased from 131,531 in 2013 to 145,038 in 2014, 168,431 in 2015 and 205,382 in 2016. In addition, the estimated HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of 4.08 per cent in 2014 decreased to 3.94 per cent in 2015 and to 3.82 per cent in 2016.80,81 To ensure a closer link between screening and treatment, the Test-and-Treat initiative was adopted in 2016.
51. The use of Option B+ for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMCT) (recommendation No. 151) began in 2014. In 2016, 75.7 per cent of the HIV- positive pregnant women who were identified were provided with antiretroviral drugs, as compared with 84 per cent in 2015.82,83,84 With the support of UNAIDS, PMCT capacity- building for community outreach workers, voluntary testing and the referral of pregnant women from rural communities to PMCT prenatal consultation services have helped to optimize outreach efforts in rural areas, with generally satisfactory results. In 2014, 22,297 HIV-positive pregnant women out of a total of 31,112 received antiretroviral treatment, for a coverage rate of 53.5 per cent, versus 32.7 per cent in 2013. In 2015, 26,678 such women out of a total of 31,596 received antiretroviral treatment, raising the coverage rate to 84 per cent.85
52. In 2014, 10,718 out of 22,297 children born to HIV-positive mothers were placed on prophylactic antiretroviral treatment. In 2015, 12,811 children who had been exposed to HIV were placed on such treatment; 979 of those children tested positive for HIV, and 526 HIV-positive children were placed on curative antiretroviral treatment. In 2016, 14,734 children who had been exposed to HIV were placed on prophylactic antiretroviral treatment; 823 of them were diagnosed with HIV and 626 were placed on curative antiretroviral treatment.
53. In order to combat discrimination against persons living with HIV/AIDS, article 242 of the Penal Code now classifies discrimination based on medical status as a punishable offence. The community-based antiretroviral delivery strategy adopted in 2016 also addresses this issue.
54. As part of the fight against HIV in the workplace, the VCT@WORK initiative has conducted over 300 screening campaigns on formal- and informal-sector job sites in all 10 regions of the country. A total of 48,239 people (32,325 men and 15,914 women) were screened in 2014; 1,672 of those people tested positive for HIV, and 1,554 of them were referred to medical treatment facilities.86 In 2015, 61,048 persons (37,345 men and 23,703 women) were screened; of the 1,206 who tested positive, 1,087 were referred to treatment facilities; no information was available on the other 119 (9.86 per cent).87 In all, the VCT@WORK initiative has already made it possible to screen over 180,000 workers, and 4,200 of those who tested positive have been placed on treatment.
2. The right to work, freedom of association and equal treatment in employment (recommendations Nos. 140, 142, 145)
55. In the framework of the memorandum of understanding on the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) signed on 22 October 2014 between Cameroon and the International Labour Organization (ILO) for the period 2014–2017 (recommendation No.
145), a committee for consultation and follow-up to the social dialogue (recommendation No. 140) was established under Order No. 067/CAB/PM of 14 July 2014.88 The review and
updating of the register of trade unions was begun in October 2015 so that an accurate list of professional organizations would be available.89,90 This process did not interfere with the deployment of workers’ representatives, with 7,480 delegates of 11 trade union federations being elected on 1 March and 8 April 2016 around the country.91
56. As a result of ongoing reforms, social security coverage has been extended to the informal sector by means of a voluntary social insurance scheme, while the number of jobs rose from 224,712 in 2013 to 473,303 in 2017 thanks to an increase in decent employment opportunities. A special three-year youth employment plan was launched in 2017 which has provided funding for 38 pilot projects in such areas as agriculture, the digital economy, industry, and self-employment and innovation. To date, 70 per cent of the Decent Work Country Programme is being implemented. In order to maximize its results, it has been agreed that the programme will be extended until 2019.
