Presentation of the draft budget of the Ministry of External Relations for the 2007

The Chairman of the Finance Committee,
Honourable Members,

It is a real pleasure for me to stand here today before your august Committee to present the budgetary estimates for 2007 financial year of the Ministry of External Relations, which the President of the Republic, Head of State and Head of our diplomacy, H. E. Paul BIYA very recently entrusted to me to head.

The submission of the draft budget is customarily the suitable occasion to address the People’s Representatives, through your august Committee, about the activities carried out with previous allocations, before presenting the major activities envisaged, and for which budgetary allocations are sequested for the new financial year.

However, before I continue, kindly permit me to pay due and resounding homage to you, Mr Chairman, to the Honourable Members of this Committee, and to the august House as a whole, for the tremendous and useful work achieved throughout this legislature, notably in the domains concerning foreign affairs.

I would also like to avail myself of this opportunity to pay tribute to your colleagues of blessed memory, the elected representatives of the Nation, who passed away during this year.

Mr Chairman,
Honourable Members,

Throughout the financial year that is coming to a close, the Ministry of External Relations carried out intensive activities in the implementation of the guidelines and objectives defined by the Head of State. This involved notably :

improving the image of our country on a continuous basis ;
effective participation of Cameroon in international and regional meetings where major issues of concern to mankind and/or to the African continent and to Cameroon are addressed ;
contributing to peacekeeping efforts and security in the world, at the sub-regional and the international levels ;
enhancing Cameroonian human resources in international organizations ;
protecting and safeguarding State property abroad ;
increasing the efficiency of Cameroonian diplomatic missions ;
seeking for greater efficiency in the central administration;
protecting Cameroonians abroad.

In more specific terms, the main activities carried out by my Ministry as well as those in which it was involved during the year that is ending can be broadly outlined as follows :

In the African region :

At the multilateral level, our country continued to take part in the numerous activities of the African Union and its Specialised Agencies. Thus, Cameroon took part in all statutory meetings of this Organisation, as well as in technical or specialized meetings organized by its Specialized Agencies.

Within the Central African sub-region, note may be taken of the following :

participation, on 16 March 2006 in Bata (Equatorial Guinea), at the 14th session of the Council of Ministers of CEMAC ;
the provision by Cameroon of a contingent of eighty (80) men within the framework of the multinational CEMAC force in the CAR ;
the holding in our country, very recently, of the first conference of Members of Parliament on the sustainable management of the tropical rainforest ecosystems of Central Africa.

As concerns bilateral cooperation

It may be noted with pleasure that economic and trade agreements with South Africa were signed last September 22. These instruments are the foundation stone of the legal framework for our cooperation with this important partner ;
Similarly the holding in Yaounde, from 8 to 11 May 2006, of the 7th session of the Cameroon -Tunisia Joint Commission provided a forum for the signing of a memorandum and three agreements in the areas of taxation, physical education and sports as well as air transport ;
A protocol agreement was signed with Equatorial Guinea with a view to carrying out a joint study for the realization of a project for the exportation of natural gas by Cameroon to that country.

Furthermore, and without being exhaustive, one may mention :

the participation in several international fairs in some African countries, notably : Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and South Africa;
the presentation of Cameroon’s 1st periodic report at the 39th session of the African Commission of Human and Peoples’ Rights ;
the holding of the 3rd extraordinary session of the Board of Directors of the Sub-regional Centre for Research and Documentation on Oral Traditions and the Development of African Languages (CERDOTOLA) from 28 to 30 June 2006, at the end of which our fellow countryman, Pr. Charles BINAM BIKOI was elected to the post of Executive Secretary, despite the fact that Cameroon is already hosting the centre’s headquarters;
many African emissaries were received, either to hand over messages of which they were bearers or to hold talks at ministerial level.

