Transparency in Councils

Objective

This initiative is intended to improve transparency and participation of the public in management of Council affairs.

Brief Background

Application of Human Rights had been a major problem to many practicing lawyers who had not been drilled on Human Rights many years back when Human Rights had not yet been inculcated in school curriculum. In a bid to contribute in curbing this problem, CAJAD, with support of PCPA, built their capacity to enhance their knowledge and skills on the application of Human Rights in legal practice, so as to foster the respect of Human Rights in the formal justice system.

Mbanga Mayor and Council Secretary General (middle from right to left) keen to workshop deliberations

Activities undertaken

In this regards, In 2008, CAJAD began a pilot project with the support of the British High Commission in Cameroon, to enhance transparency and participation of the public in municipal council affairs. CAJAD began by organising a twin seminar-workshop in Limbe on Municipal Participatory Good Governance that brought together, overall, about two hundred (200) participants (all municipal councillors of Limbe I, II and III, representatives of administrative services and members of civil society organisations, traditional council authorities, political parties, the media, independent personalities and legal minds). The aim was to enhance transparency in the management of local government affairs, by improving communication and interaction between Councillors, administrative officials and the civil society

Bonaléa Mayor, D.O and CAJAD Director during panel discussion at Souza workshop.

In 2011, as follow up action to the training with national language radio broadcasters on Human Rights Education, CAJAD produced radio spots on Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women in five local languages (Pidgin, Bakweri, Bakossi, Metta and Bayangi), which are predominant in Fako Division. The radio spots were multiplied to make available copies for four radio stations in Fako Division, which have been using these spots to enrich their programs on Human Rights education, and the grassroots masses have been showing much appreciation of these radio programs

Successes

Based on the pilot phase, CAJAD was invited in a one-day Colloquium Organised by the World Bank In Cameroon during which he did a presentation on the pilot experience, the strategies, successes, and difficulties and perspectives.

Perspectives

Presently, CAJAD seeks to source for more funds to work with more councils on this initiative, especially as new Councilors are expected to be elected into office in 2013, and there would be need for them to be drilled on participatory governance for transparency and accountability in management of council affairs.