YouSaid · the spoken record

Ruhakana Rugunda

lines on the record: 36
first: 2018-09-24
most recent: 2019-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“We welcome the outcome of the second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation, held earlier this year in Buenos Aires. That meeting underscored, inter alia, the need to promote peaceful and inclusive societies in order to achieve sustainable development and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. Finally, I wish to reiterate the readiness of Uganda to work with Member States in preparation of the South-South Summit to be held in Kampala in April 2020. We believe that the Summit will make a significant contribution to our collective efforts towards achieving the SDGs.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Forests have been stripped, as refugees need poles for houses, firewood, medicine, thatching and fodder within and far away from the refugee settlements. It is estimated that 15,000 hectares of forest and savannah woodland near several refugee settlements in the country have been lost. The circumstances of refugees and host communities pose enormous challenges to the national authorities, which need to be addressed as part of international solidarity. Solidarity is not a one-way street. We call for more equitable sharing of the burden and responsibility for hosting and supporting the world’s refugees, consistent with international commitments. Strengthening South-South cooperation is critical to the achievement of the SDGs.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The predicament of refugees continues to this day. Millions of refugees continue to live in countries facing economic and development challenges. Despite the generosity of host countries and international actors, the gap between the needs and the humanitarian funding of refugees and host communities has in effect widened. Uganda has maintained its open-door policy on refugees and currently hosts more than 1.3 million refugees — the largest number of refugees in Africa. Our approach to refugees is anchored in our pan-African spirit, whereby we regard refugees as our brothers and sisters fleeing conflict and distress, who, above all, are seeking peace and security. The influx and prolonged presence of refugees have had an adverse impact on the environment.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The present geopolitical realities are compelling for a comprehensive reform of the Council to make way for equitable representation. Africa, with more than 1 billion citizens and over 70 per cent of issues on the agenda of the Security Council, has no representation in the permanent category of membership, in addition to being underrepresented in the non-permanent category. It is time that we address this long-standing injustice and imbalance, perpetuated in the present configuration of the Security Council, without further delay. Uganda supports the Common African Position on Security Council reform, as enunciated in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration. We urge Member States to work to achieve progress in the negotiations on reform in the context of the intergovernmental negotiations.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Uganda welcomes and supports the Secretary-General’s reform to make the Organization more efficient and effective. Uganda is proud to host the United Nations Regional Service Centre in Entebbe, which over the years has proved it can provide the efficiency gains and cost savings that the Secretary-General and the United Nations membership are calling for. Since its establishment, the Regional Service Centre has grown and expanded with the active support of the Government. As Member States prepare for discussions on the global service delivery model during this session, Uganda looks forward to support by the membership for Entebbe as a location for a global shared service centre. The need to reform the Security Council is more urgent and imperative now than ever before. Uganda supports the comprehensive reform of the Security Council.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We support the right of the people of Western Sahara, the only such territory on the African continent, to self-determination on the basis of respect for the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions. Uganda supports the efforts of the Secretary-General to achieve a mutually acceptable political solution between the parties. The Assembly made a historic pledge during the 2005 World Summit to strengthen the United Nations with a view of enhancing its authority and its efficiency. In line with that pledge, Uganda has continued to support the cause for a revitalized, reformed and effective United Nations system. It is critical to make the United Nations more responsive, efficient and effective in its support to the efforts of Member States to achieve the SDGs.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“A failure to carefully manage that process could imperil the political and security gains already made. With regard to South Sudan, we are pleased with the positive progress in the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. We welcome the progress on the security front and urge the non-signatory groups to join the nation-building efforts. We call on the international community to support the positive momentum and expedite its support for the completion of the remaining critical tasks. Uganda continues to support the efforts of the peoples of the colonies and non-self-governing territories to exercise their right to self-determination. We believe that, to achieve decolonization, the voices of the people of those territories should be heard by all.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and current IGAD Chairperson, for their tireless efforts. That was a clear demonstration of the pursuit of African solutions to African problems. We a pleased with the progress Somalia is making in finding peace and stability. Those developments are taking place against the backdrop of Government efforts to consolidate State institutions, including the building of its national security forces, which will pave the way for the gradual drawdown and exit of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). As the country implements the transition plan, it is essential that the international community address the mismatch between the commitment to generate the requisite Somali national security forces and the drawdown of AMISOM.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The United Nations should continue to support conflict prevention and resolution initiatives undertaken by regional and subregional organizations such as the African Union and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). That partnership should be based on a division of labour and burden-sharing, complementarity and mutual respect. Where there has been such cooperation, we have seen positive results. We congratulate the Government and the people of the Sudan on the historic milestone of reaching an agreement between the Forces for Freedom and Change and the Transitional Military Council, which ushered in a civilian-led transitional Government in the Sudan. We commend Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and Mr.