Still at the bilateral level in Africa, special mention should be made of the signing of the Greentree Agreement on 12 June 2006 between the Presidents of Cameroon and Nigeria, thanks to the good offices of the Secretary-General of the United Nations organization, and with the assistance of some friendly countries. The signing of this Agreement denotes significant progress in the implementation of the verdict of the International Court of Justice of 10 October 2002. The implementation of the June 12 agreement was marked by the withdrawal of the Nigerian army from the Bakassi peninsula and the handing over of authority to Cameroon on 14 August 2006. New avenues for cooperation between our two countries henceforth appear open.

At the European level:

The Ministry embarked on activities centred on the following:

continuation of the Cameroon-European Union structured political dialogue;
the follow-up, assistance and protection of Cameroonian nationals in European countries, whether they be legal or clandestine emigrants ;
the updating of the institutional cooperation framework so as to strengthen relations. Thus, political consultations were instituted between Russia and Cameroon.

In a nutshell, our relations with Europe have remained intensive, diverse and positive. As an illustration, the following can be mentioned, among others :

the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cameroon and Malta on 27 January 2006;
the visit to Great Britain of a delegation of high ranking officials led by the Prime Minister, head of Government;
participation, in Spain, in a Ministerial round-table conference on combating terrorism ;
In return, our country hosted European personalities, amongs whom were :
- the Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, H. E. Bernardino Léon GROSS;
- the Adviser to the French President on African affairs, Mr Michel BONNECORSE;
- Madam Brigitte GIRANDIN, French Minister delegate for Cooperation, Development and the Francophonie, culminating in the signing, on 22 June, of a Framework Partnership Document and the Debt defeasance and Development Contract (C2D) for the 2006-2010 period.

The high point in our relations with this region in 2006, was, without doubt, the official visit paid by the Head of State, H. E. Paul BIYA to France from 26 to 28 July 2006, at the invitation of his French counterpart.

With regard to our cooperation with the American and Caribbean region our main activities in 2006 focused, as in the past, on four traditional partners, namely, the United States, Canada, Brazil and Cuba. These activities include :

the follow up of the recommendations of the 2nd session of the Cameroon-Brazil Joint Commission in the areas of education and agriculture ;
preparations for the 1st Cameroon – Cuba Joint Commission.
Participation in the diplomatic forum organised by the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs ;
The negotiation of an air transport cooperation agreement with Brazil.

Mr Chairman,
Honourable Members of Parliament

Besides, Cameroon continued to strengthen its relations with the United States of America. To this end, many missions at ministerial and parliamentary levels, among others, visited this country. The most recent was led by the Prime Minister, Head of Government, last October.

In the same vein, one could mention the working visits to Cameroon by some officials of the US State Department, notably Mr. YAMAMOTO and Madam Jendayi FRAZER, respectively Deputy Under Secretary of State and Deputy Secretary of State for African Affairs. During the latter’s visit, the new American Chancery in Yaounde was inaugurated in the presence of the Head of State, H.E. Paul BIYA.

Besides, an air service cooperation (Open Sky) agreement with the United States was signed in February 2006.

Still as far as this region is concerned, the Ministry participated in:

the Diplomatic Forum organised by the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs;
the negotiation of an air transport cooperation agreement with Brazil.

Our already very rich and diversified relations with the Asian and Pacific region continued to gain strength notably with:

the opening in Yaounde of the Sub-regional Office of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) ;
participation in the third forum and in the first China-Africa Summit in Peking ;
preparation of the 3rd conference of OIC member States (Organisation of the Islamic Conference) on the problem of refugees in the Moslem world;
the completion of construction work on the Kribi Traditional Fishing Centre funded by the Japanese Government;
our participation in the 33rd Islamic Conference of the OIC Foreign Affairs Ministers;
the signing of the Protocol to lay down the schedule for reducing preferential customs rates between OIC members States;

As concerns visits, we can mention:

the visit of the Head of State, H.E Paul BIYA to Japan last April ;

the visit to Cameroon by Japanese officials, namely :
- the Honourable YAMAGIWA DAISHIRO, Japanese Member of Parliament ;
- Mr MASURU MIWA, Mayor of TSHUSHIMA City, partner city of Cameroon during the Universal Exhibition organised by Japan in 2005;
- the Honourable SEIKEN SUGIURA, Japan’s Minister of Justice and Special Envoy of the Japanese Prime Minister;
- the visit of H.R.H SAAD BIN ABDULAZIZ AL SAUD, Saudi Prince and influential business man.

