Enhancing Human Rights Awareness Among Cameroonian Police and Prison Officers

Rabab Fatima, Head of Commonwealth Secretariat Human rights Unit

Human rights institutions are gradually becoming more embedded in Cameroon: in April 2005, a human rights monitoring capacity was established in the country’s Ministry of Justice; in 2006, a uniform criminal code came into force. Human rights issues in correctional facilities, including conditions in prisons and detention centres, are being addressed.

A human rights training workshop, organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Human Rights Unit (HRU) and the Cameroon National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms (NCHRF), commenced on 8 May 2006 in the capital, Yaoundé. Emmanuel Ngafeeson, Cameroon’s Secretary of State (Penitentiary Administration), said at the opening that he hoped lessons learned at this workshop would be passed on to provincial facilities.

Some 30 senior police and prison planning and training officers from all over Cameroon are attending this four-day workshop, which is part of the Secretariat’s ongoing programme to promote awareness of human rights among law enforcement agencies.

The workshop is based on the sharing of experiences and expertise from the Commonwealth and the Africa region. It emphasises the importance of international human rights standards and best practice, including training techniques on arrest, use of force, detention, search and seizure, crowd management, and treatment of victims of crime.

Rabab Fatima, Head of HRU, said the Cameroon workshop is the first country-specific workshop that includes prison officials. “The Secretariat has been working with the Government of Cameroon towards bringing the NCHRF in line with Commonwealth Best Practice guidelines and UN Paris Principles on viable and independent national human rights institutions. We hope to see greater progress in human rights in the Commonwealth with the increased awareness of their benefits and the impact on justice, peace and security. It is important for law enforcement officials to be well-versed with human rights laws in order to carry out their duties efficiently, effectively and with fairness.”

The Secretariat has been working on a regional basis with police trainers from five Commonwealth countries in West Africa, including Cameroon, to provide assistance in building a human rights curriculum in police training. A similar programme is being planned for Commonwealth countries in East Africa to be held in Kampala, Uganda, in June 2006 involving trainers from Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, United Republic of Tanzania as well as Uganda. Similar workshops for the Caribbean and the Pacific are also being planned.

CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 284, 10 May 2006

Key Links:

• Human Rights