An Associate Professor of Agri-food integrity at the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Ernest Teye, has participated in this year’s Experts' Dialogue held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The two-day Experts' Dialogue, organised by United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), in collaboration with the Indonesian National Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT), was on the theme: "Technology and Security: Prevention, Detection, and Response to Chemical Terrorism and Organised Crime Activities".
Prof. Ernest Teye
The event was as part of the project "Building a Safer South-East Asia by Preventing and Responding to the Use of Chemical Weapons by Terrorists and Other Non-State Actors in Indonesia".
The primary aim of the Experts' Dialogue was to reinforce the collective efforts of member states in combating the threats of chemical terrorism and organised crime activities.
Prof. Teye, in his contribution, pointed out that while the leaders of West Africa were determined to rid the region of difficulties it continued to face as a result of terrorism, the menace could only be curbed if citizens became willing partners in the scheme.
Prof. Ernest Teye (seated 4th from right) with other participants in the Experts' Dialogue
With the current rising insecurity, including the proliferation of terrorist and other non-state armed groups, coupled with political instability, creating crisis and threat to the world, he emphasised on the need to strengthen collaborations to counter terrorism.
He stressed the need to adopt modern strategies in dealing with terrorism and extremism, in order to cope with external territorial operations.
During the event, participants, including 30 representatives from various Indonesian government agencies, engaged in discussions to explore ways to reinforce national and regional strategies, focusing not only on preventing chemical terrorism and organised crime threats but also on identifying new areas that required research and technological developments.
Experts' Dialogue
The project, funded by the U.S. Department of State, is jointly implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UNICRI, in collaboration with BNPT.
The event also involved UNICRI’s SIRIO initiative, focused on analysing and promoting knowledge on technology-based solutions for addressing emerging security risks.