Datouo in Bern: Cameroon and Switzerland Deepen Parliamentary and Economic Cooperation

The Speaker of the Cameroon National Assembly, the Right Honourable Théodore Datouo, has paid an official visit to Bern at the invitation of Pierre-André Page, President of the Swiss National Council, in a high-level engagement focused on parliamentary diplomacy, investment, vocational training and stronger bilateral cooperation.

Received at the Federal Palace by President Page, Speaker Datouo held a half-hour bilateral audience with his Swiss counterpart, during which the two parliamentary leaders reviewed relations between the two institutions and discussed avenues for strengthening parliamentary cooperation. Page had himself visited Cameroon in July ahead of the 51st session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF) in Yaoundé, where he met Speaker Datouo and participated in the parliamentary proceedings.

The discussions also revisited Switzerland’s participation in the 51st APF session and welcomed the construction of Switzerland’s new embassy in Cameroon. Both sides examined opportunities to broaden cooperation beyond parliamentary exchanges, particularly in agriculture, the economy and investment.

Tilo Frey’s legacy takes centre stage

A notable moment of the visit was Speaker Datouo’s recognition of Switzerland’s tribute to Tilo Frey, the pioneering politician of Cameroonian origin who became one of the first women elected to the Swiss National Council in 1971 and the first woman of colour to serve in the chamber. Born in Maroua in what is now northern Cameroon, Frey’s legacy is commemorated through the Tilo artwork on the Federal Palace.

Speaker Datouo commended the recognition of Frey’s place in Swiss parliamentary history and expressed Cameroon’s interest in drawing on Swiss expertise as it develops a museum dedicated to the history and institutional heritage of the National Assembly.

From Parliament to economic cooperation

Speaker Datouo’s programme extended across the Federal Palace, where his presence was acknowledged in the Swiss Council of States by its President, Stefan Engler, and later in the National Council by President Page, in the presence of the President of the Swiss Confederation.

He was subsequently received by Swiss Confederation President Guy Parmelin at the Federal Palace. Discussions highlighted the longstanding relations between Cameroon and Switzerland, including cooperation around the Institut Agricole d’Obala and exchanges involving investment and economic partnerships.

For Datouo, the next phase of cooperation should also encompass railway transport, with Cameroon seeking greater Swiss investment and technical expertise in the sector. He further highlighted Switzerland’s dual vocational education and training system as a possible source of expertise for Cameroon, particularly in expanding practical skills and employment opportunities for young people.

Climate-change research and innovation also featured among the areas identified for closer cooperation.

Swiss dual-training model presented

Beyond the political and parliamentary audiences, the Cameroonian delegation received a presentation on the Swiss dual vocational training system from Maria Peyro, an official of Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation.

The system, which combines classroom-based education with practical workplace training, was examined as a possible reference for strengthening skills development and improving the transition of young Cameroonians from education into employment.

The visit also included a tour of Bern, providing the delegation with an opportunity to experience Switzerland’s political capital and its institutional heritage. A dinner was subsequently hosted by the Vice-President of the Council of States, Madam Crevoisier.

A parliamentary delegation behind the Speaker

Speaker Datouo was accompanied by members of the Cameroon–Switzerland Parliamentary Friendship Group and senior officials, including Hon. Joshua Osih, President of the group; Hon. Oumoul Koulchoumi Ahidjo and Hon. William Peter Mandio, members; Secretary-General André Noël Essian; Cameroon’s Ambassador to Switzerland, H.E. Leonard Henri Bindzi; and other members of the delegation.

The Bern visit places parliamentary diplomacy at the centre of Cameroon’s engagement with Switzerland, while opening discussions on practical cooperation in agriculture, investment, vocational training, transport, climate innovation and institutional heritage.

It also builds on an increasingly visible parliamentary relationship: Switzerland’s own parliament has identified parliamentary dialogue as an important instrument for strengthening bilateral relations with Cameroon, while President Page’s July visit to Yaoundé underscored cooperation in agriculture, development, the economy and parliamentary affairs.