By Daniel D.
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has appointed the Sultan of the Bamouns, HRH Nforifum Nabil Mbombo Njoya, as UNICEF Champion for the Rights of Children.
The monarch secured this appointment recently during the national forum for Mayors in Cameroon, which was organized by UNICEF to ensure the speedy production of birth certificates and other civil status records.
“Thank you, Majesty King of the Bamouns, Champion of UNICEF in Cameroon, for responding to our call. We are proud to have you with us at the first #MayorsForum on birth registration,” said Nadine Perrault, UNICEF country representative in Cameroon.
With this appointment, Sultan Njoya is expected to advocate for children’s rights, including access to necessary documents, education, and more.
“The Sultan expressed his gratitude and pledged to work for the rights of all children in Cameroon. #ForEveryChild,” the UNICEF representative said.
The forum was coming following alarming statistics that millions of Cameroonian children do have birth certificates.
According to UNICEF, “one in three children in Cameroon has no legal identity.”
During the forum, Mayors took the commitment to speed up the production of birth certificates and other civil status documents.
“I was inspired by the commitment of Cameroon Mayors at the First Birth Registration Forum. Their dedication to improving birth registration systems will help provide children with a strong foundation for a better future,” said Nadine Perrault.
Most Cameroonian children always produce birth certificates when they are about to write the First School Leaving Certificate exams.
As such, thousands of children have missed examinations due to lacked birth certificates.
At the forum, a series of memoranda were signed by the Cameroon government, UNICEF, and the municipal authorities.
The event was chaired by the Prime Minister’s representative, Minister of Decentralization and Local Development, Georges Olanga Obam.
