Remarks at National Workshop on SDG-Aligned Local Planning and Multi-Level Governance

Salutations:

• Representatives of the Office of the Prime Minister;
• Distinguished Government Officials from National and District levels;
• Colleagues from the United Nations system;
• Development Partners;
• Ladies and Gentlemen.

Good morning.

It is a pleasure to join you today for the opening of this important workshop on SDG-Aligned Local Planning and Multi-Level Governance.

Let me begin by thanking the Office of the Prime Minister, the National SDG Secretariat, and my colleagues from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) for bringing together national and local leaders, technical experts and development partners around a shared objective: Strengthening how we translate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into real progress for people across Uganda. Because, ultimately, that is what the SDGs are about.

They are not only global commitments or national strategies. They are about whether communities have access to services, whether young people find opportunities, whether local economies grow, and whether development reaches those who are often left furthest behind.

Dear Participants,

Uganda provides a global success story on the integration of the SDGs into national development policy and planning. But as many of you know, the real challenge, and opportunity, lies in strengthening the connection between national priorities and what happens at the local level. Local governments are where national policies meet reality and development plans become services, infrastructure, and opportunities for people. That is exactly what this workshop is about.

Over the next few days, you will have the opportunity to take a close and practical look at how implementation of SDGs can be strengthened at the district level. You will explore questions such as: What capacities already exist? Where are the gaps? What kinds of coordination are needed between national and local institutions? And what practical tools can help districts align their plans more closely with the SDGs. These are not theoretical questions. They are questions that determine whether development plans translate into real change where it is needed most.

I am particularly pleased that this workshop is designed as a collaborative working space, a space for open discussion, for peer learning, and for identifying practical steps that can move implementation forward.

The perspectives that district leaders bring into this room are extremely valuable. You understand the realities on the ground, the challenges, but also the innovations and solutions that often emerge locally.

From the perspective of the United Nations, supporting SDG localization is a key priority. We believe strongly that achieving the 2030 Agenda requires strong institutions at every level, national and local, and effective coordination between them. It also requires partnerships. The collaboration between government institutions, the United Nations system, and development partners that we see here today is exactly the kind of partnership that the SDGs call for.

It is my hope that we will use this workshop to move from discussion to action and the conversations that begin here can help shape stronger, more inclusive development outcomes across the country.

I encourage all participants to make the most of these next few days, to share experiences openly, to learn from one another, and to focus on practical solutions that can strengthen the implementation of the SDGs at the sub-national level.

With these few words, I wish you productive discussions and a successful workshop.

Thank you very much.