Philemon Yang of Cameroon President of Seventy-Ninth General Assembly
On 6 June 2024, the United Nations General Assembly elected Philemon Yang of Cameroon as President of its seventy-ninth session, which runs from September 2024 until September 2025. (See Press Release GA/12605.)
Mr. Yang is a seasoned diplomat with a track record of experience.
At the national level, he served as Prime Minister and Head of Government from 2009 to 2019. In this capacity, he represented the Head of State at important high-level regional and international meetings.
He has held other important government positions, including Vice-Minister of Territorial Administration (1975–1979), Minister for Mines and Energy (1979–1984) and Minister, Deputy Secretary-General at the Presidency of the Republic (2004–2009). Since 2020, he has been serving as the Grand Chancellor of National Orders at the Presidency of the Republic.
Internationally, Mr. Yang served as Cameroon’s High Commissioner to Canada (1984–2004), where, for 14 years, he was Dean of the Diplomatic Corps. He has led Cameroonian delegations to high-level economic summits in Washington, D.C., London, New Delhi and several other capitals.
At the African level, he took part in various sessions of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government, including the summit on the institutional reform of the African Union.
He has held the position of Chairperson of the Panel of Eminent Africans of the African Union since February 2020. This Panel is, among other things, responsible for examining candidacies for important positions within the African Union, such as those for African Union Commissioner.
As far as the activities of the United Nations are concerned, Mr. Yang was Chair of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
He is also fervently committed to humanitarian issues, respect for human rights and dignity, the rule of law, respect for nature and the environment, the fight against climate change and the reform and renewal of the United Nations.
His vision and commitment are based on the ideals, objectives and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations concerning peace, security, economic and social development and respect for human rights, including the advancement of women, children and people with disabilities.
Born on 14 June 1947 in Jikejem-Oku, in the north-west region of Cameroon, Mr. Yang is a Cameroonian politician and a magistrate by training. He graduated with a degree in law from the University of Yaoundé, Cameroon. He also graduated from the National School of Administration and Magistracy. Mr. Yang went on to obtain a master’s degree in international law from the University of Ottawa, Canada, and a Master of Business Administration from Century University in the United States.
He is married to Linda Yang and is the father of three children.