These are the first to be adopted since this session began and deliberations on 20 June 2022 were chaired by Senior Deputy Speaker, Hon. Hilarion Etong.
Four bills examined and adopted. They include Bill n°2019/PJL/AN, to authorize the President of the Republic to ratify the revised Constitution of the African Civil Aviation Commission (CAFAC), adopted on December 16, 2009, in Dakar, Senegal. According to the explanatory note, the revised constitution defines AFCAC’s roles and responsibilities to implement the Yamoussoukro Decision which liberalises access to air transport markets in Africa, through the launching of the Single African Air Transport Market. The bill was defended by the Minister of Transport Ernest Ngalle Bibehe. The minister stressed the importance of Cameroon becoming a member of AFCAC, saying that the body has the responsibility of protecting the African air transport industry against large world aviation companies.
Minister Bibehe equally defended two other bills, Bill No. 2022/PJL/AN to authorize the President of the Republic to ratify the Protocol relating to an amendment to article 50 (a) of the Convention on International Civil Aviation signed on October 06, 2016, in Montreal (Canada); and Bill No. 2023/PJL/AN, to authorize the President of the Republic to ratify the protocol relating to an amending to article 56 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed on October 06, 2016, in Montreal, Canada. The bill provides for an increase in the number of members of the Air Navigation Commission from 19 to 21. According to the minister of Transport, the increase is to draw on the expertise, experience, diverse skills and working knowledge of a larger number of contracting states in the development of standards and recommended practices.
The fourth bill adopted by MPs after getting requisite clarifications seeks to authorize the President of the Republic to ratify the Multilateral Convention on Social Security of the Inter-African Conference on Social Security (CIPRES), adopted in Dakar, Senegal on February 27, 2006. Defended by the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Gregroire Owona and assisted by the Minister of External Relations. The convention aims to protect migrant workers and better guarantee their interests in the area of social security. The ratification of this convention according to the minister will enable Cameroon, which for several years has been committed to social security reforms to continue optimising its system so as to align it with international standards. Prior to their adoption, the bills were examined by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly before being discussed and adopted by the assembly during the plenary session.
Claudette CHIN
