By Denis Kasule Ssebunya
The government is rallying the media to amplify the upcoming Non-Aligned Movement Meeting (NAM) and the G77 plus China gathering, set to convene from January 15th to 23rd, 2024, at the Speke Hotel and Commonwealth Resort in Munyonyo. Officials from various ministries, including ICT and Foreign Affairs, alongside agencies like KCCA and the National Organizing Committee (NOC), underscored the necessity of boosting the events’ visibility during a recent media briefing.
John Mulimba, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, expressed pride in Uganda hosting over 140 high-profile delegates simultaneously for the first time, surpassing the attendance numbers of previous significant summits like CHOGM in 2007 and the African Union Summit in 2010. He emphasized Uganda’s active membership in both organizations since 1964 and highlighted the continued relevance of these forums in addressing emerging global challenges.
The theme “Deepening Cooperation on Shared Global Affluence” for the 19th NAM convention aims to tackle long-standing issues of inequality among nations and individuals, environmental threats, and human conflicts. Mulimba stressed the necessity of global cooperation to redirect competition towards collective prosperity.
Post-events, Uganda will assume the chairmanship of both organizations, providing an opportunity to advocate for developing countries and exert influence on global affairs. Efforts to strengthen organizational unity include supporting missions in member countries and establishing an embassy in Vienna for NAM.
Lucy Nakyobe, the Head of Public Service and CEO of the National Organizing Committee, emphasized the media partnership’s importance in publicizing and drawing interest in the events. She highlighted meticulous preparations undertaken over the past year and urged the media to positively portray the events, encouraging public participation.
Nakyobe outlined government initiatives such as infrastructure improvements, road repairs, drainage system enhancements, and beautification projects in various localities in preparation for the summit. The East African Business Summit preceding the main events aims to foster business interactions among participating countries’ private sectors.
Vincent Bagiire, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, praised the media’s role in successfully promoting events, citing the Nyege-Nyege festival as an example. He urged the media to support the NAM and G77 meetings to bolster Uganda’s image as an appealing tourism and investment destination.
