Uganda’s foreign affairs minister Jeje Odongo has urged the international community to consider reforming the UN Security Council to ensure it is fit-for purpose and to support conflict prevention initiatives undertaken by the regional and sub-regional organisations.

Odongo made the call while attending the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) held March 1-3, 2024 in Turkey where he represented President Yoweri Museveni.

“Global peace can only be achieved if there is willingness to work together to understand the root causes and address the drivers of conflict,” Minister Odongo observed in the high level discussions.

The UN General Assembly has adopted several resolutions calling for UN Security Council reform in recent years, but progress has been slow.

The United Nations Security Council currently consists of 15 members, of which five are permanent members (China, France, the UK, the United States and Russia) and ten are non-permanent members at present (Algeria, Ecuador, Guyana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, South Korea and Switzerland).

According to the UN, more than 50 United Nations member states have never been members of the security council. A state which is a member of the United Nations but not of the Security Council may participate, without a vote, in its discussions when the Council considers that country's interests are affected. Both members and non-members of the United Nations, if they are parties to a dispute being considered by the Council, may be invited to take part, without a vote, in the Council's discussions; the Council sets the conditions for participation by a non-member state.

Why the reform?

United Nations Security Council is the international community’s principal organ for peacekeeping and conflict management. However, unlike the decisions made by the UN General Assembly, the decisions (known as resolutions) made by the UN Security Council are binding on all member states. That means it has wide‑ranging powers and can, if necessary, take actions – e.g. the imposition of sanctions – that encroach on state sovereignty.

Importance of NAM

In advocating for stronger international co-operation, Jeje Odongo underscored the importance of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) as a strong pillar in addressing the global challenges.

He stressed that Uganda as the Chair of NAM will collectively work with other member countries to promote solidarity and multilateralism in an effort to further strengthen the critical role that the Movement plays within the United Nations.

The ADF is a high-level platform for discussions on wide range of international issues. This year’s edition was held under the theme “Advancing Diplomacy in Times of Turmoil.”

Turkey, Uganda relations

On the margins of the ADF, Minister Odongo met Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey.

Odongo lauded the fraternal relations that exist between the two countries and expressed appreciation to Turkey for the assistance extended in terms of infrastructural development, education cooperation through scholarships and foreign direct investment among other areas of cooperation.

The Turkish Minister congratulated Uganda on the successful hosting of the NAM and G77/China Summits recently held in Kampala. They agreed to expedite the conclusion of outstanding investment promotion agreements and on the need to convene the next meeting of the Turkey-Uganda Joint Economic Commission.

Odongo, accompanied by Uganda’s Head of Mission in Türkiye Nusura Tiperu, also met representatives of several Turkish enterprises and invited them to invest in the different priority sectors of Uganda’s economy.