Any natural or legal person that their rights and freedoms have been infringed upon by the functioning of the regional or council administration or regional or council public institutions or groups of councils . Any person who considers themselves to be a victim of direct or indirect discrimination prohibited by Cameroon law or an international commitment to which Cameroon is a party.

• The dispute between a natural or legal person or a public employee and a regional or council service;
• The dispute that is not currently receiving the attention of a court procedure;
• Issues that have failed to reach satisfactory settlement by the accused party facing a deadlock which shall manifestly be demonstrated by the accused party’s unwillingness to afford further remedies in the matter.

• Formally write and direct a complaint to the PIC including the following:
• The full name, occupation and domicile of the petitioner;
•  The name of the accused administration or regional or council public service;
•  The statement of the facts of the issue/s that prompted the petition;
•  The arguments put forward and where applicable,
•  A list of exhibits/evidence in support of the petition and the expected remedies;
• The complaint should be concise and clearly state the accusations and the remedies sort by the complainant.

Complaints to the office of the PIC are FREE OF CHARGE. WHICH FORMAT CAN BE USED TO COMPLAIN?

• The PIC may admit oral, written or electronic complaints.
• The complaint file (written) should be submitted in two copies (an original and a photocopy). Complaint templates are available to be filled online.

He/she is an independent and impartial authority mandated to address issues, abuses and conflicts arising from the functioning of decentralized entities.

The 1996 Constitution of Cameroon (Law No. 96/06 of 18 January 1996 to amend the Constitu[1]tion of 2 June 1972, amended and supplemented by Law No. 2008/001 of 14 April 2008); Law No. 2019/024 of 24th Dec 2019, Creating the Office of the Public Independent Conciliator (OPIC), notably Section 367 (3) paragraphs 1-4 on the Status and Duties of the Public Independent Conciliator (PIC); Decree No. 2020/773 of 24 December 2020 to lay down conditions for the discharge of the duties of Public Independent Conciliator (PIC).

 The PIC is responsible, inter alia,

• For amicably settling disputes between users and the regional and council administration,
• Defending and protecting rights and freedoms with regard to the relationship between citizens and the region or the councils thereof,
• Fighting discrimination against users of regional and council services;
• Monitoring the functioning of regional and council public services and conducting any investigation into reported issues of abuse, violations and mal[1]administration;
• Preparing a report on the functioning of regional and local councils.

• IS THE PIC INDEPENDENT? YES!
• The PIC is an impartial and independent regional authority and neutral in the execution of his duties. He enjoys financial autonomy;
• He does not receive or seek instructions within the limits of his powers.
• Professional secrecy shall not be enforceable against him
• He takes an oath to affirm his independence and neutrality before the relevant Court of Appeal before assuming office.
• He shall refrain from any activity likely to jeopardize the independence and dignity inherent in his duties. IS THE PIC A JUDGE? The PIC is not a legal authority or a judge, as the competences and powers entrusted to him are not of a legal nature. The Office of the Public Independent Conciliator is not a court either. WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF THE PIC’S WORK?
• The scope of the PIC is limited to regional and council administration, regional or council public institutions operating in the North West Region.
• The PIC is an accessible, democratic authority, within everyone’s reach.
• He can be contacted by any natural or legal person who considers that his rights and freedoms have been violated by the functioning of the regional or council administration. He may only intervene under specific conditions laid down by law