By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cameroon has unveiled a multi-year and multi-partner strategic plan for 2022-2026 geared towards managing refugees, internally displaced persons, and asylum seekers.
The strategic plan was unveiled on March 20 in Yaounde in a ceremony chaired by the Secretary-General at the Ministry of External Relations, Chinmoun Oumarou (Representative of the Minister).
He was accompanied by the UNHCR Multi-Country Office Representative, Olivier Guillaume, as well as the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Systems in Cameroon, Siaka Coulibaly, among others.
Speaking during the ceremony, Olivier Guillaume said the strategic plan was drawn up was drawn up such that it can be in line with the government National Development Strategy but also with the United Nations framework for sustainable development in the country.
Indicating that it was difficult to align actions, activities, and objectives with a one-year planning, he mentioned that having a multi-year plan will allow UNHCR to have a short, medium, and long-term vision about managing the situation of refugees.
To Chinmoun Oumarou, such an occasion always marks a significant turning point in the joint commitment towards refugees and internally displaced persons in Cameroon.
“Cameroon, it should be highlighted here, has always been a country of assured and proven compassion, a nation known for legendary hospitality extended to those displaced by force. Indeed, both our hearts and borders are open to all those fleeing conflicts and various forms of pressure and persecution, providing them with an opportunity to rebuild their lives,” said Chinmoun Oumarou.
He also noted that, the current conflict situation, which has been ongoing for an extended period, requires an organized and sustainable response from all stakeholders.
“The plan is therefore aimed at strengthening our policies and actions while fostering cooperation among the various stakeholders involved in this process. In this connection, just as pointed out here by the resident representative of UNHCR Cameroon, the plan is based on three fundamental pillars, which are adequate protection, coordination,” he added.
Meanwhile, Siaka Coulibaly welcomed the approach taken by the government and its partners to improve refugees’ access to empowerment opportunities through their socio-economic inclusion. According to him, this is the right approach to address operational challenges.
“In line with the recommendations of the Global Compact on Refugees, the United Nations System represented in Cameroon is committed to working collectively to prioritize the inclusion of refugees in its cooperation frameworks for sustainable development goals and also establish a major programmatic framework,” Siaka Coulibaly stated.
The 2022-2026 Multi-Year and Multi-Partners Strategic Plan aims to address protection issues and find solutions that enable refugees and internally displaced persons to care for themselves, contribute to the economy of the country in which they are located, and no longer depend on humanitarian assistance while addressing statelessness issues.
Its achievement is based on three strategic directions and nine priority actions. The three strategic directions include strengthening the protection response, enhancing coordination mechanisms, and seeking solutions.
Among the nine priority actions are supporting the development of host communities, promoting social cohesion and environmental management, intensifying efforts to prevent, mitigate, and respond to gender-based violence, ensuring access to registration and civil status documents, expanding economic opportunities, enhancing access to national public services, implementing sustainable solutions, and improving the normative, regulatory, and governance framework.
In order to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable, especially women and children, UNHCR requires over 689 billion US Dollars between 2022-2026. As of the end of 2023, UNHCR had received only around 38 million USD out of the 142.8 million USD needed.
Cameroon is hosting refugees from nine countries, along with facing security challenges in the Far North, Northwest, and Southwest Regions of the country.