UN-Habitat launches project office in Cameroon

Yaoundé, 20 January 2022 – UN-Habitat has launched a project office in Cameroon in a move aimed at enhancing the agency’s footprint in the African country.

Cameroon’s Minister of Urban Housing, Célestine Ketcha-Courtès, jointly launched the UN-Habitat Cameroon project office with UN-Habitat’s Regional Director for the African Region, Oumar Sylla, during a colorful event in Yaoundé that brought together the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cameroon, members of the diplomatic corps, heads of national institutions and representatives from several ministries.

“It is with great pleasure that I co-chair today with UN-Habitat’s Director for the Africa Region and the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Cameroon, the launching ceremony of the UN-Habitat project office in Cameroon,” said Ketcha.

“The Government of Cameroon has made a provision of over USD150,000 in the 2023 national budget for the renovation of the project office to United Nations security standards,” she added.

The office will consolidate the rapprochement with national and international technical and financial partners and support the dialogue related to the finalization of the legal instruments of the country office to be signed to register UN-Habitat among the accredited agencies.

In 2019, the head of state of Cameroon authorized the opening of the UN-Habitat office, paving the way for the signing of the host country agreement with the validation of the host country programme document.

Over the last four years, UN-Habitat has implemented ten projects for a total of USD 12 million that have directly or indirectly served more than 2 million people throughout the country. The agency has also signed dozens of cooperation agreements with national institutions, local governments, civil society organizations, and United Nations agencies.

“I would like to, first of all, express UN-Habitat's deep gratitude to the Government of Cameroon for all the work and efforts that have led to establishing of this office. This illustrates the keen interest that the Minister has always shown for sustainable development of our cities and human settlements. To further strengthen this cooperation, I would like to officially invite the Government of Cameroon to the UN-Habitat Executive Board meeting in June in Nairobi this year,” said Sylla.

UN-Habitat's work in Cameroon is structured around six main areas of intervention: urban land, planning, and development; urban infrastructure and basic services; housing and slum upgrading; urban economy and local finance; governance and urban resilience; and capacity development.

Claude Ngomsi, Head of the Central Africa portfolio at UN-Habitat, said, “In partnership with the ministry of public health, we will support improved hygiene for users and staff of health facilities to reduce the risks of COVID-19. This will be done through a Global Fund grant of US$4 million for 158 boreholes, serving an average of 110,000 people annually.”