The forum will officially commence on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, on the banks of the Ebrie Lagoon.
This year’s event, organized in collaboration with the AU, will take place in Abidjan from October 23 to 25, 2024, under the theme “Green Borders: Between Shared Natural Resources and Security Challenges.”
Professor Ousmane Zida, Chairperson of the Scientific Committee for the forum, confirmed that President Faki will address the central theme. He noted that African border areas are often the focal point of interconnected crises, encompassing environmental, security, migratory, humanitarian, and social issues.
“The aim of the Abidjan Border Forum 2024 is to explore sustainable development in border regions by prioritizing environmental concerns within integrated border management, particularly regarding shared natural resources,” Zida explained.
The forum is expected to attract over 5,000 participants, including delegations from various border management entities, according to Mr. Diakalidia Konate, the Commissioner General and Executive Secretary of the Côte d’Ivoire National Border Commission (CNFCI).
Konate stated that the forum aims to serve as a platform for national and international experts, civil society, practitioners, and academics to share insights on border governance challenges. It also seeks to highlight innovative ideas and solutions that can contribute significantly to enhancing security, peace, social cohesion, and the harmonious development of border areas.
Josephine Charlotte Mayuma, the AU’s Special Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, acknowledged that border management issues pose significant challenges for the continental organization, while commending the partners supporting the event.
“We are confident that we will identify solutions to the conflicts occurring throughout Africa,” she affirmed, expressing her satisfaction with the AU co-hosting this forum with the government of Côte d’Ivoire.
Mayuma recalled that since the first forum held from October 18 to 20, the AU Commission has supported this initiative by Côte d’Ivoire, highlighting the organization’s alignment with the implementation of the AU’s Borders Programme.
This commitment was recognized during the AU Assembly’s 36th Ordinary Session, which took place in Addis Ababa on February 18 and 19, 2023, where it was declared that “we welcome the holding of the Borders Forum in Abidjan in October 2022.”
“The decision by Côte d’Ivoire to hold this biannual Abidjan Border Forum aligns with the AU Commission’s efforts to institutionalize international meetings focusing on African state and inter-state borders,” she added.
At the forum’s opening, Karim Ouattara, Head of Cabinet representing the Prime Minister, assured attendees that “the government will work to enhance this partnership” to overcome challenges. He emphasized the need for ecosystem stakeholders to collaborate with governments in both action and thought to better incorporate these challenges into African countries’ policies, which will significantly improve border management.
The event will feature panels, conferences, high-level roundtables, business-to-business meetings, networking opportunities, and cultural activities. Following the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Côte d’Ivoire again has a chance to unite Africa at this pan-African gathering of border stakeholders by the Ebrie Lagoon.
AP/sf/lb/abj/APA