Uganda is hosting the 19th Midterm Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement. The meeting comes nearly two years since Uganda hosted the historic 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in January last year, under the theme “Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence.”
According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Gen. Odongo Jeje Abubakhar, the meeting is aimed to assess the progress made in implementing the outcomes of the 19th Summit of NAM.
In his welcoming remarks, Jeje Odongo said, ”I wish to reaffirm Uganda’s unwavering commitment to advancing the outcomes of the 19th Summit, alongside those of previous NAM Summits and Ministerial Meetings.”
He further added that as Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement Coordinating Bureau, Uganda remains steadfast in upholding the Movement’s principled positions and in promoting the collective interests of our Member States on the global stage. “We are fully committed to revitalizing NAM, reinforcing its unity and solidarity, and ensuring that our voice continues to influence international dialogue and decision-making” said Gen. Jeje Odongo.
Odongo called on all member States to collectively and strongly work towards the effective implementation of NAM’s shared decisions and ability to tackle the pressing challenges of peace and security, sustainable development, human rights, and international cooperation. ”In this regard, I urge all delegations to engage constructively in the negotiation of the outcome documents of this 19th Midterm Ministerial Meeting.” He added, “It is only through unity, solidarity and a common purpose that we can project a clear, strong, and coordinated voice on the issues that affect our nations in today’s increasingly complex and volatile global environment, an environment that continues to hinder our aspirations for economic development, social progress, peace, and the full enjoyment of human rights and the rule of law”.
On Palestine, Jeje said it remains central to the Non-Aligned Movement. “Our long-standing, principled positions on this matter, carefully developed over the past six decades, must be preserved, defended, and advanced. This includes continued engagement in relevant fora, particularly within the United Nations system, and concerted efforts to uphold international law, including international humanitarian law, and implement relevant UN resolutions” he reiterated. He called for increased economic, technical, and humanitarian support to rebuild Palestinian institutions and infrastructure, laying a firm foundation for full independence.
In his conclusion Jeje called on all members to have a spirit of constructive engagement as they deliberate on the outcome documents. “Let our discussions reflect the urgency of our time and the pressing need for coordinated action. Only by working together, with purpose and solidarity, can we achieve meaningful results for our peoples and future generations”, he concluded.
The 19th Midterm Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement is taking place at Speke Resort Munyonyo and Uganda is chairing the meeting