Mbarara city to host regional SDGs festivals ahead of annual conference

By Amos Kakungulu 

Mbarara – The government of Uganda through the Office of the Prime Minister is set to host the second Uganda Annual SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) Conference 2023, and Mbarara city has been selected to hold western regional SDGs festivals ahead of the annual event that will be held at Serena Hotel Kampala.

This conference was instituted as an annual event to provide a platform for stakeholders’ engagement in the review and validation of Uganda’s journey in the actions to accelerate the delivery of SDGs and the Agenda 2063. This was later retaliated by Cabinet through a resolution in October 2022 that the SDGs conference becomes an an annual event.

According to Onesmus Katusiime, the knowledge management officer OPM, government through the Office of the Prime Minister is going to host the second Uganda annual SDG conference 2023 as a means to review the midterm progress of the 2030 Agenda.

The conference is scheduled for June 22nd to 23rd 2023 and will be held at Serena Hotel under the theme “Promoting Inclusive National and Continental Actions for the Accelerated Delivery on the SDGs and the Agenda 2063.”

That it will drop partner participation from officials in the United Nations and government of Uganda, civil society organizations, international delegates, private companies, youth, women, and vulnerable groups. President  Yoweri Katguta Museveni is expected to be the chief guest.

However, before the conference, there will be pre-event festivals. These will be regional SDGs festivals and fora.

While addressing journalists recently during a press conference at Mbarara City Council Hall, Katusiime revealed that the regional festival and fora for the entire western Uganda will be hosted in Mbarara city. And it will be for two days on 16th and 17th May for the regional festivals, there will be caravans, radio talk shows, regional walks, tree planting, town cleaning, unique sites visits and many other things. Secondly there will citizens Parliament, football matches and skilling workshops .

On 18th May 2023 they will hold the 3rd day of western region SDGs event which is the stakeholders forum, where the discussions from first two days will be brought on board and also stakeholders will have a platform to exchange ideas especially on local action policy.

The other regions that are going to host festivals include the eastern region where the SDGs program will be hosted in Jinja city at the end of May, central region which will be hosted in Mubende district, and Liira Clcity that is going to host the nothern SDGs event from  6th to 8th June 2023.

“We are thankful to our partners in this move which include the Office of the Prime Minister, Uganda National NGO Forum, the Royal Danish Embassy, SDGs Champions, World Vision Uganda, among others. We also appeal other partners that would want to be part of these initiatives to come on board as early as possible,” Katusiime said.

“Therefore going forward the simple adaptation of global goals to the local level is very important and localisation involves political will, co-creation with our communities, individual action, and the commitment of all partners. Government of Uganda recognises the need of high quality and inclusive development and is planning to consolidate all these gains and advanced achievements of SDGs.

The three major dimensions of the 2023 agenda is designed to leave no one behind and reach the farthest first and that’s why we come to the regions to make sure that we engage every one starting from the grassroots level and build mechanisms at the local government levels to review and asses themselves in the progress of the implementation of the 2030/agenda and agenda 2063. The regional SDGs festivals will enhance local action policy coherency for economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability through holistic and comprehensive delivery on SDGs, ” he added.

Prisca Murongo, the Mbarara city Deputy mayor appealed to the communities and the entire Public from this city to come up and participate into this initiative.

She appealed mostly to the youth to ensure to be part of the festival because  it is targeting the young generation.

“We are proud of our city’s involvement in this SDGs festivals and urge all citizens to play an active role in shaping the future of our communities. Our city has always been on the fore front of sustainable development initiatives and we continue this tradition,” Murongo said.