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Uganda's third Voluntary National Review demonstrates her commitment to the fulfilment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The overall implementation of SDGs in Uganda is guided by the Vision 2040 that aspires to transform Ugandan society from a peasant one to a modern and prosperous one and is implemented through a series of five-year National Development Plans (NDPs). Currently, the country is implementing the third NDP, which is more than 95% aligned to the SDGs, an improvement from 70% in the second NDP.
Building on the coordination framework developed in 2016, and operationalized through a rolling roadmap, which defines catalytic actions and interventions, the Government continues to strengthen coordination, partnerships, and localization mechanisms for SDG implementation. The coordination framework is executed through five multi-stakeholder Technical Working Groups (TWGs) composed of actors from government, civil society, private sector, and the academia. The TWGs are aligned to the core functions of; planning and mainstreaming; data generation; financing and resource mobilization; communication and popularization; and monitoring and reporting. At the highest policy level, the Prime Minister continues to provide the overall leadership for the implementation of the SDGs across Ministries, Departments, Agencies, and Local Governments.
To enhance SDG implementation, in 2019, the Government in partnership with United Nations Country Team, established a fully-fledged national SDG Secretariat that has strengthened coordination and partnership architecture. In addition, coordination platforms and task teams for implementation of the various SDGs have been established by the relevant government agencies and specific capacity building programs for monitoring and reporting on the implementation of SDGs. As such, there has been increased SDG localization and voluntary local reviews across various government ministries and agencies as well as in Local Governments. In addition, there has been strengthened monitoring and reporting on various SDGs; indicators with data points increasing from 41 in 2016 to the current 135. Further, the Government and its partners have initiated and organized two SDG Conferences as annual events where stakeholders reflect on Uganda’s SDG journey and draw actions for acceleration. There has also been strengthened partnership with the private sector and civil society organisations through establishment of respective platforms to enhance SDG ownership and accountability.
At the midpoint of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, Uganda’s progress presents a mixed picture. In terms of targets, only 26.1% of SDGs are on track, 54.2% have limited progress and 19.7% are stagnating. However, Uganda’s economy continues to recover from and remains resilient against negative effects of COVID 19 pandemic and climate change. The economy is estimated to grow by 6% in 2023/24 up from 5% in FY 2022/23, translating into a per capital GDP of USD 1,093 by June 2023. Uganda has also made substantial investments in key areas of infrastructure and human capital development, which have significantly enhanced the country's competitiveness and presents numerous viable financing opportunities.
With this mixed performance, Uganda has, through a consultative process at national and sub-national levels, developed six commitments for SDG acceleration and transformation. These commitments focus on actions to accelerate: (i) Leaving No One Behind agenda through the inclusive Parish Development Model implementation; (ii) inclusive actions for trade financing and climate-smart investments; (iii) leveraging science, technology and innovation; (iv) inclusive economic and social development through climate change adaptation and mitigation; (v) harnessing the full potential of data to improve the lives of all Ugandans; and (vi) strengthening SDG coordination and service delivery mechanisms.
Moving forward, Uganda will focus on integrating these commitments into the forthcoming National Development Plan IV (2024/2025 – 2029/2030), enhancing innovative financing mechanisms at all levels, strengthening partnerships for SDG localization and citizen participation, and enhancing SDG monitoring and reporting. This will involve continuous alignment of the budget allocations and development plans with SDG priorities, diversifying funding sources, and unlocking new innovative financing models and mechanisms to enhance financial resilience and resource availability. Uganda will also: identify and explore options for creating synergies among the various SDGs to leverage available resources and capacities; leverage innovations in technology and digitalization; foster partnerships and international cooperation, especially regional and South-South Triangular Cooperation; build resilience of the economy to various shocks including climate change; and strengthen institutional and human capacity for effective service delivery.
