Philémon Yang
Template:Short description Template:Infobox officeholder Philémon Yunji Yang (born 14 June 1947<ref name=Gov>Profile at Cameroonian government website Template:Webarchive Template:In lang.</ref><ref name=Info>"Fiche sur les nouveaux minitresTemplate:Sic (2)", Cameroon Tribune, December 10, 2004 Template:In lang.</ref>) is a Cameroonian politician who served as Prime Minister of Cameroon from 2009 to 2019,<ref>List of members of the Secretariat-General of the Presidency, Presidency website Template:In lang.</ref> having previously held various ministerial and diplomatic roles particularly in Canada where he served as the ambassador of Cameroon to Canada for over 20 years. He is the longest-serving prime minister in Cameroonian history, having served 9 years, 9 months, and 3 days. From 2024 to 2025 he served as President of the United Nations General Assembly for its seventy-ninth session.<ref name=un>UN News, "Philemon Yang of Cameroon elected President of upcoming General Assembly session", 6 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.</ref>
Early life and education
Yang was born in Jikejem-Oku, in the Oku subdivision of the Bui division of the Northwest Region of Cameroon.<ref name=Gov/><ref name=Info/> He studied law at the University of Yaoundé.
Career
Early appointments
Yang served as a prosecutor at the Buea court of appeal<ref name=Gov/><ref name=Info/><ref name=Circles>Christina Leadlay, "Diplomatic Circles" Template:Webarchive, Embassy (Canada), January 12, 2005.</ref> before being appointed to the government in 1975 as Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration. In 1979 he became Minister of Mines and Energy,<ref name=Gov/><ref name=Info/> remaining in that position until he was dismissed from the government in 1984.<ref>List of governments of Cameroon Template:Webarchive Template:In lang.</ref>
Ambassador and High Commissioner in Canada
Yang served as Ambassador to Canada from 1984 to 1995<ref>Diplomatic, Consular, & Other Representatives in Canada, March 2003, page 5.</ref> − and as High Commissioner in Canada from 1995 to 2004, after Cameroon joined the Commonwealth of Nations.<ref name=Info/> He also served as Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Canada for about 10 years.<ref name=Circles/> His time in Ottawa was dedicated to securing foreign aid for his country, despite Canadian concerns about human rights abuses and corruption. Along with other representatives of African countries, he was pleased by Canada's commitment to debt relief in 2000. He headed Cameroon's delegation in negotiations on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety from 1998 to 2000, and after the Protocol was adopted he chaired the Intergovernmental Committee for the Cartagena Protocol.<ref>Philémon Y. Yang, "Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety: Opportunities and Challenges", in Looking Ahead: International Law in the 21st Century (2002), Canadian Council on International Law, page 211, note 1.</ref>
Return to domestic politics
In 2004 Yang was appointed Assistant Secretary-General of the Presidency of Cameroon.<ref name=Info/><ref>Nicolas Amayena, "Présidence: les nouveaux ministres en poste" Template:Webarchive, Cameroon Tribune, December 22, 2004 Template:In lang.</ref> In 2008 he became chair of the board of directors of the Cameroon Airlines Corporation.<ref>Honoré Foimoukom, "Universités d’Etat: Biya limoge Njeuma et Kontchou" Template:Webarchive, Le Messager, 30 December 2008 Template:In lang.</ref>
Prime Minister of Cameroon
On 30 June 2009 President Paul Biya appointed Yang as Prime Minister of Cameroon, replacing Ephraïm Inoni.<ref>Jean-Bruno Tagne, "Breaking News: Paul Biya modifie son Gouvernement !", Cameroon-info.net, 30 June 2009 Template:In lang.</ref> Yang's appointment marked the largest government shake-up since his predecessor was appointed in 2004. Biya stated on state radio that three ministers from the previous government had switched places, six new names were added while six portfolios were cut entirely. The opposition said that it did not expect a great deal of change due in part to the continuance of a large government. It had been hoping for 30 ministerial positions to be cut, but there remained over 60 ministers. The reshuffle was believed to have been spurred by public anger over rising food prices and discontent with high levels of government corruption. Adding to this, the move was seen as an attempt by Biya to shore up support for the next presidential election in 2011.<ref name="Reuters">Tansa Musa, "Cameroon's president sacks PM in reshuffle", Reuters, 30 June 2009.</ref> In addition to Yang, new ministers were appointed for defence, posts and telecommunications, communication, education, promotion of women, water and energy, and sports.<ref>"Cameroon president names new prime minister in government reshuffle", Xinhua, 1 July 2009.</ref>
Yang stepped down as Prime Minister on 4 January 2019.
President of the United Nations General Assembly
On 6 June 2024 Yang was elected to serve as President of the United Nations General Assembly for its seventy-ninth session, from 10 September 2024 to 9 September 2025.<ref name=un/>
References
External links
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- Pages with broken file links
- 1947 births
- Living people
- People from Northwest Region (Cameroon)
- University of Yaoundé alumni
- 20th-century Cameroonian politicians
- 21st-century Cameroonian politicians
- Prime ministers of Cameroon
- High commissioners of Cameroon to Canada
- Cameroon People's Democratic Movement politicians
- Cameroonian officials of the United Nations