Remarks at the Joint Opening Ceremony for the Expert Group Meeting and Capacity-building Training for Ugandan Small and Medium Enterprises in the Iron and Steel Sectors

Salutations:

• The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives;
• Distinguished Representatives from the Government;
• The Private Sector Representatives;
• The Civil Society;
• Colleagues from the UN system;
• Ladies and Gentlemen.

Good morning and a very warm welcome to all of you. Those joining us here in Kampala and those connecting with us remotely.

It is both an honour and a pleasure to open this important week of events, organized by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in partnership with Uganda’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, and with the support of the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office.

This week brings together two events: the Regional Expert Group Meeting on 26–27 May, which will refine and validate UNCTAD’s methodological framework for country assessments and identification of niche export in regional value chains; and the Capacity-Building Training for Ugandan Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Iron and Steel Sector running through  to 29 May, which will equip entrepreneurs with the practical tools, skills, and networks to participate more effectively in regional value chains.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Uganda’s economy continues to grow. GDP per capita rose from US$ 1,159 in FY 2023/24 to US$ 1,263 in FY 2024/25 – a testament to the resilience and ambition of this country. Uganda Vision 2040 and the National Development Plan IV set out an ambitious roadmap for structural transformation, industrialization, and inclusive growth.

Yet for that growth to be meaningful: to create jobs, reduce inequality, and build resilience, it must reach the small businesses that form the backbone of Uganda’s private sector. Medium Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) represent approximately 90 per cent of businesses in Uganda and generate a large share of manufacturing output and employment.

However, many of these enterprises remain locked out of regional trade. They face persistent barriers such as:

• Limited access to finance and working capital;
• High logistics, transport, and energy costs;
• Complex regulatory and non-tariff barriers;
• Gaps in technical know-how, quality standards, and digital capabilities;
• Limited information about market opportunities under the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the  African Continental Free Trade Area AfCFTA frameworks.

These are precisely the challenges this week is designed to address.

Allow me to say a few words about the Expert Group Meeting, which opens this week.

UNCTAD is currently implementing a four-year project titled “Enhancing the capacity of African vulnerable countries in adopting policy incentives and innovative instruments for SMEs’ participation in regional value chains”. This project supports six countries: Benin, Burundi, Cabo Verde, the Central African Republic, Togo, and Uganda.

The Expert Group Meeting brings together technical experts from across these six countries, alongside colleagues from the UN system. Its purpose is to review and refine the methodological framework that will allow African countries to identify niche exports opportunities and effectively integrate regional value chains. 

I particularly welcome the emphasis on inter-agency coordination, bringing UNCTAD, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa UNECA, the International Trace Centre (ITC), and United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) to align strategies and avoid duplication. 

The second event this week is the Capacity-Building Training for Ugandan SMEs in the Iron and Steel Sector.

Iron and steel sector sits at the crossroads of Uganda’s development priorities. Rapid urbanization, expanding public infrastructure, and regional reconstruction needs are driving increasing demand for steel products in Uganda and neighboring markets. The sector has strong linkages with construction, manufacturing, and emerging industries such as oil and gas. Yet Uganda currently imports significant quantities of steel that it has the potential to increasingly produce and export.

Over four days, approximately twenty-five (25) Ugandan SMEs will benefit from a structured curriculum covering three core modules: Entrepreneurial Development, Market Access, and Access to Finance and Investment Readiness.

This capacity-building training builds on UNCTAD’s country-level impact study for Uganda, validated through a national workshop that took place here last year in Kampala, on 16 and 17 June 2025.

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

This week’s events do not stand alone. They are part of a sustained and multi-dimensional engagement by UNCTAD in Uganda, and I want to take a moment to recognize the full scope of that partnership.

• Vulnerability Profiles: UNCTAD is currently developing the vulnerability profile for Uganda, who first met the UN graduation thresholds for Least Developed Country (LDC) status at the 2024 triennial review of the Committee for Development Policy (CDP). If Uganda meets the criteria again at the next review in 2027, it could then be formally recommended for graduation. The Vulnerability profile provides a data-driven assessment of economic vulnerabilities and structural transformation challenges, and develops a smooth transition strategy for Uganda preparing to graduate from LDC status. They are vital tools for evidence-based policymaking and for Uganda’s positioning in international trade and development negotiations.
• AfCFTA Preparedness: UNCTAD’s analytical work on the African Continental Free Trade Area is especially timely. The AfCFTA represents an estimated USD 217 million in additional export potential for Uganda alone. Translating this potential into reality requires precise policy work, institutional capacity, and private sector readiness, all areas where UNCTAD is actively engaged. UNCTAD has also partnered with UNCDF in Uganda on a research study on “Leveraging digital technologies for MSMEs’ integration into regional value”.
• Last but not least, UNCTAD is also supporting Uganda through analytical work on poverty and inequality reduction as part of the broader structural transformation process.

Taken together, this body of work represents a genuine, multi-layered partnership between UNCTAD and Uganda. We in the Resident Coordinator’s Office are proud to anchor that partnership within the broader UN system presence in Uganda.

The UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Uganda 2026–2030, under Strategic Priority 1 “Transformative and Inclusive Human Development” places economic transformation, trade facilitation, and private sector resilience at the centre of our collective agenda. The work we are doing with UNCTAD this week directly advances these priorities.

My role as the United Nations Resident Coordinator is to ensure that UN support is coherent, well-coordinated, and firmly anchored in Uganda’s national development plans. I convene, facilitate, and broker partnerships, and we hold the UN system accountable for delivering results that are visible and meaningful to the people of Uganda.

I am proud that Uganda was selected as one of six countries for this four-year UNCTAD project, and I am proud that Kampala was chosen to host this Regional Expert Group Meeting. 

To all participants, allow me to close with a few reflections.

All the participating countries have the ambition, the resources, and the human capital to become regional industrial and trade hubs. That is why the partnerships and engagements during this week’s two events, the Expert Group Meeting and the Capacity Building training for SMEs in the iron and steel sector, matter.

The African Continental Free Trade Area offers opportunities that the participarting countries can and must seize. The United Nations Country Teams in all the participating countries stand ready to support their journeys, every step of the way.

I wish you a productive, energizing, and impactful week of extending your knowledge and learning to enable you all to contribute to the Sustainable Development in the countries where you come from.

Thank you.