ambassador marquardt speeches

HIPC: A Point of Departure
January 2006

Media House Yaoundé
January 19, 2006

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

As we meet today in the Media House, I want first to say something about the media in Cameroon during 2005, which has been a year of considerable advances.  Journalists have spoken out more freely on issues which concern the public, in a climate of improved freedom of expression in Cameroon.  Some unfortunate incidents have taken place during the year, but we are glad to see no journalists in prison, and none seriously hurt in their line of work.  This augurs well for a free expression and a free exchange of ideas in the public, which we see as the cornerstone to development.

While circulation of newspapers has declined in sales, we think readership has been maintained.  And the granting of licenses to private radios is a very positive development we look forward to in the near future.  I applaud the efforts of Cameroonian authorities to increase the freedom of the press and the transparency of the processes underpinning a free media in society.  And I applaud the efforts of the media themselves to increase their professionalism, especially by developing and adhering to a code of ethical conduct of your own conception.  

Cameroon was host to an important conference last October in Douala which created the Society for the Development of Media in Africa.  I was present with His Excellency the Minister of Communications Pierre Moukoko Mbonjo to launch a mechanism which will have repercussions in two dozen countries in Africa.  I am happy to say that Cameroon is at the core of these advances.  The U.S. Embassy continues it efforts to raise the standard of journalism in Cameroon, with you – the media -- as our primary partners.

And I know you are in almost the final phases of negotiating a tripartite labor agreement to determine fair labor practices in journalism.  This puts Cameroon in an enviable place, and one where the practice of journalism has a bright future. We stand ready to assist and partner with you in the training and development of this sector.  We also encourage media practitioners to serve as good examples of professionalism:  accuracy in reporting, cross checking information, balanced reporting, and going for facts above sensation.

Looking ahead into 2006, I would now like to talk about the next important step in Cameroon’s economic and democratic development: the post- HIPC phase.

First of all, and very importantly, I cannot help but note that the HIPC Completion Point is very poorly named.  Reaching this point does not mark an end; rather it marks a new beginning.  But there is, I fear, widespread misunderstanding across society that somehow the need for discipline and sacrifice will end with attainment of the completion point.  That is absolutely not the case. 

It is true that, with HIPC behind it, Cameroon can begin to chart a positive new course for its future.  Reaching the HIPC completion point means debt reduction and access to new lending.  Just getting to this point is an enormous achievement and means a lot of hard work is behind you.  But, to make an analogy, the day a consumer pays off his debts is not the time to go on a new shopping spree!  Even after completion point, much work will remain to be done, in order for Cameroon to start to realize its tremendous potential.  That, in fact is my main message here today.

Cameroon has already demonstrated the drive to make important fundamental economic, political and social reforms; the post-HIPC phase will provide new means and new momentum.

As I noted a moment ago, much of the hard work is behind you.  The National Assembly has passed important laws providing for macro-economic reform, privatization of state-owned enterprises, judicial reform and to combat trafficking in children.  You now face the challenge of implementing them.

Let’s talk seriously about corruption.  The government, and most notably President Biya himself, have declared an open war on corruption.  The media have an important role to play in this war, by seeking the truth, by uncovering and reporting fairly the facts, by showing courage in informing the public – and by refraining from using their privileged access to public opinion for settling scores or achieving other political purposes.  Already the media have tackled with some success the formidable problem of public transparency, and this is very much to their honor. 

Unfortunately, it saddens me to say that a well-developed culture of corruption appears to have taken root in Cameroon over recent years.  No institution seems to be immune from this scourge, and corruption is being practiced and condoned by ordinary people including small children, their parents, their grandparents, ordinary civil servants, virtually everyone, it often seems.    Acts of corruption have become so commonplace that some observers even wonder whether there is a different understanding in Cameroon of the meaning of the word “corruption.”  Is it corruption to offer something to a teacher before grading season?  Is it corruption to offer a small payment to expedite and express thanks for a government service? Is it corruption for a high official to receive a sum of money in exchange for a contract awarded by the service under his control?  All of these are acts of corruption, in fact. 

Today in Cameroon, everyone seems to be talking about corruption.  Potential foreign investors are talking about it.  We diplomats cannot seem to discuss any issue today without falling back to discuss corruption and the way its roots have entwined themselves seemingly around everything.  The papers and television devote enormous space to discussing corruption.  You will know better than I whether this is truly a change from the past.  While it can be said that discussing and admitting a problem is the first step to solving it, it also seems to be that there remains excessive doubt and skepticism here, especially among Cameroonians themselves, about whether the current war on corruption is real and serious. 

