CES Activity Report: Patrice Talon calls on the institution to confirm its new dynamic

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The official ceremony took place in the presence of several presidents of institutions and government members. This accountability report comes one year after the reform undertaken to revitalize the consultative institution. On this occasion, the president of the CES, Conrad Gbaguidi, presented to the Head of State a report outlining twelve months of activities and the orientations taken to reposition the Council in the national economic and social debate.

In his speech, Conrad Gbaguidi praised the institutional reform undertaken by the head of state, noting that it allowed reviving the Council’s activities and strengthening its visibility. According to him, the institution has sought to bring itself closer to the people through a more marked territorial anchoring, while affirming Benin’s presence in the international networks of consultative institutions.

The report submitted to the head of state highlights several issues taken up on the Council’s own initiative during this period. The work notably focused on security resilience with proposals for socio-economic measures in favor of youth to prevent violent extremism. The Council also looked into the management of agro-pastoral tensions, recommending the operationalization of multi-stakeholder consultation frameworks to foster mediation and de-escalation.

Issues related to the cost of living are also among the concerns analyzed. The CES suggests the creation of a “citizen basket” based on the promotion of national production, responsible consumption, and the valorization of short supply chains. On the health front, the institution calls for strengthening the legal framework to combat the circulation of adulterated alcohol.

Patrice Talon is satisfied but has some suggestions

Reacting to the presentation of the report, Patrice Talon expressed satisfaction with the initial results recorded since the reform of the Economic and Social Council. The head of state believes that these works confirm the role that the institution can occupy in the country’s democratic and social architecture.

The President of the Republic has, however, invited the advisers to continue their efforts with greater methodological rigor and to extend their analyses to other areas still little explored.

According to him, the institution’s credibility will depend on its ability to produce forward-looking analyses and recommendations useful to public decision-making.

The submission of this report marks an important milestone in reviving the Economic and Social Council. It also opens the way to new discussions between the institution and the executive. A bilateral seminar is moreover announced in order to examine the recommendations more deeply and to identify new avenues for reflection on the country’s economic and social issues.