The Cameroon Bar Association yesterday, March 23, 2016 in Yaounde launched a two-year project to upgrade the capacities of national stakeholders in the monitoring and evaluation of public policies related to the respect, protection and promotion of civil and political rights.

The 526,000 euros (about FCFA 345 million) worth “Bar, Governance, State of Law Project” funded by the European Union’s Delegation to Cameroon, aims at contributing to the amelioration of governance in civil and political rights through the training of key actors such as parliamentarians, magistrates, political parties, administrative authorities and civil society organisations including lawyers.

In his keynote address during the launch ceremony yesterday, the President of the Bar Council, Batonnier Jackson Ngnie Kamga said the project marks a turning point in the life of the Bar Association which in effect has as objective the protection of human rights. More so, the Bar’s new engagement posture is in line with government’s related policies such as the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper, the 2035 Emergence Vision and the National Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.

“In a world where inequality thrives, we lawyers are the best observers of malfunctions. But the lawyer must move from observation to objection,” he said. On her part, the Head of the European Union Delegation to Cameroon, Ambassador Françoise Collet, while recalling the European Union’s predicament with recent Brussels terror attacks, hoped that the project will contribute to the improvement of civil and political rights.

Till 2018, the training will involve seminars, workshops, study trips and internship conferences. The President of the Human Rights Commission of the Bar Association, Barrister Simon Pierre Eteme Eteme explained that the project will, on a national scale, also involve activities such as the publication of an annual report on the state of human rights in Cameroon and establish a partnership between the Bar and Parliament to ensure that the views of the Bar be given due consideration on projects and bills related to human rights. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Senate President, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Minister of Justice and several State institutions alongside lawyers.