AN APPRAISAL OF THE RESPECT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN CAMEROON

ABSTRACT

Many shortcomings and inadequacies in the protection of human rights in Cameroon have led the legislator to reform the 2004 National Commission on Human Rights and
Freedoms of Cameroon by Law N° 2019/014 of July 19, 2019 on the creation, organization and functioning of the Cameroon Human Rights Commission in order to allow a better protection of these human rights by the new Commission.
This study is title “An appraisal for the respect of Human Rights in Cameroon”. Its content scope will be focused on examining the respect of Human Rights in Cameroon and will be useful to the population as it if will help them to know how the Commission protect Human Rights, the research will be beneficial to the government as it will help them to reform the Commission to better protect Human Rights and equally, to researchers coming after us on this topic, it will serve as a source of information to them whenever they are conducting research on a similar topic.

The objectives of the study are to examine the role for the respect of Human Rights by the various human rights commission, examine the challenges faced for the respect of
Human Rights, propose solutions that could help improve the respect of human rights in Cameroon. Due to that some recommendation were made

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background to the study

Human rights by their very nature are those fundamental values or intrinsic attributes that human beings possessed by virtue of their humanity. These fundamental values possessed by humans make them different from other creatures of God.

The Republic of Cameroon is a member of the United Nations and Africa union. It has ratified many United Nations human rights convention and thus has made international commitment binding to adhere to the standard laid down by these universal human rights documents. The United Nations belief in the fundamental human rights and the member state pledged that they will respect these laws and Cameroon being a member.

The main sources of human rights law in Cameroon are the Constitution, Legislation, Judicial precedents and customary law. The preamble of Cameroon constitution is regarded as a national instrument or means of human rights protection or the respect of human rights. This is because it is coming from the law of the land (constitution) which is built on the principle of sovereignty of states.

This chapter is consisting of: Background of the study, statement of the problem, research Questions, research objectives, research methodology, scope of the study, justification of the study, significant and synopsis of the chapter.

Accordingly, Universal Declaration of human rights, the charter of the United Nations and the African charter on Human and people’s rights are classified as International and regional means of protecting human rights. It was due to the existence of this human rights protecting machineries that the state of Cameroon being a member of international community and haven signed and ratified treaties to ensure the respect of human rights, created its first specialised body in the protection of Human Rights. This body which came into existence in 1990 was known as the National Committee of Human Rights and fundamental freedom. This first human rights protecting organ in Cameroon was entangled with a lot of difficulties that made the accomplishment of its mission impossible. The numerous short comings of this committee and its eventual failure in ensuring the respect and promotion of the rights of Cameroonians let to it abandonment for a more neutral and effective committee (body). Hence, the creation of the National Commission of Human Rights by Law No 2005/2016 of 22 July 2005. Human rights violation is a phenomenon that is easily identified in every society.¹

The first and second World wars resulted in enormous loss of lives and property. That is why the United Nations as a means of ensuring the future protection of Human rights passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is part of the International Bill of Human Rights. The thirty articles cover the rights of an individual such as the freedom from slavery; political and civil rights such as freedoms of speech and association; and economic, social and cultural rights such as the right to education and adequate Housing. In the case of the Cameroon, the protection of Human Rights is traced from the preamble of the constitution, which affirms the attachment of the state of Cameroon to the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, the charter of Human Rights and all duly ratified international Conventions^{. 2}

1.2. Statement of the problem