To Frontline Environmental Protection: Officials review project guidelines to eliminate use of organic pollutants.

The move, officials said, is in line with the provisions of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, POPs, to which Cameroon is a signatory.

The documents were validated during a two-day workshop that opened on Thursday, November 13, in Mbankomo, on the outskirts of Yaounde. 

The Secretary General of MINEPDED, Professor Paul Tchawa, representing the Minister of Environment, Hele Pierre, presided the session. 

It was attended by the National Project Coordinator and Focal Point of the Stockholm Convention, Aoudou Joshua; the Focal Point of the Global Environment Facility, GEF, Dr Haman Unusa; the Task Manager of the project, Russel Coban; alongside representatives from various administrative units and partner institutions.

According to officials, the workshop sought to review and validate key project documents, amongst which were the concept note and annexes, global budget, co-financing mechanisms, gender and knowledge management strategies, and a summary of Cameroon’s PCB inventory. 

Participants also examined the stakeholder engagement framework, with the finalised documents set to be submitted to the GEF for official approval.

The project, dubbed: “Progressive Elimination of PCB Use and Their Disposal in Cameroon”, forms part of Cameroon’s efforts to implement the Stockholm Convention, which seeks to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants. 

The initiative benefits from technical assistance from the UN Environment Programme, UNEP, and financial support from the GEF, with the World Bank serving as the implementing partner.

Officials explained that the project, which will run for five years, aims to protect human health and the environment by replacing and safely disposing of contaminated equipment while strengthening Cameroon’s regulatory framework for the management of hazardous substances.

Officials reveal that the initiative targets the elimination of 1,770 tonnes of hazardous waste and the reduction of 312 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, contributing both to national environmental safety and global climate protection efforts.

Authorities say that once implemented, the project will mark a major milestone in Cameroon’s fight against toxic pollutants, reinforcing the nation’s role as a proactive player in environmental governance and sustainable development in Africa.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3627 of Monday November 17, 2025