The Case for a Data Bank at the Ministry of External Relations - Cameroon

Abstract

The creation of a databank at the Career Management Unit of MINREX responds to a double preoccupation; the placement of Cameroonians in international organizations, and the efficient management of the career of diplomatic personnel. Though prescribed by a Presidential decree, the actual tailoring of this bank requires political will, professional creativity and technical know-how. Once in place, the bank will serve as a decision-making tool, providing ready, complete and vital information for the policy-maker.

General introduction

The stakes of globalization for Cameroonian diplomacy are at the same time political, socio-economic and cultural. Former US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright's «assertive multilateralism» has underscored the changes that have taken place in the 20th century in the nature of international relations and the challenges states will be facing in the new millennium. She states that

On most issues, our diplomats must understand and work well not only with foreign counterparts, but also legislators, nongovernmental organizations, outside experts, and representatives from the private sector, both business and labor. The old geopolitical chessboard is no longer two-dimensional. Today's players are not only nations, but a host of non-state actors. The issues are often not separable, but inter-connected. The rules shift with every scientific breakthrough^1(*).

These challenges weigh on all states and oblige governments to adopt policies appropriate for the New World Order. It is mindful of this that President Paul Biya, in a speech inaugurating his presidential mandate in 1984, formulated Cameroon's foreign policy in the following way,

The actions of Cameroonian diplomacy will be felt with the effects of the National New Deal; by a policy of presence, active and realistic participation, while pressing on always consolidating Cameroon's independence and radiance. We will always make our voice heard in the solutions of the big problems that plague mankind today...^2(*).

This vision, summarized by Oyono Oyono as «the triad of presence, participation and brilliance», which he says has «become the specific purpose of our new diplomacy»^3(*), has to be pursued by the placement of Cameroonians in multilateral organizations. If not how do you ensure your presence, participate and shine without a national in an organization, especially a representative at a top position?

It is for this reason that a number of works (especially internship reports) in IRIC have been consecrated to this issue of Cameroon's policy of positioning nationals in international organizations. Several works have been carried out on the challenges of Cameroonian diplomacy in general and the placing of Cameroonians in international organizations in particular.

Studying Cameroon's policy of placement of nationals in IOs from the perspective of the African Union, Ondoa Mbazoa presents the different category of international workers within the AU. For him, «nationals working in an IO reflect to a certain degree the dynamism of their country of origin. Also, they are a symbol of national pride»^4(*). According to him, nationals working in an IO procure not only the above, but also enormous financial benefits. Not only that, how do we explain the sacrifices made by state such as Cameroon to an IO such as the AU, if not partly for the sake of also placing nationals within the body of the organization? To balance the sacrifices and the placing of Cameroonians within the AU, Ondoa Mbazoa calls for an evaluation; especially that Cameroon's contributions are quite high^5(*). This work is important because it will help us, especially with the categorization of employees^6(*) at the AU, to suggest a better structure for the different databases that make the databank we are arguing for.

Ndzesop, on his part, did another work on the placing of Cameroonians in IOs and relating to the AU. Studying from the perspective of mechanisms, both internal and external, for the placing of nationals in IOs, he considers two pan African organizations; the AU and the African Development Bank (AfDB)^7(*). Looking at the mechanisms, context and efforts of the Cameroonian government to place Mme Elisabeth Tankeu as the AU Commissioner for Trade (which succeeded), and Theodore Nkodo as AfDB president (which failed), Ndzesop comes to the conclusion that the principal short-coming of «Cameroonian diplomacy in the last few decades has been that of sluggishness»^8(*). He gave seven proposals to make Cameroonian diplomacy more forceful, more muscular and more vigorous. Among these proposals, two are worth citing here,

3. It is also necessary to formulate a policy for putting Cameroonians in IOs. This could lead to the creation of a special structure in MINREX in charge of that function.