This is not to say that it has been “all talk” until now.  I applaud the government’s efforts to introduce greater transparency in government.  Cameroon’s adherence in 2005 to the Extractive Industry transparency Initiative – or EITI – has led to important information being made available on the Prime Minister’s excellent website, with respect to oil revenues.  The cleaning up of the government’s salary rolls and elimination of ghost workers will save billions in taxpayer revenues.  The sacking of certain corrupt officials in 2005 was a good first step in proving that the campaign is real.  Seminars, slogans, sensitization campaigns at all levels, public statements, warnings – these are all necessary parts of a campaign against corruption – but, by themselves, they will never be enough.  I believe that more must be done to overcome this widespread doubt and skepticism, and for this war to end in victory.  The question is how to accomplish this, and I believe the answer lies in enforcement. 

Of course there is corruption in all countries, and all governments are responsible for combating it.  None of this is unique to Cameroon.  Here as elsewhere, the basic notion is that public service is a public trust, and no official should gain personally from the performance of his or her official duties beyond their salaries and any other official compensation.  In my own country, corruption remains a problem, and the war against it is a continuous one.  In the U.S. the Office of Government Ethics is a powerful organization that takes this issue very seriously.  It requires public officials to declare their private assets with total transparency, and the consequences for not doing so are serious.  Every April many of my colleagues and I have to fill out this form [hold up form SF-278] so that my government knows exactly where my private assets are, and how I came to have them.  I am glad and proud to fill out this form every year, because I know many other officials are also doing so.  I also receive ethics training every year to remind me continuously of the challenges and temptations that could induce me, even inadvertently, to cross the line between performing public service and violating the public trust. 

This scrutiny holds up in practice, not only theory.  Last month my own Congressman, Randy (“Duke”) Cunningham, from San Diego California, was caught taking bribes and influence peddling in a real estate deal using his public office for private gain.  His actions were revealed and he resigned his office at the end of 2005.  He is also indicted on criminal charges which could send him to jail for up to ten years.  The money and real estate are being confiscated.  I expect legal action to be taken against those who bribed him as well.  Our system may not work 100% of the time, but the mechanism exists to safeguard wealth which belongs to the public, and not to individuals.  Enforcement engenders public trust, and enforcement is only truly effective when those responsible for enforcement are fully independent from the public servants whose conduct they investigate.   

Cameroon has a perfectly good mechanism to assure the same, in Article 66 of your constitution.  The text is short and effective, I will read it now:

Article 66

The President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, Members of Government and persons ranking as such, the President and Members of the Bureau of the National Assembly, the President and Members of the Bureau of the Senate, Members of Parliament, Senators, all holders of an elective office, Secretaries-General of Ministries and persons ranking as such, Directors of the Central Administration,  General Managers of public and semi-public enterprises, Judicial and Legal Officers, administrative personnel in charge of the tax, base, collection and handling of public funds, all managers of public votes and property shall declare their assets and property at the beginning and at the end of their tenure of office.

[The other categories of persons to whom the provisions of this article shall apply and the conditions of implementation thereof shall be determined by law.]

As you may know, Article 66 is among the articles of the current constitution that have not yet been implemented.  However, I have good reason to believe that it will be implemented in 2006.  With the good will and energies of the Cameroon government, and the close attention of the media, tremendous progress can be made in 2006, and we hope for the best in restoring public treasure to the public, where it belongs.  Not just the small cases of individuals extracting bribes in the performance of their duties, but the very large cases where official positions are being abused to divert millions of CFAs for personal enrichment.  As the President has noted, it is impossible to eradicate poverty when public funds are being stolen from the people.

With war declared, the authorities must have the tools to fight it.  It is not enough to publish the names of those suspected of corruption or even to fire them from their positions.  Those accused of corruption must be investigated, formally charged, tried in court and sentenced if found guilty.  Their ill-gotten gains must be confiscated and returned to the public treasury from which they were stolen.  Cameroon must show itself and the world that this type of crime does not pay.  To fully exercise their responsibilities in prosecuting corruption and other criminal cases, the courts must be independent and free from interference.    Another fundamental aspect of democracy is that no one is above the law.  This can be difficult and awkward to enforce, as Americans have  learned on numerous occasions, but just as everyone is subject to the law, everyone should be assured of fair and equal treatment under the law.  Cameroon has the structures in place for this, but must fully implement them.

