Page 7 Cameroon has nearly 230 tribes falling under four main socio-cultural groups. These are the Bantus, the Bantoids or semi-Bantus, the Sudanese and the pygmies. Far from being a source of conflict or obstacle to peaceful cohabitation, this ethnic diversity is rather a factor of advancement for the people, as a result of unflinching support from Government and the efforts of the people themselves. Peace within the country and with the neighbours is one of the foundations on which the nation is built; with the citizen‟s right at the centre of the development process. Herein lies Cameroon‟s membership of the world movement for children, aimed at building a world worthy of children in the third millennium. Cameroon has also acceded to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and participates actively in the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa‟s Development (NEPAD). The number of foreigners living in Cameroon is estimated at about three per cent of the total population. They live together peacefully with the local population. This makes Cameroon a traditionally hospitable African country. Cameroon‟s economy is essentially primary and rural, as it is based on agriculture and livestock rearing, which contributes to over 21 per cent (CRN periodic report) of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs 73 per cent of the working population. However, most of the country‟s produce is marketed in the raw form, without processing and value added. This has led to a budding secondary sector that employs 6.3 per cent of the population and 34 per cent of GDP. The sector has undergone some upheavals lately with the liberalization of global markets and the ensuing competition; the stiff conditionalities attached to foreign capital. Another issue is inadequate energy supply. Youth unemployment, especially, has thus become one of the major social problems facing the country. Unemployment affects 17 to 25 per cent of the population, and even as high as 33 per cent of the population in urban areas. The country also faces many other social problems as a result of children living or working in the streets (15 to 20,000 in the major cities), economically or sexually exploited children, prostitution, and all forms of trafficking of and trade in women and children. Child labor affects about 27 per cent of children aged five to 17 years (INS, Study on child labour in Cameroon). The public authorities have however been making sustained efforts to improve the general economy of the country and the macroeconomic indicators, starting with control of public expenditure. On 13 October 2002, the country reached decision point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and completion point in April 2006. This led straight away to the implementation of measures to reduce 90 per cent of the country‟s debt and reschedule official development assistance over 40 years with 16 years‟ grace period. The positive fallout of the completion point is periodically used for social investments such as construction of classrooms, health centres, hospitals and roads. These are all beneficial to the rights of children and the welfare of the people. A great era of hope has thus dawned on the country.