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Basic and good quality social services (health, water, electricity, sanitation of
the environment
School enrolment
Access to citizenship
Legal protection
Communication links
Social integration
Socio-professional and economic integration and reintegration
2. Measures to Promote the Rights of Marginalized Populations and other
Vulnerable Persons
In Cameroon, the Ministry of Social Affairs is in charge of promoting and protecting
the rights of marginal populations. However, the other components of Government also
contribute to the realization of these goals by way of legal protection and improving their
living conditions, while preserving their cultural identity.
Activities to promote and protect the rights of these people are broken down into
two main areas - institutional and socioeconomic, as follows:
1. At the Institutional Level
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There is Cameroon‟s 18 January 1996 Constitution, which recognizes equal
rights and duties for all citizens. Article 64 of its preamble (which is part and
parcel of the Constitution) stipulates that “The State shall ensure the protection
of minorities and shall preserve the rights of indigenous populations in
accordance with law”.
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In 1984, Cameroon unreservedly ratified the International Pact on Civic and
Political Rights;
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As part of its responsibilities to combat social exclusion and draw up
programmes for the protection and promotion of the fundamental human rights
of marginal populations, MINAS is engaged in the following:
Promoting citizenship and participation in society by the Bakas and
Mbororos, through issuance of 1,000 birth certificates for the children of
those communities;
Pursuing development support actions with the help of the project to
assist the economic and social development of the Bakas (PADES Baka)