KAMPALA, Uganda — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda, serving as chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, officially opened the XIX NAM Midterm Ministerial Review Meeting at Speke Resort Munyonyo on Thursday, reaffirming the organization’s commitment to peace, equity and cooperation across the Global South.
The meeting, which brings together foreign ministers and representatives from developing nations, began with a moment of silence for former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, a prominent Pan-African leader who died earlier in the day.
Museveni Urges Equitable Progress
In his keynote address, President Museveni stressed the interdependence of global economies, arguing that the prosperity of advanced regions must contribute to the progress of all.
“The prosperity of one region must contribute to the prosperity of all,” he said, noting the economic transformation of China and India had beneficial effects globally. “We must therefore not be selfish with progress but share it.”
The president emphasized that overcoming global problems, from climate disasters to “the oppression of man by man,” requires both knowledge and cooperation. He underscored the urgent need for industrialization and fairer global trade terms, observing that Africa’s combined GDP, currently around $4 trillion, is disproportionately low for a continent of 1.5 billion people.
Focus on Right to Development and South-South Trade
The meeting is being held under Uganda’s chairmanship theme: “Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Gen. Odongo Jeje Abubakhar welcomed delegates, acknowledging the tireless work of senior officials who had reached consensus on an outcome document over the preceding two days.
Gen. Odongo highlighted NAM’s principle of South-South cooperation, noting that intra-South trade has expanded from $0.6 trillion in 1995 to more than $5.6 trillion in 2023. However, he cautioned that more effort is needed to expand trade between Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
He also reiterated NAM’s long-standing position on Palestine, calling for a Two-State Solution and renewed international efforts to end occupation and support the reconstruction of Palestinian institutions.
President Museveni underscored the need for a legally binding international instrument on the Right to Development, calling on the U.N. General Assembly to expedite its negotiation ahead of its $40$ anniversary in 2026.
Uganda has chaired the Coordinating Bureau of NAM since the $19$ NAM Summit in January 2024 and has been active in coordinating member states’ participation in critical discussions within U.N. bodies, including the Human Rights Council.
The Munyonyo meeting continues as delegates work toward consensus, reaffirming NAM’s role as a unified voice for the developing world.
