Conference on homeland security underway in Accra
The Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, has asked security practitioners and manufacturers of information and communication systems to consider offering state security forces the required advantage to ensure world peace.
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He said powerful nations were grappling with terrorism in the 21st century because the global information age had created conditions for adversaries to pose security threats by utilising the power of Information and Computing Technology (ICT).
Mr Amissah-Arthur made the call at the opening of the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (C4SIR) and African homeland security conference and exhibition in Accra yesterday.
The two-day conference, which has brought together homeland security professionals and officers of the security agencies, including the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Prisons Service, is expected to integrate intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities with tactical and operational assets to achieve control over threats of terrorism and transnational crimes.
It will also discuss establishing a maritime system in West Africa, fighting terrorism and the participation of troops in peace support operations.
Mr Amissah-Arthur told the delegates that their participation in the conference offered great insights into senior-level decision making, especially in the areas of networking and information sharing.
He pointed out that non-state actors such as terrorists and insurgents had made it essential for nation states to share experiences to enable them to identify the right policies and integrate systems to achieve success.
The Vice-President noted that the hierarchical nature of the military structure was being undermined by modern innovations in computer and communications that had rendered redundant the monopoly of information.
Status quo challenged
The Chief of Army Staff, Major General Richard Opoku-Adusei, stated in his welcome remarks that the status quo was being challenged and the assumptions made in the past to shape views of global security had been called to question.
He said the global security situation had made it necessary for security managers to be more innovative in predicting insecurity and where it would occur and they should also have the capacity and capability to deal with it.
“Homeland security has become a major concern in recent times because globalisation and advancement in technology have driven unprecedented increases in innovation, competitiveness and economic growth around the world,” Major General Opoku-Adusei said of the security challenges in the 21st century.
The security chief added that the security of every nation depended on the reliable functioning of critical infrastructure. He also noted that the adversaries equally employed ICT to disable the platforms provided for economic survival.
Cyber terrain
Major General Opoku-Adusei said most armed forces had shifted from a network assurance mindset to a key cyber terrain necessary for mission success and that the contemporary security operations where militaries were engaged in lopsided warfare called for the relevance of the C4ISR.
“Our nation’s ability to continue to influence events depends on credible military force, buttressed by efficient employment of C4ISR,” the Chief of Army Staff added.
The Vice-President later inspected an exhibition of goods and services mounted by some participants from other countries.
Writer’s email: sebastian.syme4@gmail.com