A speech by the British High Commissioner - Brian Olley on the ocassion of the Queen's Birthday Party 2016 in Yaounde

Your Excellency the Minister Delegate in charge of Relations with the Commonwealth at the Ministry of External Relations of the Republic of Cameroon, your Excellency the Minister of Communication, Members of the Senate, Members of the National Assembly, Traditional Chiefs, Captains of Industry, honoured guests, friends, ladies and gentlemen.

Unlike most countries we do not have a national day. After all whose national day would we celebrate ? The Welsh St David's Day on 1 March ? St Patrick's Day on 17 March in Northern Ireland ? St George's Day in England commemorating killing the dragon on 23 April ? Or the Scottish St Andrews Day on 30 November ? Of course we celebrate all of those. But there is a special unifying focus to the diversity that is our United Kingdom and I am delighted to welcome you this evening to the Queen's Birthday Party.

At 90 years old your memories go back a long way. To take some examples: in 1940 Queen Elizabeth, then 14 years old, made her first radio broadcast to lift the morale of children who were being evacuated at the beginning of the Second World War. Since then the Queen's reign has spanned 7 popes, 12 Prime Ministers including Winston Churchill, and the creation of the Commonwealth. Often said but true - she has been a constant in a changing world.

Amazingly she has never expressed an opinion officially in public. And yet she has dedicated herself to serving her people. Most would agree she has done this spectacularly well and has been a force for good both for the United Kingdom, in her support to the Commonwealth, and around the world.


I am not going to go through a long list of things that the United Kingdom has done this past year in Cameroon. Suffice to say we have worked tirelessly with many partners here to help feed and house refugees, to boost the economy through attracting investors, to help fight against terrorists, and to promote human rights.

But above all, the one thing that I should like to highlight is the 24 young people, men and women, who we are sponsoring to study for a year in the UK at Masters level all expenses paid, and for the 20 women we are paying to study in Cameroon, and the support we have given to the Commonwealth Scholarship scheme. In total each year we are now helping around 60 Cameroonians to a better education. We will support the same number next year and ask for your support in encouraging, bright, energetic Cameroonians who you think can help create a better future for the country, to apply.

Looking ahead to the coming year, we will be working even more closely with British businesses, many of whom are here tonight and to whom we are grateful for their support to this event. A country needs economic success as a foundation to progress. We all know Cameroon has huge potential. Together we will continue to work in partnership with the government of Cameroon and our partners from the international community, to help realise a better future.

Thank you.

UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office