Uganda looks to South-South cooperation to accelerate development ambitions

Uganda is looking to countries across the Global South for new ideas, expertise, investment and practical solutions as it advances its development ambitions under the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) and the Tenfold Growth Strategy.

The opportunity was at the centre of a high-level consultation held in Kampala on 27 August 2026, convened by the Office of the Prime Minister and the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office in Uganda. Ambassadors, Consuls, and Heads of Mission from Global South countries joined the discussion on how South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) can be fostered in Uganda to contribute more deliberately to the development of the country and of the South.

“South-South and Triangular Cooperation is an enabler for contributing to Uganda’s development. The task at hand is to build on the partnerships and experiences that already exist and create a more coherent platform through which Uganda and its Southern partners can develop and scale mutually beneficial cooperation” said UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Leonard Zulu, underscoring the potential of South-South partnerships to support Uganda’s transformation.

The approach is particularly relevant as the global development landscape changes and traditional development assistance declines. For Uganda, SSTC can provide access to countries that have tackled challenges similar to those the country is addressing today, while also creating space for Uganda to share solutions from its own experience.

“The countries that can sometimes teach us most are those that have already travelled the road we are now beginning to travel,” said Mr. Nkeramihigo Julius Victor, Permanent Secretary for Government Policy Coordination in the Office of the Prime Minister.

Uganda itself has valuable experience to share, including in refugee and host-community management, agricultural research, public health and epidemic response, peace and security, and decentralised governance.

The discussion therefore called for a shift from scattered and predominantly bilateral North-South partnerships towards building mutually beneficial partnerships that deliver results within more structured South-South engagements.

“South-South Cooperation gives us the opportunity to move beyond the traditional distinction between a country that ‘gives’ and the country that ‘receives’,” said Mr. Nkeramihogo.

“We must move from relationships to partnerships, from partnerships to programmes and from programmes to measurable results.”

Participants also highlighted opportunities to strengthen trade, investment and tourism links with Southern partners, particularly Uganda’s neighbours, which remain important markets and sources of tourism.

To turn the discussion into action, participants proposed establishing a regular South-South platform, convened by the Office of the Prime Minister and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, to bring partners together twice a year.

They also agreed to map the knowledge, expertise and comparative advantages of Southern partners in Uganda to identify opportunities for concrete and bankable projects. 

The consultation marks an important step towards making SSTC a more strategic tool for Uganda-connecting experience, expertise and investment to the country’s development priorities and turning cooperation into measurable results.