NIP Dialogue Series – Voices from the Countries
This blog post draws on an interview with Joswa Aoudou, Director of Standards and Compliance, Ministry of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development of Cameroon. The interview is part of the NIP Dialogues Series under the GEF-funded, UNEP-led Global NIP Update project (GEF ID 10785).
Yaoundé, Cameroon – June 2026
Cameroon’s experience implementing the Stockholm Convention shows that tackling persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is about turning priorities into measurable results while navigating the practical limits of data and tools. It also points to the challenges common in many countries, such as the fact that identifying and quantifying newly listed POPs in products and equipment remains difficult. Strengthening regulation, improving detection capacity and sustaining collaboration across institutions is critical for the next phase.
Building the update on past implementation
Cameroon began updating its National Implementation Plan (NIP) in 2024, building on its ratification of the Stockholm Convention in 2005 and its status as a Party since 2009. The country’s first NIP was developed in 2012 and updated in 2016.
Those earlier plans defined four main priorities: eliminating obsolete POP pesticides, eliminating polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), addressing unintentionally produced POPs (UPOPs), and strengthening awareness, communication and public information. These priorities continue to shape current implementation efforts.
Eliminating obsolete pesticides
Cameroon has translated these priorities into measurable results. With support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the country eliminated 37.5 tonnes of POP and obsolete pesticides in 2018.
The effort extended beyond disposal. It included the assessment of contaminated sites, studies on highly hazardous pesticides and alternatives, and the development of a national strategy for managing pesticide containers. Alongside this, two pilot projects were conducted to collect empty pesticide containers in high agricultural production areas.
Scaling up PCB elimination and site remediation
Significant progress has also been achieved on PCB. Between 2016 and 2024, Cameroon eliminated more than 250 tonnes of PCB with support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Within the project, 14 contaminated sites were assessed and remediated.
This work has been supported by regulatory and institutional development. A decree signed by the prime minister established PCB management, complemented by five ministerial orders. Cameroon has also introduced operational tools, including an online PCB import-export platform and a GIS-based system for inventory tracking, allowing holders to declare and update their stocks.
Advancing the current NIP update
Cameroon’s current NIP update has already progressed through key stages. The country has completed its inventory, conducted consultations with stakeholders, defined institutional roles and carried out public awareness activities.
Inventory reports covering POPs listed under the Convention up to 2021 have been produced by technical experts. Action plans have been developed and validated, and are planned to be presented to the National Coordination Committee established under the Ministry of Environment, in line with the NIP update guidelines.
A targeted, multi-layered inventory approach
Cameroon’s inventory process combines targeted sector identification with data collection from multiple sources. Investigators collected field data directly from holders, while additional information was gathered through online questionnaires.
Laboratory analysis also played an important role. In the case of PCB, field samples were analysed using a combination of colorimetric testing and the LX2000 device, reducing the burden on laboratory processing, while gas chromatography analysis conducted at the university level provided more detailed results.
The inventory also integrates customs and international trade data, particularly for pesticides, and uses emission factors and toolkits to estimate UPOPs. It covers a broad range of substances, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) contained mainly in electrical and electronic equipment, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) linked to flame retardants, short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) and hexabromocyclododecane.
The persistent challenge of POPs in products
Despite advances, one major difficulty remains: identifying and quantifying POPs contained in products and equipment.
The lack of equipment to detect the quantity of POPs contained in each product means that it must be relied on estimates from available stock data and inventory guidelines. This challenge is compounded by the fact that many products remain in use while others have already entered waste streams, making accurate assessment highly complex.
Next phase priorities
Looking ahead, Cameroon’s priorities include addressing flame retardants contained in products, continuing PCB elimination in view of the 2028 deadline, and strengthening regulatory frameworks to integrate newly listed POPs. A stock of 1,630 tonnes of PCB remains on the territory of Cameroon. Public awareness remains central. Since POP-containing products are widely used, communication is essential to ensure understanding and behavioural change.
Cameroon’s regulatory framework is evolving accordingly, with existing laws on environmental management, chemicals and waste undergoing updates to reflect new international requirements and substances. Cameroon has a framework law on environmental management covering chemicals and waste, and the new NIP intends to update it again to integrate all POPs listed up to 2025.
Participation as a foundation for implementation
Stakeholder engagement plays a central role in Cameroon’s NIP update and implementation. The National Coordination Committee brings together more than 100 companies and over 50 sectors of activity, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
Awareness strategies combine targeted and diversified communication approaches, supported by civil society organizations and NGOs. In the industrial sector, inspectors continually relay information concerning how their activities relate to POPs during inspection activities. Participation is extensive, with more than 250 stakeholders coming together in regular meetings to exchange, discuss and contribute according to their sectors of activity.
Practical lessons for other countries
Cameroon’s experience points to several practical lessons. Integrating the informal waste sector is essential for accurate data and effective waste management. Close collaboration with national statistical institutions improves data collection frameworks. Customs authorities are critical partners as they sit at the border and hold information on the products entering the territory.
Another important point is that women should be involved more directly, considering they are at the centre of managing products that may contain POPs. Better awareness of the dangers linked to POPs is important for human health and households’.
Monitoring systems also need to evolve. UPOPs such as dioxins and furans remain difficult to inventory. While existing approaches rely on emission factors, there is a clear need for nationally adapted tools to collect better information. Detection equipment and portable tools such as infrared analyzers are needed, and targeted training for customs officers is required to better identify POP-containing products.
“The Cameroonian experience demonstrates that environmental monitoring can no longer rely only on documentary controls.” – Joswa Aoudou
Making tools usable and accessible
Cameroon has benefited significantly from many trainings, workshops and webinars under the Global NIP Update project. The Stockholm Convention integrated electronic toolkit for inventory and NIP submission has also been seen as useful.
However, access remains a challenge despite available tools and trainings. Limited internet connectivity affects the usability of online platforms, and users require clearer guidance, including manuals to support data integration and system use. This highlights an important point that countries require capacity building beyond webinars and training sessions, and tools must be practical, accessible and adaptable to national realities.
Cameroon’s NIP update demonstrates that POP management is not purely technical or procedural. It is a continuous process that combines coordination, fieldwork, regulatory reform, communication and technological adaptation.
Its progress reflects measurable achievements while also acknowledging the complexity of emerging challenges. It also demonstrates that effective implementation under the Stockholm Convention depends on the ability to adapt, collaborate and continuously improve systems over time.
To watch the full interview, please follow this link: https://youtu.be/xZMqHjNeAyk
To learn more about the Global NIP Update project, visit Global NIP Update | Green Policy Platform