Mr Chairman,
Honourable Members of Parliament,

During the year that is ending, and in execution of the directives of the Head of State, H.E Paul BIYA, my Ministry made sustained efforts to consolidate co-operation ties with International Organisations, three of which are worth mentioning here ; the Francophonie, the Commonwealth and the United Nations.

With regard to la Francophonie, our activities centred principally on:

strengthening and diversifying Cameroon’s presence at the Francophonie;
active participation at all statutory meetings of the Organisation;
popularising Francophonie activities in order to enable Government and the Civil Society to better benefit from the opportunities it offers.

To this effect, it is important to note the following measures:

the election of Honourable Hilarion ETONG to the post of Vice-President of the Francophonie Parliament;
the payment of all contributions by Cameroon to the Francophonie;
the celebration of the 36th International Day of the Francophonie;
The official visit of Professor Michel GUILLOU, former Director General of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie and Director of IFRAMOND.

At the level of the Commonwealth, activities undertaken include:

The intensification of measures aimed at translating the principles enshrined in the Harare Declaration into concrete action;
Celebration of the Commonwealth Week, last March, under the theme: “Health and Vitality: a challenge for the Commonwealth”.

In brief, my Ministry spared no effort to ensure that greater benefit is drawn from the opportunities offered by this strategic partner, be it in the political, economic or social domain.

The United Nations Organization, because of the encompassing nature of its sphere of activity, was also followed up with keen interest by MINREX with a view to establishing a multi-sectoral and diversified co-operation.

Consequently, in the area of Peace and Security, priority was given to:

Contributing to the debate on the fight against international terrorism as well as the problem of refugees and displaced persons, illicit circulation of light weapons, and trans-border organised crime and banditry;
The monitoring of UN peace-maintenance operations in which our country is currently participating. In this light, it is noteworthy that the role played by Cameroon’s contingents be it in Haiti, Côte d’Ivoire or the Democratic Republic of Congo is unanimously acclaimed and appreciated both by the senior authorities of the UN and the beneficiary States ;
Participation in the United Nations Conference in charge of examining the progress made in the implementation of the action programme to prevent, combat and eliminate illicit trade in light weapons in all its aspects.

As regards the promotion and protection of Human Rights, the Ministry, in collaboration, where necessary, with the Ministry of Justice and competent security services, worked toward:

The defence of Cameroon’s policy and practice in the domain of Human Rights, at the Human Rights Council as well as other United Nations bodies;

The presentation of Cameroon’s practices and policies in the domain of Human Rights during a United Nations Sub-Regional seminar on “The Approach to development based on Human Rights”

Generally speaking, our country continued to voice its opinion at the UN within the regional groups of which it is a member – (the African Group, the OIC, the OIF or the Commonwealth Group…) and within fora charged with the management of key international issues. Within the United Nations system, Cameroon’s credibility and influence was further highlighted by its election, or the election of its nationals, into various subsidiary organs of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council or the International Sea-bed Authority. Our country is thus a member, inter alia, of the very first Human Rights Council, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the Executive Board of the UNICEF, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, the International Law Commission…

Mr. Chairman,
Honourable Members of Parliament,

Besides the above-mentioned aspects of our diplomacy in various geographical and sectorial areas, the Ministry carried out many other activities within its statutory duties.

Thus, as concerns the protection and defence of Cameroonians abroad, the Ministry, in association with other government services carried out missions to Spain, to the Federal Republic of Germany and Switzerland in order to confirm or disclaim the Cameroonian nationality of certain emigrants illegally residing in the above- mentioned countries.