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Recent outbreaks are a reminder of areas where countries in a region, working with the international community, can work together to detect, assess, notify and respond to such public health threats and challenges. Uganda has been involved in such efforts, and we appreciate the support extended by the international community in dealing with the recent outbreak in our region. I wish to reiterate Uganda’s readiness to strengthen international collaboration in that endeavour. Our development and transformation cannot take place without peace and security, which are prerequisites for socioeconomic development and transformation. We should continue to give attention to supporting an environment that is peaceful, thereby enabling us to concentrate on our growth and on development.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Uganda remains committed to multilateralism as a means to achieving comprehensive and equitable solutions to global problems and global challenges. The 2030 Agenda was truly a triumph for multilateralism. We proved that the global community could work together to address pressing issues facing humankind, while making the necessary commitments for the benefit of all. We must redouble our collective efforts to seek common solutions to various pressing regional and global challenges, including unsettled situations and conflicts in various parts of the world, transnational organized crime and disease. As we saw in the recent period, the Ebola virus and other diseases know no boundaries.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In addition, we underscore the need to strengthen international solidarity and cooperation to make bigger and smarter investments in health to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. Terrorism constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. Terrorism and violent extremism continue to bring death and suffering to innocent people. Terrorist groups such as Da’esh, Al-Qaida, Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram continue to inflict death and devastation. They continue to manipulate young minds by exploiting real or perceived injustices and grievances. The international community must adapt to that changing landscape. We must be unswerving in our resolve to combat terrorism. Uganda will continue to support and actively participate in global counter-terrorism efforts.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“To demonstrate its commitment, my Government has developed a universal health coverage road map that lays out the main policy actions for quick wins and setting the course for sustainable and faster progress. My Government is expanding community-level health promotion and prevention programmes to reduce the preventable disease burden. It is enhancing specialized medical care services to address population needs, especially for non-communicable diseases. We are also addressing financial risk protection by ensuring the affordability and sustainability of quality health-care services through legislation and aiding the institutionalization of a national health insurance scheme. We welcome the high-level meeting on universal health coverage held a few days ago.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Uganda is a country with a large population that relies heavily on natural resources. We are therefore likely to feel some of the most extreme affects first, such as the loss of wetlands, forests and even species. That is why Uganda is supporting a proposal at next year’s meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity that takes bold steps to create a sustainable planet, including protecting at least 30 per cent of our lands and significantly generating more funding from Governments and the private sector to protect nature, on which our lives and economies depend. Uganda is prioritizing universal health coverage to ensure that the population can access health services without risk of financial or economic ruin or impoverishment, no matter what their socioeconomic position might be.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We urge developed countries to scale up their level of financial support as committed to in a concrete road map to achieve the goal of jointly providing $100 billion annually by 2020 for mitigation and adaptation. While the world focuses on climate change, biodiversity loss continues to escalate. However, climate change and biodiversity loss are intrinsically linked, and both must be addressed simultaneously. Biodiversity is part of an intricate web of life that provides $125 trillion per year in ecosystem services to humans, such as clean drinking water, clean air, fertile soils, climate stabilization and crop pollination. Recent reports have shown that vulnerable populations will feel the effects of biodiversity loss first, as well as benefit the most from avoiding and reversing land degradation.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Those frequent and recurring episodes have severe consequences on our socioeconomic growth, which is heavily dependent on natural resources. Despite being one of the least emitters of polluting gases, Uganda has taken bold measures to move to implement some concrete adaptation and mitigation actions, such as the restoration of 64,000 hectares of wetlands to benefit 4 million farmers, the reforestation of over 200,000 hectares, the generation of an additional 20 per cent of clean energy from renewable sources and the promotion of solar-powered irrigation schemes. Climate financing remains crucial because investments are required to significantly reduce emissions, adapt to the adverse effects and reduce the impacts of a changing climate.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Setting our world on a sustainable course requires that we urgently address one of the defining challenges of our time, which is climate change. Climate change affects each and every one of us. All over the world, we have witnessed environmental disasters, the most recent of which in the Bahamas and Mozambique led to considerable loss of life and property. Those disasters showed the intensity and ferocity of the changes taking place in our environment. We stand in solidarity with the affected people as they continue with the recovery process. Uganda has not been immune either, as it has experienced prolonged droughts, the melting of ice caps at its highest mountain, the Rwenzori Mountains, floods, erratic rainfall and landslides, which have also caused substantial loss of life.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In order to mobilize domestic resources for the implementation of the SDGs, Uganda is implementing a policy of promoting exports, attracting tourists and foreign investors, mobilizing external development resources on concessional or favourable terms and strengthening institutional capacity to enhance service delivery. We are also committed to promoting integrated national financing mechanisms that will lower the cost of borrowing and facilitate easier access to capital for priority areas such as agriculture, agroprocessing and value added. While we do our part, we call on our development partners to fulfil their commitments and extend support in terms of timely and adequate means for accelerated implementation.