Ahead of International Translation Day, observed annually on September 30, Cameroon’s Ministry of Decentralization and Local Development – MINDDEVEL hosted an interactive workshop on Thursday at the Yaounde City Hall.

The event gathered key representatives from MINDDEVEL, its supervised agencies, and Decentralized Territorial Authorities – CTDs to deliberate on promoting official bilingualism within local governance structures.

The primary objective of the session was to advance a national initiative focused on harmonizing bilingual terminology in the fields of decentralization and civil status. As Cameroon operates with both French and English as official languages, maintaining consistency across administrative records, legal frameworks, and public services remains a vital priority for local authorities.

The proceedings were chaired by Mr. Fred Ebongue Makolle, Secretary General of MINDDEVEL, who represented the Minister of Decentralization and Local Development. In his opening remarks, he emphasized the critical role that clear, unified communication plays in strengthening local governance and ensuring equal access to public services for all citizens.

During the workshop, domain experts and administrative actors engaged in technical exchanges to address translation discrepancies and standardize specific legal and civic terms. By aligning key terminology, the ministry aims to streamline official documentation and eliminate ambiguities across local council operations throughout the national territory.

Following the discussions, participants were tasked with actively contributing to the drafting of a standardized bilingual glossary for the decentralization sector. This unified linguistic tool will enhance institutional coherence and reinforce public administrative efficiency in both official languages across Cameroon