As special guest of the Rotary International Grand Conference held at the Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire, Côte d’Ivoire’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Téné Birahima Ouattara, called for stronger efforts to break barriers in order to build lasting peace.

The high-level conference, held under the patronage of First Lady Dominique Ouattara, was themed “Breaking barriers, building peace.” It brought together key international and national figures to discuss global challenges affecting peace and development.

Speaking at the event, Ouattara stressed that in a world marked by rising tensions and crises, peace remains a fundamental condition for development. He noted that following Côte d’Ivoire’s past political and military crisis, the government implemented key reforms in social, political, and security sectors to restore stability.

He identified terrorism, crime, and poor governance as major barriers to peace, calling for collective action to address them. “Peace is difficult to build, but it requires creating the right conditions,” he said, emphasizing that “there is no development without peace, and no peace without development.”

First Lady Dominique Ouattara praised the Vice Prime Minister’s efforts in maintaining peace and strengthening national security, highlighting that peace is built through concrete actions and strong partnerships rather than declarations.

Alain Van de Poel, Vice President representing the President of Rotary International, also co-moderated the high-level panel, calling for greater unity and cooperation in a world increasingly marked by instability.