Uganda, 2025

The Assembly will now hear an address by Her Excellency Jessica Rosse Epel Alupo, Vice President of the Republic of Uganda. I request protocol to escort Her Excellency and invite her to address the Assembly. The President of the UN General Assembly, Excellencies, Heads of State and Government, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring you warm greetings from His Excellency General Yoweri Kagutam-Seveni, who could not be present personally on this and on whose behalf I am privileged to address this 80th session of the UN General Assembly. Madam President, let me begin by warmly congratulating you on your election as the President of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly. Uganda assures you of its full support throughout your tenure, and I also extend our appreciation to His Excellency Philomene Young for his capable leadership during the 79th session. We commend the Secretary General, His Excellency Antonio Guterres, for his continued commitment to the roles and responsibilities of the United Nations. This year marks 80 years since the founding of the United Nations, born out of the devastation of the Second World War, with the aim of preventing future wars and promoting global cooperation. This anniversary is timely and is a reminder of our shared responsibility to uphold multilateralism and strengthen global solidarity in addressing common challenges. The theme of this year's General Assembly, Better Together, resonates well with our national objectives. Uganda firmly believes that multilateralism remains an essential framework for building collective solutions to global problems. We reaffirm our commitment to the Charter of the United Nations as the cornerstone of multilateralism, international diplomacy, and cooperation with the global mechanisms to promote and support the intertwined values of humanity, namely peace and security, human rights, and shared prosperity. We are equally committed to fast-tracking the achievements of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and implementation of the Pact for the Future. Madam President, Uganda continues to play an active role in advancing peace, stability, and security within our region, e.g. in Somalia, South Sudan, DRC, and the Sudan. Uganda remains committed to the peaceful resolution of regional conflicts. We remain the largest troop contributor to the African Union mission in Somalia since 2007, which has been succeeded by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, and now the African Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia. As a country, we have invested both human and financial resources in promoting peace and stability unreservedly. These efforts require reliable and predictable funding. We therefore call on the international community to commit adequate resources for peace-building and peacekeeping missions to ensure that their sustainability, effectiveness, and success becomes a reality. In South Sudan, Uganda continues to support the peace process as one of the guarantors of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, contributing to efforts aimed at restoring stability and unity in the country. On the peace efforts in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda has been working with regional leaders on the Nairobi and Luanda processes aimed at finding a lasting solution, and we also remain supportive of other complementary efforts by the international community. Madam President, we urge greater international support for regionally-led peace-building and stabilization initiatives, recognizing them as vital foundations for inclusive and sustainable development. We also call for enhanced global cooperation in tackling the root causes of conflict, including inequality, climate change, pandemics, new technologies, transnational crime, and terrorism. Madam President, Uganda calls for the comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council to address the imbalance in its current configuration and make it more equitable, just, and democratic. We demand for Africa's representation on the council as a special case, as a matter of urgency in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, in line with the common African position enshrined in the Eswalini Consensus and Sate Declaration. Africa must have two seats in the permanent category with all rights and privileges, and two additional seats in the non-permanent category. On the question of Palestine, we urge the international community to give renewed priority to the realization of the internationally-endorsed two-state solution. We appeal to the United Nations Security Council to play a decisive and just role in resolving the Palestinian issue, which is crucial for lasting peace in the Middle East and central to global peace and security. We join the international community in the long-lasting call to end the embargo on Cuba that has been tightened recently with unfair designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. Uganda is recognized globally for its progressive refugee policies. Madam President, we host the largest number of refugees in Africa, currently standing at 1.9 million. Uganda allocates land to refugees and integrates them into our national systems, sharing public services such as education and health care, etc. However, this model is under serious pressure due to declining international support amid its rising global geopolitical tensions. The drop in partner funding has strained our already limited resources, affecting both host communities and our ability to meet national development targets, including SDGs. Uganda remains committed to upholding its obligations, but we cannot do this alone, as it diverts vital resources from our national development needs. Madam President, we therefore urge the international community to meet its obligation and support host countries like Uganda. Refugee hosting should not become a debt burden. Uganda should not be expected to borrow money to care for displaced populations fleeing conflict. Madam President, with just five years remaining to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, progress in many developing countries remains far off track. Bridging the estimated US$4 trillion annual financing gap is crucial. The failure to mobilize adequate resources highlights the shortcomings of current international financial cooperation. We call on the international community to fully implement existing commitments, including the Sevilla Commitment, the 2015 Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the 2008 Doha Declaration, and the 2002 Monetary Consensus. These agreements provide a framework for enabling developing countries to expand their physical and policy space and drive balanced and inclusive development. Accelerating the SDGs requires renewed commitment to multilateralism, global solidarity, and the strengthening of international cooperation mechanisms to ensure that no one is left behind. Madam President, Uganda's commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights remains central to our national development agenda. Our constitution guarantees civil and political rights, freedoms of association, assembly and expression, and the right of every citizen to participate in democratic governance. Since the introduction of multiparty democracy, Ugandans have enjoyed regular free and fair elections at all levels in Uganda. Madam President, Uganda was the first country in the Sub-Saharan Africa to introduce universal free primary education in 1987 and universal free secondary education in 2007, an endeavor which has enabled our children to attain basic education and has improved the literacy and numeracy levels in our country and all the associated benefits and multiplier effects. Health remains at the core of our development strategy. Uganda is scaling up investments in primary health care and deploying digital health solutions to improve service delivery and accountability. Our HIV-AIDS response remains a global model of political will and community engagement. Under the presidential fast-track initiative, Uganda has reduced HIV prevalence to 5.5 percent, achieved 96 percent treatment coverage among those diagnosed, and over 90 percent viral suppression. Madam President, as the current chair of NAM, Uganda is committed to advancing the principle of unity, peace, and solidarity among its members. We support stronger collaboration between NAM and the UN in promoting the interests of developing countries. In this context, we call for accelerated progress on the adoption of the long overdue covenant on the rights to development. Uganda looks forward to welcoming honorable ministers of NAM member states and observers at the 19th Mid-Term Ministerial Conference scheduled to take place in Kampala between 15th and 16th October 2025. Madam President, as I conclude, the United Nations has stood as a pillar of development, a pillar of peace and human dignity for the last eight decades. It remains indispensable. It would be impossible to imagine the world today without the United Nations. Uganda acknowledges the UN's many achievements, its legitimacy, convening power, and normative influence. Madam President, more must be done to adopt and adapt and strengthen multilateralism. We must redouble our efforts to uphold international cooperation and ensure that the United Nations system is reflective of the current realities and capable of addressing the intertwined global challenges of peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development. Let us commit to leaving no one behind, better together. I thank you. On behalf of the Assembly, I wish to thank the Vice President of the Republic of Uganda. Thank you.