7. There is the need to create a databank in MINREX where detailed CVs of prospective candidates are stored. This will facilitate the battle for posts in IOs, especially the urgent cases^9(*).

Proposal (3) above constitutes the mission of the unit of our internship and will be alluded to throughout this paper. Proposal (7) is the object of this paper and follows the service note of April 2006 by the Career Management Unit of the general secretariat asking the hierarchy to create such a bank.

These same conclusions were drawn by Alougou Many in 2005 when he stated that «No strategy really exist in placing Cameroonians in IOs. Consequently, a planning and follow-up program is absent»^10(*). This work, which is done in the framework of internship in the Ministry of External Relations (French acronym MINREX), has an ambitious goal, «...an analysis of the stakes, procedures and the place occupied by the issue of placement in Cameroonian diplomacy, as well as obstacles to its implementation»^11(*). The question Alougou asks at the end of his report is this, «In the face of this necessity [to place Cameroonians in elective posts in IOs], can Cameroon afford to remain indifferent to IOs? The answer is no»^12(*). Not because Cameroon has been indifferent, but because the efforts deployed have either been inadequate or none policy relevant. In other words, as long as Cameroon continues to pay little attention to the issue of placement, her diplomacy will be handicapped and her policies flawed.

From another perspective, Ahidjo makes the same observation as (3) above, deploring the lack of a policy of placing in Cameroonian diplomacy. Though he studies the case of the placing of the Deputy Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), he came out with the conclusion that what happened with the OIC case is a general problem in Cameroonian diplomacy, namely, that placing seems to result more from chance than a defined policy^13(*).

a. Central question and hypothesis.

Studying an issue as the creation of a databank requires certain questions that constitute our main problem. Three questions preoccupy us in this paper; why is Cameroon under-represented in IOs in spite of engagements and potentials in many of these institutions. How would it be like if Cameroon established a databank in its services? What are the stakes of such a bank and how can we establish and use such a bank? Though not exclusive, these questions will guide us throughout this paper.

Our hypothesis is that a databank is not only necessary but also indispensable as a decision-making tool (both in administrative terms and in foreign policy formulation) for the effectiveness and efficiency of Cameroonian diplomacy, and that its creation and usage depends on political will and professional efficiency. And that its creation is one of the fundamental solutions to palliate the IO under-representation problem Cameroon faces.

b. Objectives of the study

Our objectives refer to what we hope to achieve through this work. In that sense, we hope to clearly state three key points in this work. As part of the academic requirements of the IRIC, this paper aims at studying the possibilities of creating a data bank at the Career Management Section of the General Secretariat of the MINREX of Cameroon.

a. Give reasons for the Cameroonian authorities to establish a data bank for its diplomacy

b. Suggest the nature and content of such a bank

c. Give clues on how such a bank could be used

c. Interest and justification

The interest of this paper is first of all the desire as a cadet diplomat to contribute to the efficiency of Cameroon's diplomacy. It also follows our paper in 2005 on Cameroon's quest for posts in international organizations, wherein we suggested the creation of a data bank as a decision-making tool. It is justified in the sense that until now, no data bank exists in MINREX, and that the creation of such a bank is one of the challenging tasks of the Career Management Unit (CMU) of the General Secretariat of the same ministry, formulated in a service note in April 2006. This task follows the designation of the task of this unit by decree No. 2005/286 of July 30, 2005, organizing MINREX. The desire to contribute in rendering this presidential decree operational haunts us throughout this paper.

It is also necessary to justify the location of such a bank. Since when Cameroon became independent, she became an actor of international relations and therefore instituted MINREX. The task of MINREX is to partake in the elaboration and execution of the foreign policy of the state, that is, a purely administrative role. Foreign policy, we know is always defined as the «domain reservé» of the head of state.

