Why it benefits Uganda to host Non-Aligned Movement summit

While the Ugandan government is planning to host the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit and the G-77 & China Conference next year, many citizens are wondering of what use or benefit such meetings have for their country.

The more cynical are convinced that these conferences are needless propaganda for the government, which in their eyes attempts to improve its international image by hosting similar events regardless of domestic profits. 

In this article, I attempt to explain what NAM is and why Ugandans should be enthusiastic about hosting the summit under the theme, ‘Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence’.

The Non-Aligned Movement was founded in 1961 with the view to advance interests of developing countries in the context of Cold War confrontation. At present, NAM consists of 120 states, 18 observer countries and 10 observer organisations. 

These account for about 60 percent of the United Nations overall membership, making it the second largest political gathering after the UN General Assembly. The composition of NAM are countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. It has a membership of 53 countries from Africa, 39 from Asia, 26 from Latin America and the Caribbean and two from Europe (Belarus, Azerbaijan).

10 Bandung principles
NAM builds its work on 10 Bandung principles, including: respect for human rights, sovereignty, equality and territorial integrity of all nations; rejection of the possibility of an unconstitutional change of government, as well as external attempts to change the regime of government; the preservation of the inalienable right for each state is free, without interference from outside, to determine its political, social, economic and cultural system; refusal from aggression and direct or indirect use of force; non-application of any unilateral economic, political or military measures; promotion of mutual interest and cooperation and respect for justice and international obligations. 

At the 18th NAM summit, held on October 2019 in Baku, Azerbaijan, Uganda was selected to host the 19th NAM Summit 2023-2026. 

This is a big milestone because Uganda will not only host the summit of heads of state and government, but also assume chairmanship of the organisation under the leadership of HE Yoweri Kaguta Museveni from HE Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan. Only four African countries – South Africa, Zimbabwe, Algeria and Egypt – have organised the summit before. 

The Uganda NAM summit is expected to be attended by more than 100 heads of state and more than 3,000 delegates, making it the largest conference for Uganda to host. This was recently corroborated by President Museveni while addressing NRM parliamentary regional whips, where he stated that the NAM summit will be bigger than the previous meetings Uganda has hosted, including the African Union Summit in 2010 and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) in 2007. It, therefore, presents a good opportunity to market Uganda and boost its tourism. 

Immediately after the NAM summit, Uganda will also host the Group of Seventy-Seven (G-77) and China Conference (third south summit) in Kampala Uganda.

The G-77 is the largest intergovernmental organisation of developing countries in the United Nations, which provides the means for the countries of the South to articulate and promote their collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity on all major international and economic issues. 

It was formed in 1964, with a current membership of 134 states. Just like NAM, the G-77 and China Conference will be a very big meeting.

Meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) industry has emerged in recent times as an important contributor to national economies globally. The global MICE industry was values at $752 billion in 2016 and is projected to reach $1,245 billion in 2023, registering a compound annual growth rate of 7.5 percent from 2017 to 2023. This creates and opportunity that Uganda should tap into.

Therefore, successfully hosting the NAM and G-77 and China conferences will have both direct and indirect benefits to Uganda. The pre and post conference activities, which include advertising, will increase Uganda’s visibility worldwide. The country’s global positioning as a preferred MICE destination will thus improve. 

We should expect increased foreign exchange earnings as well as infrastructure development in terms of road network in the city and street lighting, among others. Business boom in sectors such as hotel and lodging, aviation, transport and logistics, agriculture (supply of locally produced foods and beverages), and the beauty parlours and leisure services.  The visiting delegates will travel to different tourist destinations in the country which will increase the earnings in the tourism sector. Jobs will also be created in the different sectors which will translate into better livelihoods of Ugandans.

Uganda lacks a state-of-the-art convention centre that can host the NAM, G-77 and China and other big international events with more than 3,000 guests. Given the limited time to the hosting of NAM, Government of Uganda acted with speed to develop, construct, equip and furnish the much-needed state-of-the-art convention centre.

As such, Uganda Development Corporation (UDC), the investment arm of government, was tasked to partner with an experienced private firm, Meera Investment Ltd (MIL) to deliver the convention centre in time to host the NAM and G-77 and China conferences. 

Joint venture company
UDC and MIL thus incorporated a joint venture company in which both parties have equal shareholding (50 percent each); the Speke Resort Convention Centre (SRCC) Uganda Limited. Both parties are thus committed to ensuring that the SRCC will be ready to host the NAM, G-77 and China Conferences scheduled for January 2024.

What makes the SRCC unique is the fact that it will have a gross built-up area of 21,677 square metres with a total capacity of 5,520 pax with a conference hall that can host 3,800 delegates. In addition, the centre will have a multi-purpose hall, 12 high end conference/meeting rooms and a floating restaurant which can accommodate 500 guests (boardroom sitting style) with additional supporting spaces, the first in country with an extraordinary view of the great Lake Victoria.

The establishment of the SRCC at Speke Resort Munyoyo is for strategic reasons. First, there exists two facilities (Speke Resort Munyonyo and, the Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo) that can provide the required supportive facilities (e.g. 476 accommodation rooms of which 54 are presidential suites, three ballrooms and 17 state-of-the-art conference rooms). 

Second, it is in proximity with other accommodation services and good road network to the international airport. Moreover, the chosen site complies with the access/exit, security and health requirements for holding large local or international conferences.

Considering the benefits of hosting the NAM and other MICE, I call upon fellow Ugandans to embrace this initiative and start preparing to tap into the business opportunities that will be created while positioning themselves to benefit through provision of goods and services.

*Written by Dr Patrick B Birungi