A reflection organized by the African Centre for International Studies, Diplomacy and Strategies took place in Yaounde on February 1, 2016.

The African Centre for International Studies, Diplomacy and Economic Strategies (known by its French acronym as CEIDES) has organized, in partnership with the Swiss Embassy, a symposium on the theme “the world under stress: economic slowdown, security crisis; the way out”. The reflection that brought together four heads of diplomatic missions to Cameroon as panelists, diplomats, university dons and students was intended to proffer solutions to two major challenges of the 21^st century contemporary society notably economic slowdown and security crisis.

 According to the President of CEIDES, Dr. Christian Edmond Pout, his organisation which is a think tank, is contributing to building peace and security as well as solutions to global economic challenges. These security and economic challenges confronting the world today, he added, require global solutions. He said the barbaric killing of innocent civilians across the world is unacceptable. “Terrorism affects the world economy with enormous impact on national budgets and tourism, thus it requires a global response”, Dr Pout underlined. 

To the Ambassador of Brazil to Cameroon, Nei Futuro Bittencourt, emerging countries cannot really drive world economic growth in the present dispensation. His counterpart of Japan, Kunio Okamura, on his part, prescribed the amelioration of the business climate and encouraged private investment as modeled in the Japanese “Abenomics”; a term which was coined following economic growth reforms that the Japanese Prime Minister instituted to rejuvenate the country’s economy in the wake of economic slowdown.

Ambassador Claude Altermatt of Switzerland who spoke on “terrorism, the major challenge of the 21^st century”, traced the history of the phenomenon, which he pointed out, has caused enormous consequences inflicting suffering on humanity. He said States need to improve their relations with religious organizations, promote education at the basic level and pay attention on fighting poverty as a way-out.

On her part, Ambassador Christine Robichon of France presented France’s experience of fighting terrorism and outlined a series of measures taken to combat the scourge including the State of Emergency, anti-terrorism laws amongst others. France, she noted, has made the fight against terrorism a major priority. Also present was renown Professor Joseph Owona, who pointed out that terrorism is not a new phenomenon though it is globalised today. Boko Haram, he insisted, is barbaric and must be eradicated by all means, he added.