This exercise was conducted through the interrogation of the persons concerned in the presents of the authorities of the host countries.

It was discovered, as a consequence, that some of these illegal emigrants claiming to be Cameroonian nationals were indeed citizens of other African countries. In other cases, the happy outcome was the regularisation of the status of some Cameroonian claimants. As for the remaining illegal Cameroonian emigrants, it was agreed with the local authorities that their repatriation be conducted with due respect of their rights and human dignity.

With regard to the improvement of the efficiency of our diplomatic missions and the quest for greater output in the Central services, noteworthy action taken includes the vast diplomatic redeployment carried out in April 2006. This contributed, on the on hand, to the boosting of the human resource capacity of our Embassies and Consulates and, on the other, to enforce the Ministry’s organisational chart.

In the same light, vehicles and computer equipment were acquired. In addition, renovation works were carried out on our telecommunications network. And finally, it appears useful to state that internet connection of the Central services are currently underway and should be completed in the months ahead.

As for the refurbishing of State Property abroad, emphasis has been put on renovation works in the Paris Chancery and on the completion of works on the New Rochelle residence in New York. Other lighter works have also been carried out in our London and Brazzaville Chanceries.

Finally it must be mentioned that preparatory work towards organisation of the next Conference of Ambassadors is near completion.

Mr Chairman
Honourable Members of Parliament

As concerns the 2007 financial year, our ambition is, on the one hand, to carry on with the activities already started, while expanding them or adjusting them as the need may arise, and on the other hand, to commit additional funds to new objectives which fall within the major guidelines set by President Paul BIYA for his second seven-year term of office, namely;

Ensure that Cameroon obtains greater benefit from its cooperation ties. With its various partners, both bilateral and multilateral ;
Improve on the perception by our external perception of Cameroon’s policies and practices concerning democracy, Human Rights and the rule of law ;
Carry on with the modernization of management and governance in the central administration and external services of the Ministry.

In this regard, allocations requested for the recurrent budget shall be mainly geared towards :

Improvement of the working conditions in the central administration and the external services ;
A better knowledge and mobilization of Cameroon’s Diaspora, in order to make it contribute more efficiently to the social, economic and cultural development of our country, as well as to better protect them;
The improvement of reception conditions and methods in our diplomatic missions;
The continuation of the redeployment of diplomatic personnel;
The anchorage of the Ministry to modernity by the setting up of an Internet site and a secure intranet for the internal and external services of the Ministry;
The effective participation in meetings of International Organisations of which Cameroon is member.

As regards credits requested for the Public Investment Budget (P.I.B.), we intend, as a priority, to :

Restore diplomatic property in Addis-Ababa, Ottawa, Cairo, Paris, Washington, Kinshasa, London, Madrid and Jeddah;
Repair and/or acquire vehicles for our diplomatic missions and the central administration ;
Relocate Cameroon’s Embassy from Bonn to Berlin, and those of the High Commission from Lagos to Abuja.

Furthermore, I think it is useful to let you know that MINREX intends to:

Start implementing SIGIPES with the completion of technical operations coupled with the training of operators and technicians. To this end, we would need to acquire material and equipment and set up an information system for users in Cameroon and abroad;
Continue computerising the external and central services;
Continue work on the buildings of the central services;

Mr Chairman,
Honourable Members of Parliament,

In order to enable the Ministry of External Relations comply with Government’s instructions so as to fully achieve the objectives assigned to it for the 2007 financial year, permit me to request from your august Committee, an overall allocation of twenty-four billion, two hundred and seventy million, (24,270,000,000) CFAF, that is CFAF ( twenty-two billion and seventy million (22,070,000,000) CFAF for the Recurrent Budget and two billion, two hundred million (2,200,000,000) CFAF for the Investment Budget.

I am readily available for any clarifications.

Thank you for your kind attention.