EXAMINATION OF A BILL AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

The Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development (ai), Pr FUH CALISTUS GENTRY, Government Representative defended the bill authorising the President of the Republic to proceed with Cameroon’s accession to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications. Adopted on 20 May 2015 in Lisbon, this aims to promote and enhance local production.
In addition to Pendja white pepper and Oku white honey, which benefit from a protected geographical indication, Cameroon also aims to protect products such as Cameroon red cocoa, Ndop, Mbouda avocado, Bafia pineapple and Ndolè.
A geographical indication is a piece of information or guidance that identifies a product as originating from a specific place or destination. By signing up to the Geneva Convention, Cameroon will be able to benefit from the many economic spin-offs of enhancing and promoting its local products. To this end, MINMIDT has set up a support mechanism for producers with a view to marketing high-quality, competitive products that meet international standards.
The committee defending this law was chaired by the Honourable BANMI Emmanuel DINGHA, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee.