Remarks at commemoration of International Peace Day

• Right Honourable  Robinah Nabbanja,  Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda
• Honourable Nobert Mao, Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs
• Ms. Mariam Wangadya, Chairperson Uganda Human Rights Commission
• The Elders, Political and Religious leaders
• Members of the Academia
• Members of the Diplomatic Community
• Representatives of the Civil Society
• Colleagues from  the United Nations Family
• Distinguished ladies and gentlemen gathered here  and those following online

It gives me great pleasure, on behalf of the UN family in partnership with the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) to welcome you as we commemorate this special day, the International Day of Peace.

On behalf of the UN family, I bring you greetings and a goodwill message from, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres and the entire United Nations family in Uganda.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Every year, the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21st September. Due to unavoidable circumstances, we could not commemorate this event on the actual day and thus we are here today.  The UN General Assembly declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace.  Peace is essential for our homes, communities and countries in order to thrive and develop.

The theme for the international day of peace this year is, “End racism. Build Peace.” A theme that indeed resonates with our plurality as humankind in the quest for tolerance and inclusivity in all spheres.

In his message for this year’s international day of peace, the UN Secretary-General notes that, “Peace is a noble and necessary pursuit and the only practical pathway to a better, fairer world for all people. That, in too many places, in too many contexts, we are failing the cause of peace.” Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I call upon us to take a moment and reflect upon these words. Take a moment and silently ask our inner selves about the centrality of peace in creating a just, peaceful and stable Uganda, region and continent. Its centrality in advancing our individual and collective political aspirations, its centrality in building the economy of Uganda, its centrality in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Uganda’s Vision 2040. In doing so, I call upon us to further question ourselves as to what extent we are promoting or failing the cause of peace in our society, individually and collectively.

The UN Secretary-General further calls upon us to use this year’s theme to reflect on the many ways in which racism (Tribalism, Sectarianism) poisons people’s hearts and minds and erodes the peace that we all seek. He notes that racism robs people of their rights and dignity, inflames inequalities and mistrust, and pushes people apart, at a time when we should be coming together, as one human family, to repair our fractured world or countries that may be affected in various ways due to several natural and man-made crises. I note that racism is a manifestation of identity-based discrimination. Let us therefore reflect on how we have used the different forms of identity within our contexts to discriminate others and jeopardize peace.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Uganda is a blessed country, its people, cultural diversity, its breathtaking landscape, rivers, lakes, hills and mountains, its serene weather, plenty and wide variety of food and hospitality is unmatched in the region. The Government has made big strides towards entrenching peace, security, rule of law and strengthening institutions as compared to the yesteryear Uganda.

However, we must appreciate that peace nurturing is a continuous journey, a daily journey of working on improvements and addressing any barriers both individually and collectively.

A journey that calls on us all to keep going and doing our part for a better Uganda. If not for us then for our children and the future generations. The late Bishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu once said, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”. As the UN in Uganda, we join and call upon each one of us to do their little bit for this home that we call Uganda.

The achievement of Peace is grounded on multiple factors including but not limited to, prevention of violent threats and peaceful co-existence of all women, men and children, economic, social and political security for all and addressing Climate Change among others. It also calls upon the Government to focus more on systems, structures, and capacities to address underlying causes of inequality, and instability and foster harmonious relationships with neighboring countries to promote peace and have women, men, children and vulnerable groups at the center of its peace and security agenda.

Through the Cooperation Framework (2021 – 2025), UN continues to advocate and support the government and the people of Uganda to uphold and promote  a peaceful and inclusive society for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels as provided for in SDG 16. Entrench Gender Equality as provided for under SDG 5 and Goal 17 on Partnership for the goals. These efforts resonate with one of the core fundamentals of development under Uganda Vision 2040; Peace, Security and Defence. In addition, these efforts contribute to the seven Aspirations under agenda 2063 of the African Union, which reflect upon the collective desire for shared prosperity and well-being, for unity and integration, for a continent of free citizens and expanded horizons, where the full potential of women and youth are realized, and with freedom from fear, disease and want.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As we talk about peace today with the view of improving our relationships, I acknowledge the regional challenges and their implications on Uganda. I therefore take this opportunity to commend the Government of Uganda for supporting regional peace.  Remarkable contribution has been made on several fronts, key among these include:

1. In Somalia, where Ugandan troops have been on a peacekeeping mission since 2007.
2. Since November 2021, Uganda has been engaged in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in a bid to flush out the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
3. Uganda has championed efforts to support the East Africa Community (EAC) regional force to restore peace and security in Eastern DRC.
4. Uganda currently hosts 1.6 million refugees from neighboring countries, a factor that is critical for restoration of peace in their respective countries of origin.

These are indeed significant gestures of a true spirit of brotherhood and a manifestation of the Ubuntu Philosophy of “I am because of all who we are”.  The United Nations would like to applaud the Government of Uganda for its progressive contribution and untiring support.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Despite the remarkable achievements in post-independence Uganda, certain areas call for further strengthening, these include upholding the rule of law by all, respect for human rights and accountability. The UN is committed to working with all the parties to support capacity development and awareness.

As I conclude the UN Secretary-General calls upon us all to work together to defeat our true enemies: racism, poverty, inequality, conflict, the climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. He calls upon us to tear down structures that sustain identity related discrimination such as tribalism and sectarianism among others, and lift up human rights movements everywhere, and to drown out the vicious voices of hate speech with a united and sustained cry for truth, understanding and mutual respect.

I take this opportunity to thank you all for accepting our invitation, the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) for organizing this dialogue and the Government and the people of Uganda for the faith and support that you have given the entire UN family. I also wish to thank all our development partners for always walking with us and supporting peace and the development agenda in Uganda.

I wish you all a fruitful dialogue that should support continued engagement across the board, and continue to create conditions of harmony and thereby an enabling environment for sustainable development.

Finally, I salute you all and echo the words from stanza two of our national anthem,

“At our country's call, In peace and friendship we'll live.”

I thank you.