Country detail - yourHRC.org

Cameroon

Regional group:

African Group (AG)

Council member:

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Council Bureau membership:	Vice-president (2012)
Coordinator of regional group:	–
Voluntary financial contribution to OHCHR (2018) :

Other HRC positions:	–
OHCHR presence:	Regional Office
NHRI accreditation status:	A

National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting, and Follow-up (NMIRF): Standing - Inter-Ministerial

Engagement with the HRC

Principal sponsorship of HRC resolutions

Human rights and preventing and countering violent extremism.

Voting record

Since it first became a member of the Council in 2006, for item 4 (situations that require the Council’s attention) resolutions, Cameroon has (in the absence of consensus) voted in favour of texts on the situations in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Syrian Arab Republic, against resolutions on the situation in Sudan (2009 and 2010), and abstained on resolutions on the situations in Belarus, the Democratic Republic of Korea (three times) and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Cameroon abstained during voting on a 2012 item 2 resolution on Sri Lanka. For item 7 resolutions (human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories), Cameroon tends to abstain or (less often) vote in favour. On item 10 resolutions (capacity-building), Cameroon has joined consensus on all resolutions except for one that was voted on during the period of its membership: on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Cameroon voted in favour). For thematic resolutions dealing with civil and political rights, Cameroon has generally joined consensus. Where there has been a vote, it has usually voted in favour. Notwithstanding, it has abstained during votes on: religious discrimination, defamation of religion, and religious intolerance (2007). It voted against a 2011 South African-sponsored resolution on sexual orientation. For thematic resolutions dealing with economic, social, and cultural rights, Cameroon either joined consensus on or has voted in favour of, all adopted texts.

View full voting record

HRC participation

During HRC general discussions, panel debates and interactive dialogues with the Special Procedures, during the past three years, either as an HRC member or not, the State has joined:

Regional or subregional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 35

111

Political group
statements

Average of statements for all countries: 121

Cross-regional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 24

Other joint
statements

Average of statements for all countries: 6

HRC member empty chair?

Empty chair alert

Overall, as a HRC member, has participated in less than 10% of panel discussions, general debates and interactive dialogues.

Cooperation with international human rights system

Special Procedures

Standing invitation

Communications responded to / received

Visits requests status

Completed
Invitation sent by the State not (yet) accepted by the SP
Accepted / date set
Visit request by the SP and not (yet) accepted by the State
Postponed / cancelled

Longest visit request not (yet) accepted by the State >
WG on arbitrary detention, 2017; SR on the independence of judges, 2017

Treaty Bodies

Ratified

Reporting Status

Ratification status
Party Not Party
Individual complaint procedure accepted.
Reporting status

Submitted on time
Submitted late
Not applicable

On schedule
Overdue (outstanding)

CAT

ICCPR

CED

CEDAW

CERD

ICESCR

CRC

CRPD

Most overdue report

CERD
1 Year

OP-CAT

Ratified

NPM established

Universal Periodic Review

Reported

(2008, 2013)

Mid-term report

Level of delegation

Minister

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 4 / 192

2^nd cycle: 1 / 192

Cooperation with the UN, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights

Cited in the Secretary General’s reports on 'alleged reprisals for cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights' (2010-2018)?

YES

Response to allegations from government concerned?
YES

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 16

Cameroon tabled its voluntary pledges and commitments in support for its candidacy for membership (2009-2012) on 30 March 2009.

Internationally, Cameroon pledged to: ratify the CRC- OP1, CRC- OP2, ICRMW, CRPD, CED and the Convention against Discrimination in Education; and cooperate with the Treaty Bodies and Special Procedures.

At the domestic level, Cameroon pledged to: promote the rights of women through adopting legislation and taking into account the observations of the CEDAW Committee, protect and take into account children’s rights by implementing recommendations of the CRC Committee on children without shelter, improve conditions of places of detention, fight against corruption, protect the rights of minorities, and promote freedom of the press.

An analysis of the steps taken by Cameroon in fulfilment of its international pledges shows that it has ratified the CRC- OP1 (in 2013) but has yet to ratify the other treaties mentioned in its pledges. Although Cameroon maintains a Standing Invitation it is yet to respond to four Special Procedures visit requests; it has, nevertheless, completed three visits and accepted two more. Cameroon normally reports to the Treaty Bodies, but it has one periodic treaty report overdue (CERD).

Cameroon

African Group (AG)

Engagement with the HRC

Principal sponsorship of HRC resolutions

Voting record

HRC participation

HRC member empty chair?

Cooperation with international human rights system

Special Procedures

Standing invitation

Communications responded to / received

Visits requests status

Treaty Bodies

Ratified

Reporting Status

Universal Periodic Review

Participation in other reviews 1st cycle: 4 / 192

2nd cycle: 1 / 192

Cooperation with the UN, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 16

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 4 / 192

2^nd cycle: 1 / 192