The Prime Minister of Uganda, Robinah Nabbanja has emphasized government’s commitment to deliver Sustainable Development Goals to Ugandans.
Nabbanja who was presiding over the official opening of the two day first Uganda annual national SDGs conference under the theme dubbed ‘Building effective models to accelerate SDGs in the post Covid-19 era’ at Serena Conference Centre in Kampala shared that alleviating poverty from all Ugandans has been government’s driving agenda.
She explained that the government’s five priority areas are linked to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and they have also aligned the National Development Plan to SDGs.
Launched in 2015, the SDGs aim to end poverty, protect the planet, ensure human prosperity and peace, and strengthen partnerships for development.
“As a country, we have put in place the necessary framework to support SDGs and all these efforts are geared towards ensuring that SDGs are localized to benefit people,” she said.
She added that while the country can now celebrate middle income status, Ugandans need to work harder to sustain and support it.
Nabbanja explained that it is the government’s strategy to eradicate poverty and improve vulnerability of Ugandans. She called upon all development partners to support the implementation of the Parish Development Model.
“The conference supports the fastracking of SDGs and the process of attaining them in Uganda. It is going to be an annual event and we want to use it as an opportunity to work with all our development partners for guidance in SDG implementation,” she said.
In her remarks, UN Resident Coordinator, Susan Ngongi Namondo called for enhancing mechanisms already in place that would allow for an improved and coordinated whole of Government approach, such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), in order to accelerate achievement of SDGs.
She committed to collaborate with UBOS to develop a joint UN programme for data and statistics.
“The ongoing crises have re-echoed the urgent need to re-examine our development financing arrangements to better respond. UN is available to cooperate with the Finance Ministry to implement Public Investment Financing Strategy,” she said.
Ms Namondo explained that it would also be beneficial to improve the mechanisms that harmonise the coordination between government and the diverse range of development actors to jointly identify ways of tackling SDGs challenges.
Focal Point Minister for SDGs, Justine Kasule Lumumba shared her office’s commitment to organize meetings as OPM for Directors, C.E.Os and senior technical people in the ministry for them to be able to demonstrate knowledge about SDGs.
She explained that according to the sustainable Development Solutions Network & SDG Centre for Africa, Uganda is more than 50% on track to achieving SDGs by 2030. Among the 52 African countries, Uganda ranks 18th.
Lumumba shared that the annual conference will facilitate sharing of ideas from local and international levels and it will not only facilitate SDG implementation but also track progress.
“We are hopeful that this conference will provide an opportunity to discuss and see that we leave no one behind and reach to the furthest. We call on everyone to come and work with us to see that we achieve these SDGs,” she said.
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