57. The principles of wage equality for men and women and gender mainstreaming in the workplace continue to be upheld (recommendation No. 142).92
3. Right to education (recommendation Nos. 161–164)
58. The 2013–2020 Strategy Paper for the Education Sector was approved in 2013. The strategy is structured around three main areas: access and equity, quality and relevance, and management and governance.
59. As part of the effort to reduce disparities where they exist as a means of boosting school enrolment rates, emphasis is being placed on ensuring that education is completely free at the primary level by doing away with school fees.93 Support for parents in need of assistance includes the provision of basic school textbooks and the clustering of school infrastructure in both rural and urban areas (recommendation No. 161)94 (annex 8).
At the preschool level, there were 8,267 nursery schools in 2013/14, 9,175 in 2014/15 and 9,660 in 2015/16. The preschool teaching staff expanded from 10,210 in 2014/15 to 10,686 in 2015/16, while the number of pupils was estimated at 522,429 in 2014/15 and 555,810 in 2015/16, for a student-teacher ratio of around 20 to 1.95 The gross preschool enrolment rate was 37.5 per cent in 2014/15 and the net preschool enrolment rate was 26.9 per cent.96 60. At the primary level, there were 18,135 schools in 2013/14, 19,136 in 2014/15 and 19,711 in 2015/16. The number of public primary school teachers increased from 60,357 in 2013/14, to 67,878 in 2014/15 and to 66,264 in 2015/16. The number of students was estimated at 4,136,912 in 2013/14, 4,369,988 in 2014/15 and 4,481,235 in 2015/16, for a student-teacher ratio of 51 to 1. The net school enrolment rate was 87.3 per cent in 2014/15.97
61. There were a total of 3,570 secondary schools in 2013/14.98 The figure rose to 3,786 in 2014/15 and to 3,987 in 2015/16.99,100 The number of teachers serving the country’s 2,237,015 registered secondary students climbed from 100,237 to 118,613 in 2015/16.101 The gross enrolment rate increased from 56.56 per cent in the 2013/14 academic year to 59.54 per cent in 2015/16.102,103
62. In higher education, the university system expanded as the eight State universities opened up new campuses and began to offer additional fields of study, while the number of private institutions of higher education climbed from 141 in 2013 to 185 in 2017. The number of students increased from 318,415 in 2013/14 to 450,000 in 2015/16; girls were estimated to make up 43.60 per cent of the student body in 2015/16. The number of professors increased from 4,081 in 2012/13 to 4,450 in 2015/16, for a student-teacher ratio of 102 to 1.104
63. Efforts to raise the school enrolment rate for girls (recommendation No. 163) have included the organization of awareness campaigns and the provision of incentives in the form of scholarships and instructional kits for girls, the provision of snacks and the establishment of school cafeterias in priority education zones, the construction of separate latrines and a range of measures for combating gender-based violence in schools and early or forced marriage.105
64. Strategies for improving the quality of education have focused on the provision of a quality basic education, capacity-building for teachers, the modification of curricula, the
promotion of national language learning and the implementation of school health programmes.
65. All these efforts have helped to raise the enrolment rate. The primary school completion rate was 79.7 per cent for boys for the academic year 2014/15 and 72.8 per cent for girls, while the primary-to-secondary education transition rate was 77.8 per cent for girls and 78 per cent for boys.106 The net secondary school attendance rate was 55 per cent for boys and 50 per cent for girls. The gender parity index (GPI) rating was 0.91 at the primary level and 0.92 at the secondary level.
66. However, the 2016/17 school year has been subject to some disruptions in the North-West and South-West regions occasioned by the actions taken by a number of trade unions, including teachers’ unions.
