Human Rights Commission: Greater Performance Reforms Awaited

The draft bill on the reforms has already been adopted by an inter-ministerial committee pending subsequent tabling and adoption in parliament.

The Chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms, Dr Chemuta Divine Banda says the composition of the commission is such  that it cannot function well as it is difficult to pull its 30 members together  who belong to different professions.

To remedy the situation, he said government has accepted the suggestion that the commission be restructured, stating that an inter-ministerial commission has already adopted the draft bill on the reforms. “If it goes to parliament and it is adopted, we will have a reasonable size of the commission with full time commissioners who will pay regular attention to issues on human rights,” he said.  He reiterated the Commission’s plea that their reports be debated in parliament so as to give them far reaching effects through the recommendations  made.

Dr Banda was speaking in Yaounde on December 20, 2016 while chairing the ceremony for the official publication of the 2015 report on the human rights situation in Cameroon and the 2015 activity report.  Answering questions on the usefulne...