Olivier de Schutter [1], the UN special rapporteur on the right to food, has called on the Cameroon Government to ratify ILO Convention 129 on labour inspection in agriculture. De Schutter, who was in Cameroon on an official visit at the invitation of the Government, says in his preliminary recommendations, “ the situation of workers on large plantations deserves special comment”.
He goes on to point out that labour inspectors have very little capacity to inspect large plantations and that what capacity they have is restricted by a government procedure which requires inspectors to inform companies of the date and time of inspections.
De Schutter urged the Government to proceed to ratification as soon as possible C129 which requires inspectors to have the right to enter agricultural workplaces freely and without prior notice.