Round Table Panel Discussion on Comprehensive Accessibility in NW Region
A round table Panel Discussion on Comprehensive Accessibility in the Northwest Region of Cameroon dubbed, “Leave No One Behind” took place on
December 7, 2023 at the Northwest Regional Delegation of Arts and Culture. The event which brought together regional and municipal authorities of the region was an opportunity to brainstorm on ways through which accessibility in every sphere of life can be ensured for Persons with Disabilities.
North West Governor, Lele L’Afrique represented by Bonko Cinthia Boboh, Head of Division for Policy and Administrative Organization at the Governor’s Office said the outcome of the discussion will highlight key points that will serve as guidelines for the implementation of inclusive development in the Northwest Region of Cameroon.
At the end of the Panel discussion which dwelt on five thematic areas namely; Build-up Environment, Justice, Access to Education, Access to Services and Access to Information for persons with disabilities, regional authorities to work closely with PWDs for proper consultation and need assessment in order to be able to meet their specific needs. It was an avenue for different speakers to applaud the CBC Health Services for spearheading issues of parenting to be the Rights of PWDs.
“The Head of State, His Excellency, President Paul Biya has a firm position on inclusive development and the involvement of all Cameroonians in nation-building. This vision is backed by the Cameroon constitution and elaborately expressed in Cameroon’s Vision 2035, national laws, ministerial decrees, and circulars, & all government sectoral strategies and policies,” the Governor’s representative emphasized.
Cameroon is a party to major international instruments on the protection and inclusion of women and girls, children, minority groups, and persons with disabilities in national development initiatives. In 2019, the government signed the Text of the Application of the April 2010 Law on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), and Marrakech Treaty, in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
In his welcome address, the Bamenda City Mayor was delighted with the increasing momentum building up with disability inclusion, especially in built-up areas, thanks to the significant contribution of particularly the CBC Health Services through her numerous interventions. He challenged stakeholders in the region to be more intentional in programming and budgeting for inclusion at all levels. He also pledged that the City Council will ensure its deliberations and decisions will hence include disability rubrics and that construction contracts without disability consideration will not be approved especially for public structures.
“The panelists who have been carefully selected to thoroughly engage with the subject and arrive at attention points which will serve as a reference to all moving forward. At the close of the frank discussions, an exercise that saw persons with disability express their challenges and difficulties, it was resolved that there is a need for proper consultation and collaboration with associations of PWDs so as to effectively meet their specific needs in the provision of care to them. Everyone present was recommended to involve PWDs in all services they offer or render as this is not a privilege but their right.
“My office will pay particular attention to the points and I trust that beginning 2024, the region will approach development more inclusively and be a pacesetter for the nation,” concluded the Governor while thanking the CBC Health Services for setting the pace for inclusive development.