4. Social rights: combating poverty and improving the living conditions of the population (recommendations Nos. 143–146, 147 and 148)
67. In addition to the emergency plan mentioned earlier, other projects that have been developed include a social safety net project, a labour-intensive public works project as part of the Participatory National Development Programme (PNDP) and a second grass-roots poverty reduction subprogramme. Cooperation between Cameroon and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has made it possible to fund more than 35 projects in different regions of the country and to establish two counselling and guidance centres in Lagdo and Maga in the North and Far North regions.107,108
68. The social safety net project is focused on combating poverty, vulnerability and exclusion. It includes the regular cash transfer programme targeting chronically poor households; a part of the labour-intensive public works project aimed at helping households overcome exogenous shocks (droughts and floods) by providing financing for small-scale community projects; and an emergency cash transfer programme to assist households to deal with the challenges posed by the influx of internally displaced persons triggered by the security situation in the Far North Region. This project covers the Far North, North, Adamaoua, East and North-West regions and the cities of Douala and Yaoundé. Between 2013 and June 2017, a total of CFAF 6,228,000,000 in transfers was provided to approximately 63,000 households.109 This project is divided into two phases: a government- financed experimental phase (with CFAF 1,327,713,193 in funding) and an implementation phase funded by the World Bank through a project of the International Development Association (IDA) (with CFAF 25,000,000,000 in funding).110,111
69. In order to uphold the right to an adequate standard of living (recommendation No.
148), access to a sufficient food supply is ensured by a second-generation agricultural sector whose development has been supported by 17 projects paid for out of the public investment budget. In addition, the State has improved distribution channels, processed the certification of new foodstuffs, provided for the direct distribution of food supplies to the population residing in areas at risk of food insecurity and continued with its promotional sales campaigns and initiatives to encourage the establishment of local markets for the sale of staples.112,113,114
70. The land tenure system in Cameroon (recommendation No. 83) is based on the principle of equal, non-discriminatory access to land.115 The Government is working to combat harmful customs and cultural practices that restrict women’s access to landownership.
71. Pending the completion of the cadastral and land reform process that is now under way, community awareness-raising sessions are being held that focus on the need to address these discriminatory customary practices.
E. Rights of specific groups
1. Women’s rights (recommendations Nos. 39–45, 50–53 and 117–133)
72. In order to combat discrimination against women and to promote gender equality (recommendations Nos. 39–45), the National Gender Policy Paper116 was adopted in 2014, followed by the multisectoral action plan for its implementation in 2016. In an effort to foster institutional ownership of gender issues, 12 gender committees117 have been set up in various public bodies.118 A multisectoral platform for actors engaged in combating violence, exploitation, abuse, discrimination, harmful cultural practices and child marriage has also been created.
73. The National Strategy to Combat Gender-based Violence, which was adopted in 2011, was updated in 2016. The Government has also conducted awareness-raising campaigns with the support of civil society in this connection.119 The number of persons involved in these campaigns, including key stakeholders such as parliamentarians, traditional leaders and religious leaders, stood at 15,726 in 2015, 50,901 in 2016 and 62,953 in 2017.
74. The amendment of the Penal Code in 2016120 served to expand the existing range of forms of violence against women that are classified as criminal offences.121 Consequently, female genital mutilation122, interference with organ growth123 (including the practice of breast ironing), sexual harassment124 and expulsion from the marital home 125 are now punishable offences. Moreover, a rapist or abductor who goes on to marry his or her victim is no longer exempt from criminal prosecution.126 Radio spots are also broadcast on the new provisions in the Penal Code that protect the rights of women, children and the family.
75. The statistics on rape compiled by the courts in 2016 show that 109 women and 127 girls were identified as rape victims. This was reflected in the 344 official investigation reports sent to the different prosecutors’ offices; 264 decisions were also handed down by the courts in cases dealing with this offence, for a total of 153 convictions.127 With the support of civil society, the psychosocial care provided to victims has been broadened with the addition of call centres,128 gender desks129 and capacity-building activities for personnel in the referral chain.130 Furthermore, a guide on comprehensive care for victims of gender- based violence was developed by the Government in 2016.
