Uganda's Foreign Affairs
Minister Sam Kutesa has called for international partnerships with
Uganda's Settlement Transformation Project (2016-2021) that aims to
achieve self-reliance and local settlement of refugees.
The Ugandan
programme, officials say, aims to promote social development in the
refugee hosting areas as a durable solution to challenges related to
refugees, while protecting national and local interests.
Kutesa made the call on the margins of the ongoing High-Level Conference of the UN Central Emergency Response Fund in New York.
Uganda currently
hosts over 900,000 refugees and asylum seekers from DRC, Somalia,
Burundi and South Sudan - the highest recorded in a long history of
offering asylum.
It is expected to top 1 million by year's end.
The Permanent Mission of Uganda to the United Nations in New York, in partnership with the UN Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) held the high-level side event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The purpose of the
event, co-chaired by Kutesa, was to highlight the work and challenges
faced by Uganda's leaders and partners in implementing the
transformational approach to addressing vulnerabilities and refugee
needs in the country.
The event included a
high level panel discussion that explored the current response,
challenges and opportunities in redefining the response to refugees and
host communities, national leadership and accountability, understanding
the new Partnerships for action and listening to the new modalities for
investment.
The discussion
focused on experiences and approaches Uganda has had for the influx of
refugees to date and highlighted current response by the international
community and existing infrastructural and financing gaps.
Participants who
included representatives of member states, business leaders and others
in the event were also invited to consider investing in Uganda.
"Even as Uganda
remains committed to maintaining one of the most progressive refugee
policies; guaranteeing refugees' rights to work, movement and basic
social services the international community needs to lend more support
towards the refugee crisis that is exerting immense pressure on the
country's infrastructure and host communities because of chronic
under-funding," Kutesa told the press after the discussion.
Kutesa explained
that Uganda has experienced a prolonged drought and the food security
situation has deteriorated due to poor water and harvest management
practices in some of the host communities.
The event further
served to showcase innovative action by Uganda to overcome challenges in
their response to host communities, refugees as well as those affected
by climate change; it identified suggestions to reinforce modalities for
investment and aid as well as partnerships for action in response to
existing and projected needs.
Kutesa led a cross-sectoral delegation to New York including senior representatives from the Office of the Prime Minister.
KNOWLES CARMEL-Legal Link International-New York
No comments:
Post a Comment