A “think tank”—an English term that translates to “group of reflection” or “laboratory of ideas” in French—is a group of experts operating within a private-law entity that is independent of the government or any other authority and is, in principle, a nonprofit organization. The main activity of a think tank is to produce studies and develop proposals, most often in the fields of public policy and economics. There are thousands of them around the world. Thus, on January 31, 2019, during World Think Tank Day, the Center for Research and Action for Peace (CERAP) and the Ivorian Center for Economic and Social Research (CIRES) jointly commemorated this day. The event unfolded in two main phases: an exhibition phase and a conference-debate phase.

The exhibition began around noon. CERAP presented four themes: democracy, society and social change, land tenure, governance, and civil society. As for CIRES, it presented some of its scientific publications, including the Cahiers du CIRES and the journal Recherche économique et développement, which are scientific journals. It also presented activity reports on major projects such as PACER and IP4GROWTH on intellectual property management in West Africa; explanations of how the library operates and a presentation on the Master 2 program in rural economics were the focus of the participants’ attention.

? think tank? an English term that As for the conference, it began at 3:00 p.m. with the theme: “Ivorian civil society facing contemporary challenges through think tanks.” The speakers were Father Dossou Aristide from CERAP and Drissa Soulama from POECI. Father Dossou Aristide explained the true purpose and significance of think tanks, emphasizing the crucial role they play in proposing solutions across various fields to public policy decision-makers. The second speaker, Drissa Soulama of the Platform of Civil Society Organizations for Election Observation in Côte d’Ivoire (POECI), highlighted the role his organization plays in the country’s electoral process to prevent the chaos experienced during the 2010 elections. Following the discussions, it is clear that collaboration is essential between various civil society organizations and think tanks, as the latter serve as reservoirs of ideas and are well-positioned to propose potential solutions to economic and social problems. As for civil society organizations, they could serve as gateways for think tanks for the benefit of all, which would spark further reflection. The commemoration of World Think Tank Day 2019 concluded around 5:40 p.m. with a commemorative photo.