76. The implementation of the five-year plan of action for combating female genital mutilation, which was adopted in 2011 and reviewed in 2016, has continued through awareness-raising campaigns, which have reached more than 500,000 persons between 2014 and 2017. The holistic care provided to victims has been reinforced by strengthening the referral chain. Seventy former circumcisers were retrained and received support to help them take up new income-generating occupations. The setting up of local monitoring bodies131 and cooperation platforms132 has made it possible to involve communities and civil society organizations, respectively, in efforts to combat this harmful practice.
Early and forced marriage
77. Although the National Family Policy Paper is still being drafted, efforts to combat early and forced marriages (recommendations Nos. 39, 50, 118, 119 and 132) have been stepped up. Under the amended Penal Code, any person who gives away a person aged under 18 years in marriage is guilty of a punishable offence.133 The African Union campaign to end child marriage was launched in Cameroon in November 2016. Families and communities have also been made aware of the importance of education, and a partnership has been formed with civil society.
78. Teaching materials for use in family education modules were distributed to 6,326 persons in 2016. In an effort to achieve domestic harmony, a national plan for the reduction of domestic violence was devised in 2016 that makes provision for support for couples and families as part of marital mediation or marriage counselling services.
79. Regarding the participation of women in public life134 (recommendations Nos. 48, 129 and 142), as a result of the provision in the Electoral Code of 2012 that requires the application of a gender quota to electoral lists starting with the 2013 elections, women
accounted for 21 per cent of senators, 8.6 per cent of mayors and 30.59 per cent of parliamentarians, compared to 3 per cent and 13.9 per cent, respectively, in 2007. In 2017, 15.38 per cent of government officials were women. An advocacy tool known as the Public Administration Gender Ranking was launched in 2016 for use in assessing the progress made in increasing the representation of women in decision-making posts. It indicates that 16.76 per cent of director-level posts in the central government are held by women, while 83.24 per cent of the posts are occupied by men.
80. Regarding the economic empowerment of women, a study taking stock of the situation of women’s entrepreneurship was conducted in 2016 to pave the way for the drafting of the National Policy for the Development of Women’s Entrepreneurship. In addition, a programme to support women’s entrepreneurship with CFAF 7,000,000,000 in funding135 has been launched by the Government with the support of the Central African States Development Bank. The programme is intended to fund women’s economic projects and includes a training-of-trainers and follow-up component.
81. Between 2013 and 2017, 22 centres for the advancement of women and the family and appropriate technology centres (recommendation No. 136) were built or refurbished, allowing around 60,000 people, most of them women,136 to acquire skills in the areas of hospitality and catering, hairdressing, cosmetology, and information and communications technology. Moreover, with the support of private schools, more than 120,000 women have been trained in the use of information and communications technology as part of the first phase of this initiative.
2. Children’s rights (recommendations Nos. 54–59 and 134–137)
82. Although the process of updating the Civil Code is still ongoing, child protection (recommendations Nos. 54 and 59) has remained a fundamental priority for the State. A national platform for the protection of children in Cameroon, including children in emergency situations, has been created with the primary objective of coordinating prevention, response and advocacy activities for children.137 The National Child Protection Policy Paper was drafted in 2017.
83. Efforts to ensure universal birth registration (recommendations Nos. 89, 90 and 91) have continued. The process of establishing the National Civil Status Office was completed and 10 regional offices were opened in 2016.
84. Awareness-raising and training activities for personnel working in the area of birth registration have been duly conducted. A module on civil status has been included in the curricula of secondary schools and teacher training colleges. The 90 training sessions organized by the Ministry of Local Government and Decentralization in 74 localities throughout the country in 2016 served to build the capacity of 4,100 civil status officers and secretaries, or 67 per cent of the total staff. Approximately 700 other persons, including village leaders, health workers and employees of the Ministry of Justice, also benefited from these training sessions. The media have also contributed to this endeavour by publishing related information. Awareness-raising campaigns on birth registration have been organized in all 10 regions of the country, with particular emphasis being placed on remote villages. The mobilization of parliamentarians, community leaders and traditional leaders has been identified as a strategy for sustaining awareness-raising efforts. The provision of procedural support has also been identified as a strategy for ensuring that the general public and particularly the most vulnerable population groups have access to civil status documentation.
85. Most of these measures have been adopted as part of the Civil Registration Reform Programme in Cameroon.138
86. The digitization of civil status records and the consolidation of the related infrastructure require substantial funding and continue to pose a challenge.139 In order to overcome this challenge, the Strategic Civil Status Reform Plan in Cameroon for 2018–
2022, which has estimated implementation costs of CFAF 69,164,000,000,140 was adopted on 15 June 2017. The Plan addresses the unrealized objectives of the Civil Registration Reform Programme.
87. Regarding the protection of children from violence (recommendation No. 136), article 350 of the Penal Code increases the applicable penalties in cases of violence against children.141 The obstruction of visitation rights142 or the right to an education143 have also been classified as criminal offences. The offences of smuggling and trafficking have also been included in the Code.144 The increase in capacity-building initiatives for law enforcement officials has been reflected in the prosecution of trafficking and smuggling cases (annex 9).
88. The number of child victims of trafficking (recommendation No. 135) (annex 10).
89. Regarding child labour (recommendation No. 137), the National Committee to Combat Child Labour was set up in 2014 and the National Action Plan for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour was adopted in 2017. As was the case with past strategies, prevention and protection are at the centre of actions to combat this problem.
Thanks to better prevention through education, school enrolment indicators have improved.145 Campaigns to prevent the exploitation of children have been conducted by both State and non-State actors.146 A manual on adoption procedures was finalized in 2013.
90. The effort to address the situation of street children is still a cause for concern.
Mixed-gender mobile brigades tasked with taking preventive and supportive action 147 were set up on a pilot basis in Douala and Yaoundé. Of the 717 street children identified by these brigades between 2013 and 2016, 410 were taken off the streets and either returned to their families or enrolled in support and assistance programmes put in place with the assistance of the National Office for Civic Participation in Development,148 the Programme to Support the Rehabilitation and Occupational Reintegration of Vulnerable Persons and the National Employment Fund. In 2016, the Fund invested around CFAF 56,000,000 149 in microprojects run by street children.
91. A strategic plan for the care of orphans and vulnerable children (recommendation No. 135) was drawn up in December 2010, along with guidance on their care. A project entitled Key Interventions to Develop Systems and Services for Orphans and Vulnerable Children is currently being implemented.150 The State is caring for 475 orphans of soldiers who died on the front lines of the fight against Boko Haram.
3. Rights of vulnerable groups and rural populations (recommendations Nos. 166–168) 92. Cameroon has continued to implement its policy for the integration of persons with disabilities at the strategic and operational levels. The National Policy Paper on the Protection and Promotion of Persons with Disabilities in Cameroon and its related Action Plan for 2017–2021 have been updated (recommendation No. 166). Structural measures have been taken to ensure the availability of inclusive education151 and to promote the empowerment and social and occupational integration of persons with disabilities. Between 2005 and 2015, 58 persons with a visual impairment received training from the Computer Training Centre that was adapted to their needs, while 205 other persons living with a disability received vocational training in the use of information and communications technology.
93. Pursuant to the national solidarity policy that has been developed on the basis of the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper, the policy for the integration of Pygmies, Mbororos and other vulnerable groups is being implemented through programmes and projects tailored to their needs in the areas of education, access to civic rights, health, vocational training and agriculture. As part of the Development Plan for the Pygmy Peoples, which is being implemented under the National Programme for Participatory Development, 2,805 children have been issued birth certificates. In addition, an agreement has been signed between the parties responsible for implementing the National Programme for Participatory Development and the Diocese of Eséka to guarantee Pygmy children a primary and secondary education. The adoption of strategies and tools to adapt educational approaches to the culture and way of life of indigenous peoples has helped to improve school enrolment indicators (annex 11).
94. Regarding the participation of indigenous peoples in the management of public affairs, it should be noted that a member of the Mbororo community was elected to the top