From tradition and the law, Biloa Tang states that the President is «the referential in matters of foreign policy»^14(*). As such, the MINREX «has for mission to ensure working out of the policy of foreign relations as defined by the Head of State, that is, relations with foreign states, IOs and other subjects of the international community»^15(*). It is therefore understandable that MINREX should host this databank which, as we will see later; will involve other ministries in a coordinated manner.

d. Limits

This paper is limited to the creation of a data bank at the Career Management Unit (CMU) of MINREX. In this framework, it acknowledges that other databanks could be created in the same ministry for different purposes. Circumscribing this decision-making tool to the CMU provides an appropriate environment for a study of this nature. It does not study related topics such as the general question of the functioning of Cameroonian diplomacy, though it makes allusion to some aspects of its challenges. It does not study related topics such as the general question of the functioning of Cameroonian diplomacy. We study this creation of a bank only for the two purposes of placement of Cameroonians in international organizations and diplomatic career management, but also serving the purpose of appointment of MINREX civil servants in embassies and consulates. This paper does not examine the technical aspect of a databank creation, since that has to be done by a computer specialist. It however defines the political framework within which a technician can work. In terms of space and time, we have to note that this paper studies this question as applicable in MINREX and considers the state of events in 2006, especially of the Presidential decree of 2005 organizing MINREX.

e. Theoretical framework and Methodology

In as much as a data bank of this nature is not just an administrative instrument, but much more decision-making tool, and that both its creation and use depends much more on political will than managerial skill, we study the creation of a data bank in MINREX as part of Public Policy. By public policy here, we refer to a sum-total of factors that contribute to state decision, and how this is influenced. It is any process by which the state apparatus comes to a certain number of actions or non-actions with a specific political program^16(*). The sector here is foreign policy and the action is that of optimizing its chances of placement in IOs.

Though the creation of a databank should be ascribed to `low politics', because it involves bureaucratic behavior designed to implement political decision<sup>17(*)</sup>, it could lead to `high politics'. The routine replacement and rotation of diplomatic personnel belongs to low politics. However, the creation of the CMU, the presentation of candidates for an elective post in an IO belongs to high politics. The databank remains in low politics when it is just a decision tool, but when it serves as a foreign policy determinant, adopting a muscular placing option for Cameroonians in IOs.

Our principal source of data will be the CMU of MINREX. In this unit, we will obtain a data bank model as was originally intended. We will also contact the office for Liaison and Contribution to International Organizations of the Department for General Affairs of MINREX for data on organizations to which the Cameroonian government pays contributions and the repartition of these organizations to different technical ministries. It will be necessary to compare the data bank to what happens in other countries.

As for the form, the paper is going to be divided into three chapters. After presenting the activities surrounding our internship at the general secretariat of MINREX, and the nature of the CMU in chapter 1, we will present arguments for a databank in chapter 2. These arguments will explore the stakes of this tool of decision in the last chapter. That will permit us to give practical clues on how such a databank could really be created before drawing conclusions.

f. Definition of relevant concepts

A databank refers to a sum of files classified in such a way as to easily access them when necessary. Data refers to facts, figures and symbols (such as names and addresses) stored in a device and ready to be used. A databank has been defined by the Millennium edition of the Hutchinson Encyclopedia as `a collection of databases'. A database is described, by the same encyclopedia, to be «a structured collection of data, which may be manipulated to select and sort desired items of information». In the same vein, The Cambridge Encyclopedia, 2^nd Ed defines a database as a «file of computer data structured in such a way that it can be of general use and is independent of any specific application». From the above, it is understood that a databank could contain much information grouped in databases. It is also understood that the databank is only useful inasmuch as the owners make use of it. It however appears that where institutions or persons need some kind of information that could be required sometimes urgently, and which needs to be constantly modified, they create databanks. Since their first, experimental appearance in the 1950s, databases have become so important in industrial societies that they can be found in almost every field of information. Government, military, and industrial databases are often highly restricted. Small databases were first developed or funded by the U.S. government for agency or professional use. In the 1960s, some databases became commercially available, but their use was funneled through a few so-called research centers that collected information inquiries and handled them in batches.