So far I have emphasized the war on corruption because I truly believe that it must be won in order for life after the completion point to improve for all Cameroonians.  My main task as Ambassador here is to increase the flow of resources from America to Cameroon, in order to create new wealth, create new jobs for Cameroonians, and increase Cameroonians’ hope for a brighter future in their own country.  For this to occur, corruption must be tackled.  I work every week with Americans who want to invest in Cameroon.  They want to build ports and railroads to improve Cameroon’s access to world export markets.  They want to create new plantations where thousands of Cameroonians can find good, secure jobs.  They want to cooperate with Cameroonians to export textiles, foodstuffs, and other products to the United States under the generous provisions of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA.  They want to create a world-class mining industry taking advantage of Cameroonians’ abundant resources.  They want to invest further in new energy supplies both for domestic consumption and for export.  And they want to be part of developing a world-class tourism industry where thousands of Cameroonians would work to show the riches of your hospitality to visitors from all around the world.   I reiterate the promise I made upon my arrival that I will not flag in my efforts to promote these investments.  I am very optimistic that 2006 will be a breakthrough year for many of the projects we are supporting.  And I applaud  our partners, Prime Minister Inoni and his entire government, for their own strong support for all these initiatives.  At the proper time announcements will be made, but I can tell you that the scale of our investment plans for Cameroon is enormous and that they hold the promise of transforming the face of your country for the better.

As for public assistance, the future lies in America’s Millennium Challenge Account, or MCA.  President Bush launched this program in 2002 and in 2005 the first of many “compacts” were signed between the United States and eligible developing nations, including many in Africa.   MCA is one of several large [programs that, together, have resulted in a tripling of official U.S. assistance to Africa since the President took office.  Cameroon is a candidate but is not yet eligible.  To become eligible, Cameroon must demonstrate a stronger commitment to investing in its people (by funding effectrive health and education programs, particularly for children), to ruling justly (by increasing political freedoms), and to providing economic freedom to entrepreneurs and investors (by freeing up the economy for private investors and reducing red tape).  The good news is that Cameroon is making good progress toward eligibility.  In 2005, recognizing progress made, Cameroon moved from a “red light” on corruption to a “green light.”  This is key as no country in the red on corruption can be considered for MCA.  We have an excellent bilateral dialogue on all the remaining obstacles to MCA eligibility, and ongoing reforms in many sectors give me optimism that 2006 may also be a breakthrough year for MCA eligibility.

While MCA is not a race, per se, it behooves any candidate country to view their prospects in a global light.  MCA funding will always go to those countries that present the best prospects for effective use of our fining.  Much of Africa is reforming, and they are doing so quickly.  To become an MCA country, it will not be enough merely to follow the pack; the funds will always go to those leading the pack on the road to reform.  In other words, my advice is not to aspire just to be “Good Enough”; Cameroon should aspire to be ”The Best.”  And why not?  Of all the African countries I know well, you deserve many superlatives:  best endowed in terms of natural resources; best educated population; strongest commitment to peace and tranquility within and on your borders; most open to foreigners and their ideas; excellent existing infrastructure and best prospects for improvement; most stable; to name just a few. 

But the danger, with all these superlatives, is complacency.  Complacency -- whether with respect to the post-HIPC completion point challenges or with respect to MCA eligibility or with respect to better realizing any aspects of Cameroon’s enormous potential – will be a recipe for disaster.  Indeed, complacency may explain a great deal of the current challenges before your country.  I would suggest that Cameroonians take a good look around and see what others in Africa and elsewhere are doing to make the most of their potential.  While some are doing less well than Cameroon, we also see many countries – many with far fewer natural advantages -- doing better in terms of good governance, political freedoms, attracting investment, and creating opportunity. 

I say all of this openly and honestly, in the spirit of friendship toward Cameroon.  There is, as I have said, much to be done.  But you won’t be doing this alone; we, and others, are eager to be your partner in realizing the ambitious programs that the government and people of Cameroon have before them.  All of this, and more, is within Cameroon’s reach.  Careful planning, determined execution, sustained discipline and ownership in achieving the desired results will ensure success.

The United States is committed to helping Cameroon reach its goals and stands ready to assist.

Thank you.

END