ECCAS Commission: Cameroonian Appointed Commissione

The governance team of the Commission of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) comprises a President, one Vice President and five Commissioners. Besides the President of the Commission, the other six Commissioners were designated during the 9th extraordinary session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government held by video conference on January 24, 2026 and chaired by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, in his capacity as the current Head of ECCAS. Amongst the appointed Commissioners is Cameroonian-born Nelly Banaken, Minister Plenipotentiary, who becomes Commissioner for Gender Promotion, Human and Social Development within the ECCAS Commission. For the next five years, the Cameroonian diplomat will be responsible for the portfolios of gender, health, social affairs, education, higher education, scientific research, sports, culture, and humanitarian affairs. Going by the professional profile of Nelly Banaken, she is a career diplomat with 20 years of experience and high responsibilities in developing, coordinating and implementing human rights and humanitarian programmes and projects both in national and international levels. Prior to her appointment, she has been serving as First Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Cameroon to the United Nations, New York, a position she occupied since November 2017. She was also an Expert on the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, where she successively held the positions of Vice-Chair of the Third Committee, VicePresident of the UN Women Executive Board, Coordinator of the African Group of Experts of the 3rd Committee and Chief Negotiator for Africa. Other positions occupied by the diplomat who studied at the ...