Remarks by the UN Resident Coordinator at the New Generation UN Country Team Meeting on Private Sector Partnerships for SDGs Acceleration in Uganda

Salutations

Hon. Mary Okurut, Minister for General Duties and Focal Point Minister for SDGs

Hon. Amelia Kyambadde, Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives

Mr. Joses Tegyeza, Commissioner for Strategic Coordination and Implementation

Mr. Gideon Badagawa, Executive Director of the Private Sector Foundation Uganda

Dr. James Mwangi, Group Managing Director and CEO, Equity Group Holdings, Equity Group Foundation

CEO Summit Team Leader, Dr. Peter Kimbowa

Ms. Wilbrod Owor, Executive Director, Uganda Bankers Association

Your Excellency Ambassador of Turkey

Partners and representatives from the Government, Private Sector, Umbrella Associations, Development Community and Heads of Cooperations

UN Colleagues from the Regional Development Coordination Office (tbc), UN Global Compact in New York, UNECA, UNDESA, UNCTAD, UNCTs in South Sudan, DRC, Kenya

UN Colleagues

Youth Coalition for SDGs

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am very pleased to welcome you to the New Generation UN Country Team Meeting on Private Sector Partnerships for Sustainable Development Goals Acceleration in Uganda. I would like to welcome all partners and colleagues joining us in-person and online, representing the Government, private sector, development partners, UN system, media, civil society, and youth leaders. Before I proceed, I wish to invite us to observe a minute of silence for the lives lost due to the triple challenges of COVID-19, gender-based violence and climate change.

Today’s partnership meeting is held in the framework of the reform of the United Nations Development System (UNDS), which came into effect two years ago on 1st January 2019 as mandated by the UN General Assembly Resolution 72/279. The New Generation UNCT is a collective platform to facilitate inclusive and strategic engagement in the spirit of the Charter of the UN.

I am extremely happy to see so many partners joining us today and in particular the diverse private sector community including associations, multinationals as well as small and medium enterprises, in line with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda which recognizes the critical role of the private sector as partners in the implementation of SDGs. Achieving the 2030 Agenda requires both collective and individual actions from each and every one of us, whether we work in the government, civil society, private sector, media, academia at global, regional, national, or sub-national levels. Equitable partnerships, informed by shared values, must remain at the heart of our effort to drive the implementation of SDGs in Uganda, Africa and beyond if we are to succeed, especially in the new global environment.

Dear partners

Covid-19 has generated a severe global economic crisis with huge impacts on the local economy. At the same time, it provided an opportunity for developing countries like Uganda to further appreciate the need for domestic production, exploit opportunities in regional markets, build more resilient healthcare systems and fast track migration to digital systems.

The joint UN Socio-economic impact analysis of Covid-19 revealed significant increases in the number of victims of violence and over four million informal sector workers, most of whom are women and youth, losing their sources of livelihood. Our analysis also noted that the Country is likely to backtrack on its journey to achieving SDG 1 on Zero Poverty as the poverty headcount is likely to increase by 2-8 percentage points as a result of the containment measures taken to curb the spread of the pandemic. Informed by these findings, we developed a series of partnerships to address those most at risk of being left behind, I will highlight a few: the partnership with the Youth SDGs Coalition and the National SDGs Secretariat to give a voice to youth across the country by inviting them to participate in the One Million SDGs Solutions Innovation Challenge during the last Decade of Action. The United Nations system in Uganda has partnered with Stanbic Bank to design the Economic Enterprise Restart Fund (EERF) initially established as a 3-year Covid-19 impact relief fund worth $86 million to help address the unprecedented financing needs of thousands of women and youth in Savings and Credit Co-operatives and in Village Savings and Loans Associations across the nation who do not have access to the formal economy. The UN System also partnered with local governments in Rwenzori region, the Uganda Investment Authority and Operation Wealth Creation to develop investment profiles in five key economic sectors as part of our efforts to unlock and promote the investment potential of the region across the peace-humanitarian-development nexus. I welcome you to visit our website (www.uganda.un.org) to read these profiles and identify potential investment areas in Rwenzori, which has some of Uganda’s most impressive tourism, agricultural and services-oriented opportunities that have an impact on Uganda and the rest of the Great Lakes region.

Ladies and gentlemen,

While the UN remains steadfast in supporting Uganda’s development aspirations especially during these unprecedented times of the pandemic, the needs are still enormous and call for strengthened partnership with other actors. Allow me to point out a few areas and opportunities that will need to be our focus in the short and medium term in the journey to recovery.

• The development challenges have been magnified by Covid-19 which has generated the worst economic crisis, exposing inequalities and fragilities both within and among countries. Recovery will depend on the availability and effectiveness of vaccines for all and the effectiveness of the recovery measures that will be implemented by all stakeholders, both public and private. The UN system is working to support Government efforts to mobilize and address these needs and also scaling up our internal capacities to respond to the health needs of the country and UN personnel. Within this initiative, we appeal to partners to join our efforts and collaborate to ensure delivery of vaccines to the people of Uganda, starting with those who are most at risk.
• The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement also provides a huge opportunity for economic growth and socio-economic transformation. With a membership of 55 countries, it will create the largest free trade area in the world and a combined gross domestic product (GDP) valued at over US$3.4 trillion and will connect 1.3 billion people on the continent. This implies that a manufacturer in Uganda will not only targeting only 44 million Ugandans, but a bigger continental market. We call upon the private sector to work with Government to fully take advantage of the development opportunities created by the CFTA.
• While the private sector has been traditionally known to be profit oriented, we are witness to the fact that you have been key partners in ensuring that no one is left behind through engaging in socially responsible businesses practices that promote inclusive growth where youth and women are supported to realise their potential and protecting the environment while at the same time realise the business objectives. The Gender Seal that the UN in Uganda has implemented over the past few years with selected business enterprises is a full testimony to this.
• Lastly, digitization has emerged as the sure way to improving business practices, promote efficiency in the public sector and create opportunities for the over 78 percent of the population that is below 30. We count on the cooperation of Government, through enabling policies and laws, to enable the youth and private sector to unlock the potential of digital technologies to support socio-economic transformation.

Before I conclude, I wish to convey our vote of thanks to the Office of the Prime Minister for joining us in co-organizing this meeting as part of our shared journey to promote SDGs in Uganda. I also wish to thank our partners, the Private Sector Foundation of Uganda, Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, lead UN agencies UNCDF and UNDP for the joint effort to establish a multi-stakeholder mechanism to holistically address the various aspects of private sector engagement on SDGs in Uganda. I also wish to appreciate Dr. James Mwangi, Equity Bank Group Managing Director and CEO who is also one of Africa’s renown thought leaders and philanthropists expected to speak to us today. His distinguished career includes serving on UN Advisory Groups on Inclusive Finance and Global Sustainability. I’m confident that his presentation will ignite a critical dialogue on solutions to financing sustainable development in Uganda and Africa during these COVID times.

On behalf of the UN in Uganda, I reiterate our commitment to support implementation of the Uganda Vision 2040, the third National Development Plan and the 2030 Agenda as outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Cooperation Framework for Uganda (2021-2025). We are committed to continue leveraging new partnerships to support private sector leaders to apply their creativity and innovation to solving sustainable development challenges. I look forward to the discussions on critical challenges, innovative solutions, and opportunities for transformational partnerships in support of SDG implementation in Uganda. I do hope they become part of best practices for Africa and beyond. I wish to thank our colleagues from across the African continent and at headquarters for joining us today as we try to enhance indigenous solutions, regional collaboration, and South-South partnerships to bring the SDG pledge of leaving no one behind to life.

Thank you once again for your attention.