Press Release

Douala, 11 March 2015

ECOSOCC Presiding Official on Working Visit to Cameroon.

The Presiding Officer of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSOCC), the Honorable Joseph Chilengi, paid a working visit to the Republic of Cameroon from 08-11 March 2015. He went to Cameron to honor the invitation of the Cameroon Business Forum as a high profile guest of the Prime Minister and Head of Government of the Republic of Cameroon, HE Mr. Philemon YANG.

He was received on arrival by his host, government representatives and Cameroon’s elected delegates in ECOSOCC, Mr. Ngalim Eugine Nyudine, the Chairperson of the Peace and Security Cluster Committee of ECOSOCC and his colleague Mr. Allan Blaise Bantongue.

Subsequently, Mr. Joseph Chilengi participated in the Cameroon Business Forum (CBF) held on 9 March 2015 at the Sawa Hotel in Douala at which HE The Prime Minister presided. In the course of the meeting the Prime Minister introduced his noted guest and invited him for follow-up discussions that took place later at the seat of government in Yaoundé. His Excellency, the Prime Minister expressed his joy that ECOSOCC was back in the service of the continent’s integration and development agenda and stressed the readiness and eagerness of the Government and people of Cameroon to offer it the fullest support.

The CBF is a gathering of the Business Community involving leaders of the private sector. The invitation to the ECOSOCC Presiding Officer highlighted the need to ensure that the needs of the people will guide the map for progress and sustainable economic development in Member States of the Union. Related issues that came up for discussion included the continental strategic roadmap, Agenda 2063 and African common position Vis a Vis the Post 2015 development agenda. The discussion highlighted the contribution that ECOSOCC and its national chapters can make and how annual interaction between Business leaders and the wider civil society can consolidate and drive the development process in Cameroon in particular and the continent in general

After the CBF meeting, the Presiding Officer held consultations with his ECOSOCC counterparts, the Cameroon civil society and representatives of the business community. He also took part in a Press Conference that was focused on the decisions of the January AU Summit held in Addis Ababa and the process of their implementation.

The Presiding Officer proceeded from this meeting to Luxor, Egypt to attend the Luxor African Film Festival on the invitation of the former Egyptian Prime Minister, Dr. Asiam Sharaf, who is now the President of the Egyptian Council for Africa that seeks to improve relations among African countries and the African Union. In the course of his visit to Egypt Mr. Chilengi will honor various invitations to confer with various political personalities and give a public lecture on “ Rethinking Education” on the margins of the Festival.