Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Gen. Abubakar Jeje Odongo, is set to officiate the opening of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit at the Munyonyo Convention Centre on January 15, 2024. Alongside him, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, the outgoing chair of NAM, will share the responsibility of inaugurating the first segment of the summit.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, January 14, 2024, Minister Odongo outlined the schedule for the summit’s first day. After his official address, the proceedings will include the adoption of the agenda and discussion of key procedural matters.
As per NAM’s customary practice, the summit comprises three segments. The initial segment will be officially opened by Minister Odongo and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan. Subsequently, the summit will divide into two committees: one focused on economic and social affairs, convening in the main hall at the Munyonyo Convention Centre in Kampala, and the other, addressing political affairs, relocating to the Victoria Hall at the same venue. These committees will deliberate until the end of Tuesday.
Minister Odongo emphasized the significance of the senior officials’ meetings, labeling them as the ‘workhorse’ of the entire summit. During these meetings on Wednesday and Thursday, participants will review documents, paving the way for discussions by attending Presidents on Friday and Saturday. The NAM meetings are scheduled to take place from January 15 to 20, 2024.
“The documents under scrutiny are the outcome documents, the main discussions of which have been ongoing since the city of Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2019,” Minister Odongo explained. He clarified that the review process is essential because member countries, since Baku, have introduced new issues. These concerns have been submitted to the co-ordination bureau, represented by the permanent representatives of NAM members in New York, fostering ongoing discussions among member countries.
