International Debt Relief For Cameroon
United States Embassy Cameroon: Political and Economic Section
The Political and Economic Section also implements regional projects such as: CARPE (Central African Regional Program for the Environment) is a USAID regional program for rainforest conservation. Operations were initiated in Cameroon in 1998. GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) is program implemented in conjunction with Peace Corps and the Cameroon Ministry of Education in ten pilots schools throughout the country. FHA/SFPS (Family Health and AIDS Prevention) is a regional USAID project.EDDI (Education for Democracy and Development Initiative) is a program which gives scholarships to needy girls in Cameroon to encourage and support them in their efforts to continue their education. This program also supports a limited number of other activities promoting girls' education in Cameroon. [Read More]
Cameroon (01/05)
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements. Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include information on entry requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, areas of instability, crime and security, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. posts in the country. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Public Announcements are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Free copies of this information are available by calling the Bureau of Consular Affairs at 202-647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system: 202-647-3000. Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings also are available on the Consular Affairs Int ... [Read More]
USIA, Economic Perspectives, August 1996 - Debt Relief forPoorest Nations
The second part of the new debt relief initiative would involveincreased concessionality of loans within the Enhanced StructuralAdjustment Facility (ESAF), an IMF lending program for poorcountries willing to make economic reforms. Year-longnegotiations are proceeding on selling a small portion of theIMF's $40,000 million in gold reserves in order to fund the ESAFover the next five years. The proceeds from the sale would beinvested and the profits used to help finance debt relief, notonly for what is owed the IMF but possibly also to privatecreditors, an IMF spokesman said. The form of the relief wouldvary from country to country but could include buying off aportion of the debt, rolling over an existing ESAF loan, orextending the maturity of an ESAF loan from the current 10 yearsto 15 or 20 years, the spokesman said. These issues are expectedto be voted on by the IMF executive board during the next twomonths. ... [Read More]
International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State, Economic Perspectives, February 2001 -- Reforming the International Financial Institutions
Once all 22 countries have reached the "completion" point of the program, they will see their foreign debt reduced by almost half, on average, according to a joint statement issued by IMF Managing Director Horst Koehler and World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn on December 22, 2000. When that debt relief is combined with traditional debt relief through the Paris Club and with the additional bilateral relief that has been pledged by donor nations, these countries will see their foreign debt fall, on average, by about two-thirds. As a result, says the IMF, these countries will be spared some $34,000 million in debt service obligations. ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Fact Sheet: White House Meeting on Debt Relief Initiative
THE U.S. HAS BEEN AN INTERNATIONAL LEADER ON DEBT RELIEF FOR DEVELOPING NATIONS: In March 1999, President Clinton presented a plan to a U.S.-Africa Summit in Washington that became the basis for the G-7 agreement in Cologne, Germany (known as the Cologne Debt Initiative) to triple the amount of debt relief available for poor countries, reducing their debt by about 70% or $90 billion -- from an estimated $127 billion to as low as $37 billion -- in return for firm commitments to channel the benefits into improving the lives of all their people. Building on that agreement, last September, the President announced that the U.S. would unilaterally exceed the terms of the G-7 initiative and entirely cancel the $5.7 billion in U.S. government debt owed by qualifying countries. The Cologne Debt Initiative called for only 90% debt reduction for certain types of bilateral debt. In addition, the U.S. has supported efforts to expedite the process of qualifying countries for the expanded Heavily Ind ... [Read More]
The United States of America in Equatorial Guinea: Political and Economic Section
The Political and Economic Section also implements regional projects such as: CARPE (Central African Regional Program for the Environment) is a USAID regional program for rainforest conservation. Operations were initiated in Cameroon in 1998. GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) is program implemented in conjunction with Peace Corps and the Cameroon Ministry of Education in ten pilots schools throughout the country. FHA/SFPS (Family Health and AIDS Prevention) is a regional USAID project.EDDI (Education for Democracy and Development Initiative) is a program which gives scholarships to needy girls in Cameroon to encourage and support them in their efforts to continue their education. This program also supports a limited number of other activities promoting girls' education in Cameroon. [Read More]
V. Country Narratives -- Countries A through G
Cyprus is a destination country for women trafficked from Eastern and Central Europe for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Traffickers who forced women into prostitution continued to fraudulently recruit victims for work as dancers in cabarets and nightclubs on short-term "artiste" visas, for work in pubs and bars on employment visas, or for illegal work on tourist or student visas. There was increasing evidence of Chinese women being trafficked for sexual exploitation in Cyprus. The Government of Cyprus does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Cyprus made some progress in its anti-trafficking efforts over the past year. The new police anti-trafficking unit produced successful results and showed vigilance in combating the problem. Government recognition of the problem improve ... [Read More]
Cameroon
The Government's human rights record remained poor, and the Government continued to commit numerous serious human rights abuses. Citizens' ability to change their government remained severely limited. Security forces committed numerous unlawful killings and were responsible for regular torture, beatings, and other abuses of persons, particularly detainees and prisoners. Impunity remained a serious problem. Prison conditions remained harsh and life threatening. Security forces continued to arrest and detain arbitrarily various opposition politicians, local human rights monitors, and other citizens, often holding them for prolonged periods without charges or trials, and, at times, incommunicado. The Government regularly infringed on citizens' privacy. The Government continued to restrict freedoms of speech and press and harassed and threatened journalists. The Government restricted freedom of assembly and limited freedom of association. Security forces limited freedom of movement. Corrup ... [Read More]
International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State, Economic Perspectives, February 2001 -- Reforming the International Financial Institutions
So I proposed that we condition debt forgiveness on two points: first, that no forgiveness be allowed for any nation whose government engages in gross violations of human rights, and, second, that the nation receiving forgiveness must establish market-based benchmarks to measure progress on economic and good governance reforms. I believed that this was the most effective way to ensure that the U.S. contribution would break the recurring misery of these nations' citizens. This was my proposal when debt relief funding was voted on last year, and it continues to be. ... [Read More]
G-7 Statement at Genoa Summit
17. We encourage HIPCs that have not yet reached their decision point to quickly undertake the necessary economic and social reforms, including the development of a strategy for overall poverty reduction in cooperation with the World Bank and the IMF. Economic, structural, and social reforms, improved governance, and a strengthened ability to track poverty-reducing expenditures are necessary to ensure the maximum benefit of debt relief. In particular, we call upon those countries involved in military conflicts to lay down their arms, and implement the necessary reforms. We confirm our willingness to help them take measures needed to come forward to debt relief. We pledge to continue working together to ensure that the benefits of debt relief are targeted to assist the poor and most vulnerable. ... [Read More]
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