The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
“Ahead of the presidential election in October, growing restrictions on civic and democratic space in Cameroon are raising serious concerns about whether voters can freely express their will,” Laurence said.
“We are today calling on the Government of Cameroon to ensure an environment conducive to a free, transparent, inclusive and genuine vote. Equal access to participation in electoral processes for all Cameroonians is absolutely essential,” he said.
“Several gatherings have been banned amid rising restrictions on the activities of opposition political parties in the lead up to the election. There have also been concerns about the exclusion of some political figures from the race and irregularities in voter registration.
Recently, a live television interview with a political figure was interrupted by security forces,” Laurence said.
“These developments come following the suspension of three civil society organisations and the banning of two others in December last year and restrictions that were imposed on the operations and funding of some civil society groups,” the spokesperson said.
High Commissioner Volker Türk urges the Cameroonian authorities to promptly address any measures that could disenfranchise sections of Cameroonian society, and to take meaningful steps to address rising hate speech, disinformation, and incitement to violence, both online and offline, in line with international human rights law.
ENDS
For more information and media requests, please contact:
In Geneva:
Ravina Shamdasani: + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org
Jeremy Laurence: + 41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org
Marta Hurtado: + 41 22 917 9466 / marta.hurtadogomez@un.org
Thameen Al-Kheetan: + 41 76 223 77 62 / thameen.alkheetan@un.org
In Nairobi:
Seif Magango: + 254 788 343 897 / seif.magango@un.org
Tag and share - Twitter: @UNHumanRights and Facebook: unitednationshumanrights
STORY: UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on Cameroon presidential election process
TRT: 02:18
SOURCE: OHCHR/ UNOG
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: English/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 02 September 2025 – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior shot: Palais des Nations
- Wide shots: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Ahead of the presidential election in October, growing restrictions on civic and democratic space in Cameroon are raising serious concerns about whether voters can freely express their will.”
- Cutaways: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “We are today calling on the Government of Cameroon to ensure an environment conducive to a free, transparent, inclusive and genuine vote. Equal access to participation in electoral processes for all Cameroonians is absolutely essential.”
- Cutaways: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Several gatherings have been banned amid rising restrictions on the activities of opposition political parties in the lead up to the election. There have also been concerns about the exclusion of some political figures from the race and irregularities in voter registration. Recently, a live television interview with a political figure was interrupted by security forces.”
- Cutaways: Briefing room
- SOUNDBITE (English)—Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “These developments come following the suspension of three civil society organisations and the banning of two others in December last year, and restrictions that were imposed on the operations and funding of some civil society groups.”
- Cutaways: Briefing room
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , WHO
Gaza: Life-saving medicines blocked as killing continues, disease gains ground
In Gaza, a dire humanitarian situation marked by continuing violence, rodent infestations and the spread of diseases is being made worse by blockages of essential medical supplies, UN agencies warned on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights spokesperson Shabia Mantoo, warned against the continuing trend of involuntary returns of Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers from host countries to Afghanistan, in violation of international human rights and refugee law, at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | IFRC , OHCHR
Lebanon's first responders face high risks amid conflict, with 116 killed since March.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
DRC Ebola outbreak: hundreds of suspected cases, no vaccine
A fast-spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has health workers rushing to stop transmission while the roll out of any potential vaccine is months away, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
A UN Human Rights Office report released today covers 19 months of large-scale violations of international law including atrocity crimes, from October 2023 to the end of May 2025.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF
At least six million people in Somalia are going days without enough food, UN aid teams warned on Friday, highlighting that nearly two million of this number are young children “at high risk of illness or death”.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , WHO
Children shot, stabbed and pepper-sprayed in occupied West Bank; scores of Gaza amputees denied prosthetics, aid teams warn
Israeli military operations and surging settler attacks in the occupied West Bank are killing and maiming Palestinian children, while in Gaza tens of thousands with life-changing injuries lack access to treatment and rehabilitation, UN agencies warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
The risk of hantavirus spreading to the general population is “absolutely low”, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) stressed on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , IFRC
Death and destruction have continued unabated in Lebanon while communities are still unable to return to their homes despite a ceasefire that began on 17 April, humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Deadly hantavirus on board cruise ship may be transmitted among humans - WHO
Hantavirus victims on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean may have been infected prior to joining the cruise and human-to-human transmission on board cannot be ruled out – although it is rare - the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN rights chief concerned by upheld convictions of Cambodian activists.