Philémon Yunji Yang (born 14 June 1947Profile at Cameroonian government website
."Fiche sur les nouveaux minitres (2)"
''Cameroon Tribune'', December 10, 2004 .) is a Cameroonian politician who served as

Prime Minister of Cameroon Under the current Constitution of Cameroon, the prime minister of Cameroon is a relatively powerless position. While the prime minister is officially appointed to be the head of government, the president retains most of the executive power and ...

from 2009 to 2019, 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. In June 2024, he was elected to serve as

President of the United Nations General Assembly The president of the United Nations General Assembly is a position voted by representatives in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on a yearly basis. The president is the chair and presiding officer of the General Assembly. Election ...

for its seventy-ninth session, beginning his term on 10 September 2024.UN News, "Philemon Yang of Cameroon elected President of upcoming General Assembly session"
6 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.

Early life and education

Yang was born in Jikejem-Oku, in the Oku subdivision of the Bui division of the Northwest Region of Cameroon. He studied law at the University of Yaoundé.

Career

Early appointments

Yang served as a prosecutor at the

Buea Buea is the capital of the Southwest Region (Cameroon), Southwest Region of Cameroon. The city is located in Fako (department), Fako Division, on the eastern slopes of Mount Cameroon, and has a population of about 800.000 inhabitants as of 2 ...

court of appealChristina Leadlay
"Diplomatic Circles"
, ''Embassy'' (Canada), January 12, 2005. before being appointed to the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

in 1975 as Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration. In 1979 he became Minister of Mines and Energy, remaining in that position until he was dismissed from the government in 1984.

Ambassador and High Commissioner in Canada

Yang served as Ambassador to Canada from 1984 to 1995 − and as High Commissioner in Canada from 1995 to 2004, after Cameroon joined the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...

. He also served as Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Canada for about 10 years. His time in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

was dedicated to securing foreign aid for his country, despite Canadian concerns about

human rights abuses Human rights are universally recognized moral principles or norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both national and international laws. These rights are considered inherent and inalienable, meaning t ...

and

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...

. 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.

Return to domestic politics

In 2004 Yang was appointed Assistant Secretary-General of the Presidency of Cameroon. In 2008 he became chair of the board of directors of the Cameroon Airlines Corporation.

Prime Minister of Cameroon

On 30 June 2009 President

Paul Biya Paul Biya (born Paul Barthélemy Biya'a bi Mvondo, 13 February 1933) is a Cameroonian politician who has been serving as the second president of Cameroon since 1982. He was previously the fifth Prime Minister of Cameroon, prime minister under Pre ...

appointed Yang as

, replacing Ephraïm Inoni. 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 Food prices refer to the average price level for food across countries, regions and on a global scale. Food prices affect producers and consumers of food. Price levels depend on the food production process, including food marketing and food di ...

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.Tansa Musa
"Cameroon's president sacks PM in reshuffle"
Reuters, 30 June 2009. In addition to Yang, new ministers were appointed for defence, posts and telecommunications, communication, education, promotion of women, water and energy, and sports.
Xinhua, 1 July 2009. 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

for its seventy-ninth session, succeeding Dennis Francis of

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

on 10 September 2024.

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yang, Philemon 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