On 28 and 29 may, the UNITED Hotel in Mbankomo hosted a workshop focused on developing citizen participation mechanisms within Cameroon’s budgetary process. The event was co-organized by AfroLeadership and the Ministry of Finance (MINFI), with financial support from UNICEF Cameroon. It brought together representatives from UNICEF, MINFI, and civil society organizations to collaboratively design a framework for institutionalizing citizen involvement in public budgeting.

This initiative comes in response to Cameroon’s low score of 20% in the 2023 Open Budget Survey, revealing citizen participation as a weak link in public finance reform. In light of this and aligned with international, regional, and national standards for transparency, MINFI—through its Budget Reform Division (DREF)—has launched a formal internal process to embed citizen engagement in budget governance. This government-led approach is notable, as such efforts are often initiated by civil society in other countries.

Participants drafted a preliminary policy document aimed at formalizing citizen participation throughout the budget cycle. The workshop was held under the “Support Program for Improving Public Finance Transparency in the Ministries of Economy and Finance and in Child-Friendly Municipalities” (PAATF-CAE), supported by UNICEF. The initiative underscores UNICEF’s continued partnership with the Government of Cameroon to enhance transparency, governance, and child-centered development outcomes