The Ghana Navy, in partnership with Great Minds Events LLC (GM), will host the second edition of the International Maritime Defence and Exhibition Conference (IMDEC 2021) at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel, Accra from Tuesday, July 6, 2021, to Thursday, July 8, 2021.

This edition of IMDEC will have greater participation from regional Air Forces, as the Ghana Air Force will be an official event partner to highlight the significance of air-maritime cooperation.

The Conference is therefore expected to bring together about 15 Chiefs of Navies and Air Forces from across Africa, several international maritime experts as speakers, panellists, delegates, and exhibitors from global defence industries to share ideas and deliberate on maritime security issues facing the Gulf of Guinea Region, which has witnessed a surge in threats to maritime security in recent times.

The main objectives of IMDEC 2021 would be to strengthen regional cooperation and interoperability and to promote inter-agency approaches to curbing maritime security.

Additionally, the event will seek to highlight the link between a secured maritime domain and a developed blue economy.

The Conference will thus place special emphasis on the theme: “Maritime Security and Trade, the Nexus between a Secured Maritime Domain and a Developed Blue Economy.”

As part of the activities lined up, there will be a Site Visit by the attendees and delegates to the Western Naval Command at Sekondi and the Air Force Base, Takoradi, on Tuesday 6 July 2021.

This will be followed by the official opening of the Conference on Wednesday 7 July 2021 by the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

The two-day conference will end on Thursday, July 8, 2021, with the Chief of the Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama closing the event.

A website, www.imdecafrica.com, provides further details on the speakers, participants, objectives, significance, and activities lined up for the conference.