More than 600 international and regional defence delegates participated in the first International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEC) that started on 11 October in Accra, Ghana.
Hosted by the Ghana Armed Forces, the two-day international exhibition and conference take place on 11 – 12 October at the Burma Hall within the General Headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces in Accra, with the aim of strengthening international and regional cooperation to combat terrorism and transnational organised crimes.
The first day of the event was attended by several Chiefs of Defence Staff, Ministers and Secretaries of Defence with over 6 Chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Forces, 18 VIP Speakers, 32 Sponsors and Exhibitors also participating.
This conference brought together international defence equipment manufacturers, technology providers, procurement officials as well as other industry stakeholders who aim to contribute towards the US$20 billion annual defence market. IDEC provides an ideal platform for global defence suppliers to showcase their latest products and services and to meet defence buyers to negotiate fresh supplies.
Ministries of Defence, Ministries of Interior, Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air Forces and a large number of defence procurement officials of African countries participated at the event to sample the latest defence equipment, technologies, systems and services – before making a purchase decision as the defence forces are looking at acquiring the latest defence equipment to strengthen their capabilities and reinforce regional security.
Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, Chief of the Defence Staff, Ghana Armed Forces, said, “It is a distinct honour and a unique privilege to welcome all of you to the Maiden Edition of the International Defence Exhibition and Conference 2022 (IDEC) here in Burma Camp, Accra. GAF and indeed Ghana are excited to have you in our midst and we hope that for the period that you will be here, you will make time to explore and savour the attractions of the city of Accra.”
“The theme for the maiden edition of the International Defence Exhibition and Conference is ‘Strengthening International Collaboration to Combat Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crimes’. To do this requires a multi-dimensional strategy that safeguards citizens, breaks the financial strength of criminals and terrorist networks, disrupts illicit traffic networks, defeats transnational crime organisations, fights corruption, strengthens the rule of law, bolsters judicial systems and improves transparency. These are the major challenges that we face and there is the need for a concerted effort to devise and execute a collective strategy.”
“This year’s Conference and Exhibition hold special value because it is being hosted by the Ghana Armed Forces. Today we shall focus on terrorism and transnational organized crimes and devote tomorrow to open discussions on initiatives to counter-terrorism and transnational organized crimes at an offsite location which will be hosted separately by the various Service Chiefs of the Ghana Armed Forces.”
“The major outcomes that we expect from this conference and exhibition in line with the theme is a common understanding of the problem and to develop a regional and international framework for dealing, in particular, with the challenge of terrorism and transnational organized crime. We hope our industry players would present us with workable and affordable solutions that can be adopted regionally.”
The two-day event creates a unique platform to establish and strengthen cross-border cooperation among the regional armed forces – land, navy and air forces.
The highlight of day one included panel discussions on ‘Terrorism and counter-terrorism strategies.’ and ‘Understanding the nexus between transnational organised crime and security. Activities on the day included presentations on ‘Terrorism in Africa’, ‘Major developments and achievements in land systems’, and ‘Transnational organised crime.
One of the industry sessions was by Ali Boğaç Cicioğlu, Export Manager, Otokar on ‘The latest technologies in counter-terrorism’ and another session was by the Next Coast Guard Commandant, Cape Verde.
The first day of the conference ended with closing remarks and an exhibition tour. Throughout day one of the IDEC conferences, it provided exhibitors and sponsors with direct one-on-one access to the region’s leading decision-makers in the defence sectors – land, air and sea. The event facilitated face-to-face interactions throughout a series of networking sessions.
The second and last day of the conference will start with a presentation by the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) of Ghana focusing on Ghana’s military efforts in curbing terrorism. Followed by two discussion sessions stressing the topics ‘UK Support to countering terrorism and organised crime in Sub-Saharan Africa’ and ‘The current state of the G5 Sahel joint force.
There will be an exclusive open discussion on the initiatives to counter terrorism and transnational organised crime.