Uganda has held its National Consultative Dialogue to set the development agenda for the 15^th Session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The Dialogue was held on Tuesday 28^th September 2021at Protea Hotel, Kampala under the theme: “Enhancing Public and Private Investments in Uganda to build resilient Value Chains for enhanced access to international markets”. The objectives of the dialogue was to discuss the national position on the UNCTAD agenda for 2021-2025.

The Dialogue was organized by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives in partnership with the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme.

The Dialogue drew participants from Government, Private Sector Foundation Uganda, Civil Society Organisations and International Development Partners.

The Dialogue was marked by a Panel Discussion on the following issues:

• Building resilience and how to prepare to benefit from the global and regional value chains.
• National supportive policy and institutional reforms required to create an enabling environment for the private sector to make the necessary investments to enhance Uganda’s position in the global and regional value chains.
• Changes that may be necessary in the multilateral trading system to create fairer and preferential opportunities to accelerate economic transformation and create jobs for developing countries to ensure they are not left behind.

About UNCTAD 15

According to the Concept Note for the Dialogue prepared by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, UNCTAD Conferences are the highest decision–making body of UNCTAD and meet every four years (the quadrennials conference). During the Conferences, Member States make assessments of current trade and development issues, discuss policy options, and formulate global policy responses. The 15^th Session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development – UNCTAD 15 will be hosted virtually by Barbados from 3^rd to 7^th October 2021 under the theme: “From inequality and vulnerability to prosperity for all”.

UNCTAD comprises 105 Member States, according to the Ag. Commissioner for External Trade, Mr. Emmanuel Mutahunga.

In the face of the COVID-19 challenge, UNCTAD-15 presents an opportunity for the development community to align the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development with the global “new normal” through giving a window to build the political will, to effect the systemic changes needed to ensure a better recovery through discussions in the main event and the ministerial round tables.

The Conference has planned to hold 5 ministerial roundtables under different themes and Uganda is privileged to have been given the opportunity to take part in the Ministerial round table on Wednesday, 6 October under the theme “Reshaping global and regional value chains”. The Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives will present a statement on behalf of Government during the session.