The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeje Odongo, has reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment, as chair of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), to champion the positions of member states in international fora to address their challenges effectively.
Speaking at the conclusion of the 19th Mid-Term Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Odongo said the pressing global issues of member countries, including Palestine and Venezuela, were addressed decisively.
“These are not controversies but realities on the ground, and we have agreed to update our outcome documents to reflect these issues,” he said.
He emphasised that NAM, as a diverse family of 121 member states, accommodates varied opinions but consistently produces unified outcome documents that evolve with global developments.
The four-day summit in Kampala produced several key documents, including the Kampala Declaration, the Palestine Declaration, and the Venezuela Declaration. These were adopted by consensus among foreign ministers, permanent representatives to the United Nations, and ambassadors.
Odongo said Uganda, which will chair NAM until 2027, remains dedicated to advancing these global issues without controversy. He expressed gratitude to the dignitaries for attending and engaging in constructive discussions.
The minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Okello Oryem, praised the government for successfully hosting the summit, which he said left a lasting legacy in addressing global challenges while upholding NAM’s founding principles of neutrality, non-interference, economic security, and diplomacy.
Adonia Ayebare, who chaired the summit and serves as Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, noted that the conference was well-attended and reached significant decisions impacting the Global South and South-South cooperation.
“We discussed critical issues, including Palestine and developments in Latin America, Africa, and other regions, producing outcome documents to advance our collective position at global platforms like the United Nations,” Ayebare said.
He underscored NAM’s solidarity on issues such as debt, climate change, and other pressing global challenges, affirming the movement’s commitment to collaborative action. However, Ayebare declined to comment on the United States’ deportation plans to Africa.
Sovann Ke, Cambodia’s Undersecretary of State for UN Affairs, called for unity among NAM members despite their differences. He urged adherence to international law, respect for national sovereignty, and the resolution of conflicts through diplomatic means.
Uganda is set to hand over the NAM chairmanship to Uzbekistan in 2027, though it remains unclear whether this will occur at the next NAM ministerial meeting in Kampala or in Uzbekistan.