Databases could be more technical providing statistical information, graphics and formulae in technical research. Such issues could include space aviation, medical research, demography, chemical reactions, industrial data processing, etc. The databank we are advocating in this paper is the simplified band in Microsoft Word, Excel or Access. It is in the nature of The International Data Base (IDB), a computerized data bank containing statistical tables of population data for 228 countries and areas of the world.

The expression «the case for» is an academic jargon used to argue a case. It is used in this case to argue for the creation of a databank, and gives the general orientation of the paper. The paper studies the process of creation of such a tool, but especially provides arguments for that creation, hoping that the powers that be will interested by the arguments for such a creation.

The Ministry of External Relations is here understood to refer to the ministerial department of the Republic of Cameroon that is in charge of relations with the country's state and non-state actors on the international scene. The ministry manages relations with states, IOs, NGOs, MNCs, and individuals of foreign nationalities. Since the placing of Cameroonians in IOs lies within the state's foreign policy, it goes without saying that it is that ministry that should host a databank for such purposes, though the national to be placed may come from different ministries.

We also want to define what we call international organizations. Though some authors^18(*) prefer the term transnational organization because of the presence of non-state actors, an international organization is an institution with three characteristics. (1). They are organized with identified leaders and bureaucratic structure, (2). They are specialized, performing a given number of actions, (3). They operate across national boundaries. In that sense, they are either International Governmental Organizations (IGOs) such as the UN, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) such as the Red Cross Society, or multi-national corporations (MNCs) such as Coca-Cola. These IOs are regional, global, political, economic, technical, scientific, commercial, etc. Our usage in this paper refers principally to IGOs, where states are omnipresent. This is because NGOs and MNCs are not subject to lobbying for posts by states. We however include them in the policy of placing because states have the capacity of facilitating posts acquisition for its nationals even in such non-state organizations.

* ¹ See Madeleine Albright, «The Making of US Foreign Policy» in Foreign Policy Agenda MARCH 2000. p. 2.

* ² See Cameroon Tribune, No. 2883 of 22/01/1984.

* ³ Oyono Oyono Jean, La Diplomatie Camerounaise Face à la Mondialisation, 1999, p. 74.

* ⁴ Ondoa Mbazoa, Thomas Didyme, Les Fonctionaires Camerounais de L'union Africaine, 2003, p. 2.

* ⁵ Ibid, pp 19-21.

* ⁶ Ibid, p. 23.

* ⁷ Ndzesop, Ibrahim, Cameroon's Battle for Posts in International Organizations; the Cases of Mme Elisabeth Tankeu and Theodore Nkodo, 2005.

* ⁸ Ibid, p. 31.

* ⁹ Ibid, pp. 30-31.

* ¹⁰ Alougou Many Germain, La Problématique du Placement des Camerounais dans les Organisations Internationales par le Ministère des Relations Extérieures (MINREX), 2005, p. 11.

* ¹¹ Ibid, p. 7.

* ¹² Ibid, p. 39.

* ¹³ Ahidjo, Le Placement des Camerounais aux Postes Electifs dans les OIs; le Cas du Secretaire General Adjoint de l'OCI, 2005.

* ¹⁴ Biloa Tang, Le MINREX dans la Politique Etrangère du Cameroun. Une analyse á la lumiere des Politiques Publique, 2000, p. 19.

* ¹⁵ See article 5 para 23 of decree no. 92/245 of Nov. 26 1992 on the organization of government.

* ¹⁶ See Biloa Tang, op. cit, p. 7.

* ¹⁷ On an in-depth analysis of the `high - low' continuum in politics, see Theodore A. Couloumbis and James H. Wolfe (eds), Introduction to International Relations. Power and Justice, 1986, pp. 4-5.

* ¹⁸ See John T. Rourke, International Politics on the World Stage, 2^nd Ed, Connecticut: The Dushkin Publishing Group, Inc., 1989, p. 58.