The day after the launch of the National Smart Cities Plan, the partnership is strengthened at the summit.
On September 9, 2026, the President of the National Assembly, Théodore Datouo, received in Yaoundé Ms. Anacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat. The meeting was held in the presence of the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Célestine Ketcha Courtès.
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While the whole of Cameroon is concerned, it is the capital that crystallized the discussions. The head of UN-Habitat pointed out the direct consequences of the chaotic urban sprawl of Yaoundé on the environment, climate, populations, and economic activity. She concluded with the diagnosis that without better land and territorial planning, the city will continue to expand at the expense of everything else. She advocated for controlled and inclusive urbanization.
To support the momentum, UN-Habitat put forward three levers. These are decentralization to give more power to city halls; localization of the SDGs to adapt sustainable development goals to the realities of each city; the promotion and enhancement of local materials for construction. She especially insisted on one point: there must be close collaboration between the parliament and the government to create appropriate laws.
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For his part, the President of the National Assembly assured that Cameroon has “solid foundations” to strengthen this partnership with the UN. He highlighted two priorities for the parliament: facilitating women’s access to housing and land ownership, presented as an essential lever for empowerment; supporting efforts for better-planned urbanization through laws.
After the Executive yesterday with the launch of the Smart Cities Plan, it is now the Legislative that commits to creating the legal framework so that this plan does not remain dead letter.