Cameroon’s Permanent Secretariat of the Environment was recently transformed into the Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection (MINEP), headed by a Minister and a Deputy Minister (Ministre Délégué). While the Minister’s functions include the elaboration, implementation, and evaluation of Government policy on the environment, the Deputy Minister is specifically in charge of the environment and following up on all relevant Conventions. In addition, the Deputy Minister represents MINEP at important forums and events when the Minister has other commitments. This innovative division of authority is intended to strengthen the institutional framework for environmental management in general, and specifically to draw attention to the implementation of MEAs, which had hitherto received little attention.
Furthermore, the President of Cameroon signed Decree No. 2005/117 of 14th August 2005, which formally organised the Ministry. The Decree creates, inter alia, the Division of Studies, Projects and Cooperation whose functions include the preparation for international agreements and conventions, as well as following up on their execution in coordination with the relevant departments of other concerned Government ministries. Responsible officers have been appointed to fill the posts created.
MINEP is the institutional focal point for most MEAs. [Other Ministries and administrations have the lead responsibility for a few specific MEAs, including CITES, CMS, UNCLOS, the London Dumping Convention, and a few others.] As such, MINEP has appointed national focal points to reactivate activities related to all the MEAs to which Cameroon is Party. These national focal points are responsible for the day-to-day activities implementing the respective MEAs and following up on the recommendations.
Cameroon has established various inter-ministerial committees to coordinate implementation of most MEAs. Among other things, these committees are responsible for overseeing the development of Action Plans to implement the MEAs. These include, for example, the Interministerial Committee on Biosafety, the National Commission on the Environment and Sustainable Development, and the Inter-ministerial Committee on the Environment.
Implementation of Cameroon’s MEA commitments is facilitated by multistakeholder involvement in the negotiations. Cameroon’s delegation to MEA negotiations often includes representatives from the various relevant ministries as well as NGOs. This multistakeholder participation has the advantage that once the delegation returns home, implementation is eased as the various administrations that were represented at the forum have an interest in the outcome are better able to take the necessary actions in their particular sector.
At the beginning of each year, each Ministry prepares a list of International meetings that are anticipated. At this time, the Minister and the Deputy Minister decide, according to their respective commitments, who will participate in which MEA COPs and other international events.
For more information, see http://www.spm.gov.cm or contact Mr. Peter Enoh enohpeter@yahoo.fr or Ms. Mary Fosi mary_fosi@hotmail.com