Child Rights Promotion, Protection: With Cameroon Government’s Unalloyed Support

The Minister of Higher Education, Prof. Jacques Fame Ndongo, stood in for the Prime Minister and Head of Government, Chief Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute at the opening of the International Conference on the Role of the Academia in Promoting and Protecting Children’s Rights. That held in Yaounde from November 19-20, 2025. The conference was jointly organized by the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF and  the Catholic University of Central Africa, UCAC. In collaboration with the national network of University Centres for Children’s Rights. 

Massive  Gathering 
The high-level meeting assembled academics, researchers, public decision-makers, institutional leaders, civil society actors, international partners, and a delegation of young leaders. Together, they worked to reposition the university as a driver of social transformation and a key actor in child protection in Cameroon, Africa, and beyond. 

Africa, Rights Promotion 
The initiative was part of a dynamic approach that values Africa’s historical and cultural contributions to human rights. The conference highlighted the Manden Charter (1236) - proclaimed under Emperor Sundiata Keita - recognized by UNESCO as intangible heritage and considered one of the earliest texts in the world affirming human dignity, the protection of the most vulnerable, and the abolition of slavery. 

Indigenous Initiative 
“Africa did not wait for modern conventions to recognize fundamental rights of the child. Reconnecting academic research to our cultural heritage means building an authentically African vision of child protection,” said Miss Nadine Perrault, UNICEF Representative in Cameroon. Since 2024, UNICEF and its partners have supported the creation and operationalization of University Centres for Children’s Rights (CRC) within five institutions: UCAC, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé II-Soa, Dschang and Bertoua. 
These Centres play a key role as interdisciplinary spaces for training, research, social analysis, and advocacy. They support the progressive integration of children’s rights into university curricula and contribute to producing evidence-based data used to guide public policies. 

Children As The Future 
“The child is the future of Cameroon, Africa, and the world. Training a generation of professionals sensitive to children’s rights is now a national priority. The university has the responsibility to be...