The Guyana Defence Force Annual Officers’ Conference 2025 officially commenced today under the theme “Transforming the Force to better confront the Nation’s present and future challenges by Enhancing its Awareness, Adaptability, and Agility Capabilities”.
As is tradition, the President and Commander in Chief (C in C), His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali delivered his charge to the officers following the Chief of Defence Staff report.
President Ali, in his address, highlighted several key aspects of the military’s future plans for discussion during the two-day conference. In an era where security threats are evolving, national defence must adapt to remain effective. To this end, the President emphasised the critical role of innovation in shaping modern security frameworks.
“Strength will not only be evaluated based on human capital, human assets and physical assets but also on our ability to transform our strategy by incorporating innovation, artificial intelligence, and technology into our security response agenda. Therefore, it must be an important arm of the Guyana Defence Force. We must determine what is relevant to us. To do this, we must evaluate several key issues, including the expansion of sovereignty beyond our geographical space to encompass data sovereignty,” President Ali told the Officers.
President Ali charged the Force to maintain a high state of readiness. “Guyana’s success depends on stability, and stability depends on a Force that is always prepared. Security through peace is not just an aspiration but a responsibility that I charge you with upholding.”
Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan, MSS, in his report to the conference and the C in C, shared the many successes of the Force and also highlighted key areas of focus for the coming year. He noted that over 6,000 officers and ranks received training in key areas in 2024, while a number of Senior Officers are attending training in groundbreaking fields of study at International Institutions.
Brigadier Khan also highlighted the acquisition of key assets, current capital projects, and solidification of bilateral agreements and Memorandums of Understanding between the GDF and other military forces.
The conference will include presentations from all the units of the Force covering their budgets and expenditures for 2024, as well as deliberations on improvements and strategic planning for 2025 and beyond.