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Uganda has prioritized poverty eradication and the provision of quality education in its national development plan, through deliberate and targeted investments in agriculture, industrialization, strategic infrastructure, such as roads and railways, energy production and human capital development. Uganda is mainstreaming the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the main component of the 2030 Agenda, through partnerships and targeted resource mobilization, from both domestic and external sources. Good progress has been made to integrate the SDGs into national, sectoral and local Government plans, and the progress of implementation is tracked through a national monitoring and evaluation system. The biggest challenge remains inadequate financing to implement the 2030 Agenda.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“It reminds us that, by putting the eradication of poverty, the improvement of livelihoods for all and the protection of our planet among its core objectives, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted in 2015 is ambitious, inclusive and transformative; it seeks to leave no one behind. At the outset, I wish to thank the membership of the United Nations, in particular the Group of 77 and China, for their support and for accepting Uganda’s offer to host the third South Summit in Kampala in April 2020. We look forward to welcoming all the members and working with them to strengthen and further revitalize our cooperation, within the context of a global partnership for sustainable development.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I wish to congratulate Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session and to assure him of Uganda’s full support. My delegation is pleased to have an eminent African steering the work of this organ and remains confident that he will lead the Assembly effectively and successfully. I would also like to thank Her Excellency Ms. Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces for her leadership during the seventy-third session. I pay tribute to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his dedication and commitment to the work of the United Nations. Uganda welcomes the theme of this session.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We remain committed to working with national, regional and international actors to address the drivers of displacement and refugees. We are grateful for the solidarity and support that the international community has extended to Uganda thus far. It is our expectation that the new global compact on refugees will provide the much needed predictable and equitable burden- and responsibility-sharing among all Member States. Lastly, Uganda remains ready to work with the Secretary-General and all Member States to realize a United Nations that is more inclusive, effective and responsive to the needs of the peoples of the world.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The adoption of the 2030 Agenda coincided with the onset of what would become Uganda’s single largest refugee influx in its history. As a country, we now host 1.4 million refugees, which is the largest number on the African continent and ranks quite high at the global level. The presence of large numbers of refugees, mostly arriving unexpectedly and quickly, amplifies the existing vulnerability of host communities. It also places a huge demand on already over-stretched national capacities and resources. Uganda remains committed to maintaining and promoting asylum space and its refugee model, consistent with the 2016 New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants. We do that because we know that no one chooses to be a refugee. We also understand the critical importance of treating refugees humanely, decently and with dignity.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Uganda was one of the first countries to sign and ratify the Agreement last year. We must continue to muster the political will necessary to fully implement the Agreement. There is a need for the enhanced delivery of finance to the most vulnerable countries to support their climate-change mitigation and adaptation measures. As highlighted in the 2030 Agenda, we can be the first generation to succeed in ending poverty, just as we may be the last generation to have a chance of saving the planet. Let all of us commit ourselves to preventing wars and to promoting peace. Let us build new international relations. Let us reduce inequalities. Let us ensure that no one is left behind. And let us support the primary role of the United Nations as the principal organization for addressing global challenges.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“On South Sudan, Uganda has actively participated in the peace process launched in June 2017 and led by Intergovernmental Authority on Development. We welcome the recently signed and revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. The Agreement outlines guidelines on power sharing, governance and security arrangements, including the settling of boundary disputes, which will be guided by a boundary commission. We call on the international community to support the implementation of the Agreement. Climate change remains a major challenge and a threat to our efforts to achieve sustainable development. Uganda supported the efforts to reach the new, universally binding Paris Agreement on Climate Change, reached in December 2015.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Business is thriving, and there are numerous reconstruction activities in many parts of the country. Incidentally, regular elections have also been held. Those positive developments and Somalia’s relative stability would hardly have been possible without the contribution and sacrifice of AMISOM and the Somali security forces. Uganda appreciates the support that the African Union and international partners have given to AMISOM, which was never intended to be in Somalia forever. That is why it is essential that Somalia be supported in providing security for its people. It is crucial that any reduction in the number of AMISOM troops correspond with the strengthening of the Somali security forces. The failure to carefully manage that process could imperil the political and security gains already made in Somalia.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“One example is the cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union on the situation in Somalia, where the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has supported the efforts of the Somali Government to stabilize the country. Uganda has played an active role in those regional initiatives. Since AMISOM’s deployment 11 years ago, we have witnessed tremendous progress in Somalia. The Somali Government, previously based outside the country, has been based in Mogadishu since 2007. International organizations, including the United Nations and diplomatic missions, have also relocated to Mogadishu. More than 80 per cent of the areas dominated by Al-Shabaab have been liberated. The area of piracy and the threat that piracy had caused at sea, threatening international shipping and trade, has been neutralized.