Kampala – January 27, 2015

Your Excellency Edward Kiwanuka Sekandi, Vice President of the Republic of Uganda,
Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, Speaker of Parliament,
Your worship Steven Kavuma, Acting Chief Justice,
Rt. Hon. Ruhakana Rugunda, Prime Minister
The Leader of Opposition,
Honourable Ministers,
Honourable Members of Parliament
Excellencies,
Members of the Private Sector and Business Community,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to join you here today and thank you for attending. Let me also take this opportunity to wish you good health and a prosperous new year.

In the General Assembly, we have had a successful first four months of my tenure as President. Member States have adopted 264 resolutions and 70 decisions covering a wide range of important social, economic, political and environmental issues. Other important accomplishments include the adoption of a new Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries; and the resounding international response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa.

The establishment of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), as the first resolution of the 69th Session, has been instrumental in helping to slow the spread of the epidemic. Uganda’s contribution in this regard, including through sending healthcare workers, has been highly appreciated.

Looking ahead, 2015 will be historic for the United Nations and the international community in different ways. I will now briefly highlight some of the major topics and issues of our interest, including those relating to the seven priorities I set out for the session.

Excellencies and distinguished participants,

In my view, 2015 will be defined by three major outcomes, namely: the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in July; the Post-2015 Development Agenda in September; and an international agreement on climate change in December. All three processes have the potential to transform people lives.
Eight months from now, the General Assembly will adopt the Post-2015 Development Agenda, as a successor development framework for the MDGs. Reasonable progress has been made towards achieving the MDGs, but we need to do more. Accordingly, the new agenda must build on the foundation laid by the MDGs, to secure a better and transformative future for us all. In so doing, it is important to ensure that:

  • All stakeholders, including civil society, and private sector contribute views to the negotiating process;
  • Adequate means of implementation, including financing, technology development and transfer; and capacity-building are incorporated. As the new agenda encompasses more than socio-economic issues, the amount of resources required will be much greater; and
  • At national levels, the need to increase domestic resources, both public and private; attract more foreign direct investment; strengthen the global partnership; and find ways to incentivise the private sector, pension funds, capital markets and other stakeholders to make the critical investments needed.

In line with the Session’s theme, I am convening a high-level thematic debate on Means of Implementation for a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda on 9-10 February. Hon. Maria Kiwanuka will share Uganda’s experience and perspectives as one of the panellists.

In this regard, the success of the Addis Ababa Conference on Financing for Development in July will be of critical importance.

Uganda needs to actively engage in these two processes, and make the necessary arrangements to incorporate the new agenda into our National Development Plan and Vision 2040.

At the COP21 Climate Change Summit, a legally binding agreement on climate change is expected to be adopted in Paris this December. Our success at this Summit will be important, not only for the environment, but also in supporting the realisation of a sustainable development agenda.

Addressing climate change will require the collective efforts of the international community, including through policies and financing efforts geared towards climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. In June, we shall exchange views on these issues at a high-level event on Climate Change I am convening to galvanise momentum at the mid-point between COP20 in Lima and COP21 in Paris.

Excellencies and distinguished participants,

Brutal terrorist attacks around the world are increasing in intensity and frequency, as a result of rising extremism and radicalization. Given this threat, I will convene a thematic debate on Promoting Tolerance and Reconciliation in April to, inter alia, exchange views on fostering tolerance and understanding among peoples.

Undoubtedly, such extra-territorial challenges reinforce the need for enhancing cooperation between international and regional and sub-regional organizations. Doing so in the past, as the example of Burundi demonstrates, has produced very productive results. I am convening a high-level thematic debate on Strengthening Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and sub-regional organizations in May to advance this noble cause.

Strengthening this cooperation, especially in the area of peace and security, also requires that we make progress towards reforming and strengthening the Security Council to meet the world’s increasingly complex global challenges. I am ready to take this process forward, as far as the Member States want it to go.

Excellencies and distinguished participants,

As we mark 20 years of the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action this year, I will convene a thematic debate on 6 March. This event will provide an opportunity to further galvanize efforts and action towards achieving gender equality and women empowerment in the context of the post-2015 development agenda. We will also discuss how to most effectively mobilize the immense potential of women to contribute to sustainable development and the eradication of poverty.

Empowering women alone, however, will not be enough. Similar effort is required for the youth, especially to address the worsening youth unemployment. With almost 73 million youth worldwide looking for work, it is essential to find ways of providing opportunities for the youth to be gainfully employed. In this regard, I will convene a high-level event on the Demographic Dividend and Youth Employment in June, to focus on investments required to reap the demographic dividend, including through employment opportunities and decent work for young people.

Distinguished Guests,

There is a lot more that the United Nations is doing, including humanitarian work, peacekeeping, and disaster risk management. Throughout the remaining months until September, the workload in the General Assembly will remain heavy. I am grateful for your support and call upon you to remain actively engaged as we seek to address international issues of interest to us all.

I thank you for your kind attention, and look forward to seeing you all at this afternoon’s Public Lecture.