Cameroon set to host Commonwealth parliamentary conference

By Amindeh Blaise Atabong in Yaounde

Monjowa Lifaka (C) during press conference

Cameroon is ready to host over 800 delegates from 53 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) member countries for the 60^TH Commonwealth parliamentary conference, the coordinator of the organising committee, Monjowa Lifaka Emilia has said.

The vice president of Cameroon’s national assembly, Monjowa was speaking last Wednesday at the conference room of the national assembly during a press briefing tailored towards Cameroon’s readiness to host the August summit.

According to organisers, the annual conference which will run from October 2-10, 2014 will hold in Yaounde under the theme: “Repositioning the Commonwealth for the post-2015 development agenda.”

During the 8 day conference placed under the patronage of president Paul Biya who is CPA vice patron, delegates will brainstorm on crucial issues related to international politics and the evolution of the parliamentary systems amongst member states of the association. Eight workshops have been programmed to evaluate the emergent content of the post-2015 development agenda, enhance women’s rights, review good governance, fine-tune the place of young people in sustainable development and so on, this reporter gathered.

Also, CPA officials are optimistic that within the sidelines of the event, a Commonwealth Women Parliamentarian (CWP) meeting will take place on October 8, in a bid to keep up with the CPA custom of promoting women.

It is worth noting that the leading international conclave would be an opportunity for Cameroon to showcase its economic potentials, cultural and tourism assets, rich historic and socio-anthropological heritage as well as highly diversified political landscape.

CPC organising committee officials indicated that leisure trips for the delegates have been billed for Limbe, Buea and Kribi.

“The holding of the 60^TH CPC in Cameroon is therefore an undeniable diplomatic victory for a people who are deeply attached to the promotion of the core values of parliamentary democracy, human rights and good governance...,” Monjowa stressed.

It was during the CPA annual conference of July 2011 in London that the general assembly unanimously adopted the request for Cameroon to be the 2014 host.