The chairman and members of the Uganda Council on Foreign relations recently gave the latest update the country’s foreign relations at Fairway Hotel, Kampala.
This was during the official address of the minister of Foreign Affairs Honorable General Hajji Abubaker Jeje Odongo at the third annual Uganda foreign minister’s address on “Uganda’s foreign policy”.
Hon. Odongo’s address aimed to advance the council’s mission of providing an independent, non-partisan public forum for foreign policy debate, information sharing, networking and advocacy.
The participants were from members of the council, the diplomatic community, the Government, private sector, civil society and the academia.
Most stakeholders were further preached about the factors that shape their country’s foreign policy, the actors involved in the foreign-policy making process, dynamics in the foreign policy arena and the ultimate foreign policy interests and objectives of their country.
This inter-face was a forum for interaction, information sharing and foreign policy debate.
Hon. Odongo had a great opportunity to articulate Uganda’s foreign policy to the media and the general public at large.
Also, key players in the country came together to make an active participation in the narratives that shape Uganda’s foreign policy.
The stakeholders were also able to exchange views on the current trends in global events and their implications on trade, investment flows, regional integration and peace (security).
By and large, Uganda has increasingly become a key player on the African continent.
By extension, its views on and approaches to complex regional conflicts (Congo, Rwanda and South Sudan) are valued as a member of the regional and international communities.
In addition to its role as an important regional and international partner, Uganda is facing multi-faceted foreign policy choices.
The areas of economic and social development and international politics need scrutiny and objective analysis.
For starters, Uganda council on foreign relations is a membership organization that was established to address the need for an independent and non-partisan platform for networking, foreign policy debate, knowledge development, sharing, research and advocacy.