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We look forward to the forthcoming United Nations ministerial conference on South-South cooperation, which is to be held in Buenos Aires and which, we hope, will devote time to considering how to strengthen and further revitalize such cooperation within the context of a Global Partnership for Sustainable Development. The United Nations has the primary responsibility for international peace and security. However, in undertaking that role, it is essential that the Organization support initiatives undertaken by regional and subregional organizations. That partnership should be based on the division of labour, burden-sharing and complementarity, as well as mutual respect. In Africa, the evidence is that, where such cooperation has taken place, the results have been positive.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We therefore support the efforts of Member States to move the intergovernmental negotiations process on Security Council reform forward, and we call for a constructive spirit aimed at realizing the long-awaited reform. Strengthening South-South cooperation is critical to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Over the 40 years of its existence, South- South cooperation has proved to be a valuable avenue for building capacity and promoting development in developing countries. It has also facilitated cooperation, as manifested in South-South and triangular cooperation. It is our desire that we expand the scope of South-South cooperation to include, among other elements, trade, investment, infrastructure, tourism, peacebuilding and other areas of mutual interest.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Secondly, over the past few years, Africa has shown its commitment to conflict prevention, mediation and resolution, as demonstrated by its leadership and response to conflict situations that have developed in the continent over the past few years. We believe that for a continent with 54 countries, a population of more than 1 billion people and demonstrable political commitment, Africa should have a greater voice in the global political debate, which would increase the legitimacy of the decisions of the Security Council and foster its effectiveness. It is essential that the Council membership, in both the permanent and the non-permanent categories, be equitable and reflect today’s geopolitical realities.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“In order to respond successfully to global crises, threats and challenges, the international community needs an efficient multilateral system. It is for that reason that Uganda has continued to advance the cause for a revitalized, reformed and effective United Nations system. That is critical if we are to make the United Nations more responsive, more efficient and more effective in its support for Member States’ efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Uganda supports the comprehensive reform of the Security Council, and our approach is consistent with the African continent’s common position, as enunciated in the Ezulwini Consensus. First, African issues dominate the Security Council agenda, and therefore the vast majority of decisions made by the Security Council affect African countries.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We must redouble our collective efforts to seek common solutions to pressing regional and global challenges, including conflicts in various parts of the world, transnational organized crime, terrorism and violent extremism. We must be unwavering in our resolve to combat terrorism, religious extremism and terrorism from groups such as Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Al-Qaida, which constitute threats to our common security and development. That threat is compounded today, given the possibility of linkages between terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Those challenges cut across national boundaries and require collective responses. Uganda remains committed to multilateralism as a means of achieving comprehensive and equitable solutions to global problems and challenges.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“We call upon development partners to fulfil their commitments and extend their support in terms of timely and adequate means for the implementation of the SDGs, as well as to prioritize the special needs of the most vulnerable countries and strengthen partnerships with them. Our development and transformation cannot take place without peace and security, which are prerequisites for socioeconomic transformation. We should devote our attention to supporting an environment that is peaceful, thereby enabling us to concentrate on growth and development. Today, challenges transcend borders, and no country alone can carry the weight of the world on its shoulders.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“To do so, we have integrated 76 per cent of the SDGs into our national development plan for the period 2015-2020, as part of the Uganda Vision 2040. From our engagements so far, it is evident that the biggest challenge remains the obtaining of adequate financing to implement the 2030 Agenda — an issue that arose clearly in the high-level political forum held in New York in June. We in Uganda are doing our best to mobilize resources, both domestic and external, to implement the SDGs. We are committed to leveraging support into productive areas, including the private sector, which has the potential to boost our economy and thereby contribute additional internally-generated resources to help implement the SDGs.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Three years ago, in this Hall, we adopted the universal and transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1), to guide our efforts over the next 15 years. At the heart of the 2030 Agenda was a pledge to leave no one behind. That meant that the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their targets should be met for everyone, with a particular focus on the poorest, most vulnerable and furthest behind — people who are indeed often left out. We in Uganda have devoted a reasonable amount of time and resources to follow through on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and establish links between the SDGs and our national priorities. We are working deliberately to ensure that the SDGs are implemented in an effective and timely manner for the socioeconomic transformation and improvement of our people’s livelihoods.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I congratulate Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés on her election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session and assure her of Uganda’s full support. We are confident that she will lead the Assembly effectively and successfully. I would also like to express our gratitude to Mr. Miroslav Lajčák for his leadership at the seventy-second session. I also pay tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, for his personal dedication and commitment to the work of the United Nations. The theme for the seventy-third session — “Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibility for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies” — is very pertinent.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)