Cameroon

Canada's Commitment
Results
Country Profile

Canada's Commitment

Canada is helping the people of Cameroon to reduce poverty and to promote equality between women and men. In accordance with Cameroon's development priorities, CIDA supports three areas of intervention: good governance, rural development, and human resources development.

Canadian cooperation in Cameroon began in 1962, when Canada opened its first sub-Saharan embassy in Cameroon's capital, Yaoundé.

Equality between women and men and environmental conservation are integral parts of all Canadian cooperation programs and projects in Cameroon.

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Results

Here is a sampling of the Cameroon Program results:

• Through years of training, technical assistance in the revision of national policies and rules, and development of various computerized tools, Canada has helped Cameroon to achieve significant improvements in the management of its tropical forests, in order to share the benefits of the logging industry with the local population and maintain the economic potential for generations.
• Canada and other donors have contributed to improving governance by supporting the development and implementation of a national strategy and action plan against corruption.
• The capacity of the Cameroonian Cooperative Credit Union League was strengthened in the areas of monitoring, supervision, and computerization. It is now able to provide more support to its member institutions and help in their modernization.
• Thanks to CIDA's efforts, gender equality now influences decision-making in the country.

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Country Profile

Cameroon has been recognized as an independent state since 1961, following the integration of separate French and British colonies into one united, bilingual country. Cameroon is improving its governance by adopting a new national governance program and an anti-corruption program.

Cameroon has also demonstrated its commitment to improving its economy through its participation in the Economic Community of Central African States, whose 11 members aim to secure economic partnership with the European Union.

In April 2003, Cameroon adopted its own Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), which outlines seven country-led areas of focus:

• controlling inflation and promoting tax and budget stability;
• diversifying the economy;
• revitalizing the private sector's ability to deliver social services;
• developing basic infrastructure and natural resources, while protecting the environment;
• creating closer ties with other Central African countries on matters of trade, finance, transportation, forestry, education, tourism, and other policies;
• strengthening human resources and the social sector, and facilitating the integration of vulnerable groups into the economy; and
• good governance.

This strategy aims to support the Government of Cameroon's objective of significantly reducing poverty among Cameroonians. Cameroon is now developing its second poverty reduction strategy paper. CIDA is increasingly working with the Government of Cameroon on matters of economic governance.

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PDF Format

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Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (3 MB, 253 pages)