2018 UGANDA POSITION PAPER
West Valley High School
Heather Damario, heather.damario@k12northstar.org
Uganda has 38,040,000 people. Only 79% of Uganda’s the population has access to clean drinking water. There are extremely high birth rates which the country cannot support due inadequate space and resources. While Uganda does have a unitary republic, Yoweri Museveni has been president for over 30 years after removing term limits under his rule. Now, as he approaches the age limit for serving, he has passed a bill to remove age limit so he can continue to serve. The Parliament has a very diverse representative body with 375 elected members, 112 of those members being women and 5 of those being disabled people. Uganda has over 1 million refugees, 900,000+ being from South Sudan. These numbers are rapidly increasing due to Uganda’s very generous and progressive policies allowing freedom of movement, equal access to education, healthcare, the right to work and own a business, and social services. Uganda also has issues with terrorism involving three main terrorist groups: Al Shabaab, Allied Democratic Forces, and Lord’s Resistance Army. Uganda is taking significant steps towards improvement as in 2017 we signed a 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development stating:
“We resolve... to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies; to protect human rights and promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls; and to ensure the lasting protection of the planet and its natural resources. We resolve also to create conditions for sustainable, inclusive and sustained economic growth, shared prosperity and decent work for all, taking into account different levels of national development and capacities.”
Our commitment to this statement are reflected in our committees. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) would like to encourage a more comprehensive response to refugees around the world, as noted in the 2016 New York Declaration on Refugees and Migrants, with an emphasis on the inclusiveness and education of refugee children. Uganda would like to stress the natural rights that refugees should hold in every host country until they are able to return to their country of origin safely. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would like to encourage and establish regulations for the safe and peaceful use and protect the environment along with society from the hazards of ionizing radiation. United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) would like to follow the mission of the Ugandan minister of state for foreign affairs, Hon. Henry Okello Oryem, and “step up coordinated global action against terrorism”. This can be achieved by linking larger anti-terrorism organizations with smaller localized ones, in addition to cutting off all sources of terrorism financing. UNOCT would also like to work with local terrorist groups in achieving peaceful coexistence through innovative peace programs. United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) would like to strengthen the participation of the international community in the protection of the environment, specifically in climate change and its effect on agriculture, water management, and rural communities. Uganda firmly believes that global cooperation is the only way to solve the issue of climate change. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) would like to continue the collaborative international effort to reduce illicit drug and criminal activity, both domestically and internationally, with special emphasis on drug and human trafficking. Uganda’s strategic location makes the country an easy target for the illicit drug trade, drawing attention to the rise in international drug trafficking. We strive to extend the implementation of the policies and goals outlined by the 2001 United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. Encouraged by the domestic progress seen in improvements in prison conditions, rehabilitative and correctional services, and court systems that are reliable and increasingly accessible, UNODC is eager to protect similar values in the international setting.
Uganda firmly believes in global union to address ongoing economic, social, and political issues. We value cross-cultural respect and communication, and fully believe that countries under siege must come together, coordinating global defense against these injustices. We emphasize the necessity of international financial institutions in this process to help achieve individual countries developmental and sustainability goals. We are committed to giving women a stronger political voice and an equal position in society. We applaud the Committee on World Food Security and welcome the Rome Declaration on Nutrition and Framework for Action, in their dedication to improving living conditions and reducing malnutrition for all. Finally, we are committed to quickly reducing climate change as prevention against the displacement of more individuals. We recognize the importance of global unity and external organizations in this convoluted and conflict-ridden era, and resolve to join forces against inequalities and fight according to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development, “for people, planet and prosperity”.