The Prime Minister of Uganda, Ms Robinah Nabbanja, has given a resounding endorsement of IOM Uganda’s new country strategy.
In a speech prepared for the strategy launch ceremony on 17 October, Nabbanja said the Government was happy to work with IOM to deliver on the strategy.  This could be through developing economic opportunities for young people who are especially vulnerable to trafficking and abuse as migrant workers. 
“The IOM Country Strategy is well-aligned with the government's development plan, which emphasizes strengthening resilience, socio-economic services for migrants, and facilitating pathways for regular migration,” read Nabbanja’s speech, which was delivered by the State Minister for Foreign Affairs (International Affairs), Mr Henry Oryem Okello.
The launch was attended by representatives of government ministries, diplomatic missions, UN agencies, and civil society, among others. 
Nabbanja said the Government had initiated several programs, including the Parish Development Model (PDM), aimed at improving the livelihoods of youth and women. Such initiatives would help address the factors driving youth into desperate migration. 
Since it opened in 1988, the IOM Uganda Mission has been supporting the government on various aspects of migration management. While presenting the latest Mission Strategy to the guests, IOM Uganda Head of Programmes and Policy Development, Ms Sarah Carl, said it would cost USD 210 million to deliver over four years. The strategy is premised on three strategic objectives: saving lives and protecting people on the move, driving solutions to displacement, and facilitating pathways for regular migration.
Representing the Chief of Mission of IOM Uganda, the regional Head of Operations, Mr Konan Romaric N’Guessan, said that while the strategy is new, some things would not change.
“Key among those things that will remain as strong as ever is IOM’s commitment to supporting this country to improve safety, orderliness and humaneness of migration,” N’Guessan said.  “We will continue to work tirelessly so that this country can enjoy the rewards of migration, while at the same time ensuring that those who migrate – for whatever reason – are safe and are treated with dignity.” 
Mr Sanusi Tejan Savage, the Acting UN Resident Coordinator, said that the reasons for which IOM joined the UN in 2016 remain valid, or even more pertinent today.
“Whether you talk about the thousands of young Ugandans who flock abroad for work each year; or about young people desperate to get to the West and escape poverty; or about vulnerability of migrants to abuse, trafficking and other vices – the importance of IOM has never been clearer,” said Savage, who is the substantive Chief of Mission of IOM.
He commended IOM for basing its strategy on partnership between the UN and the Government and other stakeholders. 
“I am delighted that the IOM strategy being launched today underlines cooperation, collaboration and co-creation of interventions   for sustainable development. This is crucial because by its nature, migration is a cross-cutting issue. No country, agency, Government or MDA can address all the migration-related challenges on its own.”
For his part, the IOM Regional Director for East, Horn and Southern Africa, Mr Frantz Celestin, said the strategy benefitted from IOM’s combined global experience gained over 73 years, adding it would help improve the lives of migrants, their families, communities and societies. 
“It’s designed to ensure that each approach is practical and sets distinct benchmarks for significant progress. It represents a roadmap for impactful and sustainable partnerships,” Celestin said.

The Guests also heard from two representatives of key IOM donors: Mr Christopher Jones from the USA embassy, and Mr Guillaume Chartrain from the European Union Delegation to Uganda.  
Jones, the Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Great Lakes region, commended IOM’s aspirations on facilitating regular migration pathways. Regular and orderly migration, he said, benefits both countries of origin and of destination.  He cited a study showing that in the last 15 years, from just refugees and asylum seekers, the USA had a net economic benefit of USD 124 billion.  
Chartrain, deputy Head of the EU Delegation, also spoke of the importance of regular migration, commending IOM’s drive to ensure safety and order. He said the EU would look to deepen its cooperation with partners across the world, like IOM. The EU also looked forward to a migration policy that leaves no one behind and upholds migration as a driver for human progress.

Mission context
Over the years, IOM Uganda has implemented numerous projects under programmes, such as:
-    Resettlement and Movement Management
-    Migration Health (including health assessments, public health, and emergency health)
-    Immigration and Border Governance
-    Disaster Risk Reduction and Management 
-    Labour Mobility and Social Inclusion
-    Migrant Protection and Assistance (which includes counter-trafficking)
-    Migration, Environment and Climate Change
-    Community stabilization and prevention of extremism in informal settlements.
The Mission works closely with Government and development partners, UN sister agencies and civil society, among others. Its key Government partners include the Office of the Prime Minister, and ministries of Internal Affairs; Foreign Affairs; Health; Water and Environment; Gender, Labour and Social Development; and Works and Transport.
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For more information / media enquiries, please contact IOM Uganda Public Information Officer, Richard M Kavuma. Email: rmkavuma@iom.int and  ugandapiu@iom.int Tel +256 312 263 210 / +256 772 709 917.