Danida

DENMARK'S STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR UGANDA 2023-2028

Denmark and Uganda have enjoyed close bilateral relations for decades. This includes political dialogue, development cooperation, trade and investments, peoples exchange, education and research.  The partnership has involved active engagement of government institutions, private sector, civil society, international and multilateral partners as well as scholars.

The overall vision for Denmark’s engagement in Uganda for the period 2023-2028 is to strengthen regional and national stability and prosperity by supporting Uganda in achieving a green, sustainable and inclusive economic transformation, respecting human rights while continuing to host refugees from neighbouring countries.

Denmark will pursue this vision through three strategic objectives, in line with Danish political priorities and key national development objectives of Uganda:

1. Promote a green, sustainable and inclusive economic transformation
2. Promote sustainable and durable solutions for refugees and support Uganda’s stabilising role in the region
3. Strengthen democratic values, protection of human rights and civic space.

LINK TO STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK (IN DANISH ONLY)

The strategic framework guides the entire Danish engagement in Uganda. A centrepiece is the bilateral development programme that was developed based on Denmark’s strategic framework for Uganda, Denmark’s Strategy for Development Cooperation “the World we share”, as well as The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The current bilateral development programme for the period 2023-2028 has a total budget of DKK 650 million covering seven projects and an adaptability reserve.

The allocation of the budget across the strategic frameworks three objectives is illustrated in graphic below. Approx. 60 pct. of the budget of the programme is climate and environment relevant in line with the UN frameworks with a special focus on adaptation to climate change and mobilisation of climate finance. Around half of the programme focus on refugee-affected areas in Uganda.

The bilateral development programme also builds on specific priorities from the Government of Uganda’s National Development Plan, as well as other relevant strategies such as the District Local Government Plans, and priorities outlined in the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework Plan (CRRF). Other key national priorities and policies include the National Determined Contributions, Uganda Green Growth Strategy, the Private Sector Development Strategy, the National Agriculture Policy the CRRF Strategic Direction 2021-2025.

Denmark will maintain a regular and transparent contact with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) i.a. through joint annual portfolio reviews, while continue working with and through bilateral development partners, EU, UN and other multilateral organisations and international financial institutions, partners under Danida’s Strategic Partnership Agreements, Ugandan and international civil society as well as private and commercial companies.

The long-term commitment of Denmark to support Uganda - as illustrated by the series of successive development programmes over the past three decades - is a solid platform for the continued constructive and dynamic dialogue and collaboration between the two countries.

The context for Danish engagement in Uganda

Uganda plays an active and stabilising role in the East African region, including through the AU and IGAD peacekeeping missions, such as ATMIS in Somalia. Through its open-door refugee policy, Uganda hosts the largest refugee population in Africa with more than 1.6 million refugees (UNHCR, March 2024) as part of its regional response to conflicts.

Denmark fully supports Uganda’s leading role in the implementation of the internationally agreed principles and objectives in the UN Global Compact on Refugees and its Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework, and thereby the implementation of the humanitarian-development-peace-nexus. Promoting resilience and self-reliance among refugee and host communities as well as climate adaptation are key elements in the Danish support for the refugee response.

While Uganda has shown relatively high economic growth rates, translating these into improvement for the poorest continues to be a challenge. This includes access to economic resources, livelihoods, and jobs for the ordinary Ugandan, including youth. Climate change and the continued pressure on natural resources adds to these challenges. Forests and tree cover are particularly important national resources, and thus areas of concern for climate adaptation, biodiversity and livelihoods. Furthermore, soil erosion is particularly serious in Northern Uganda, which also hosts most of Uganda’s refugee population and where deforestation and scarcity of water threatens peaceful co-existence with host communities.

Both the Danish and Ugandan governments have confirmed strong interest in increasing trade and investment including by having more frequent bi-directional trade missions. Green commercial opportunities, also for Danish companies, do exist in sectors like agriculture, water, and agro-processing. In addition to investments and trade with Danish companies, there is an increasing interest and engagement from Danish private sector and philanthropic foundations. As part of its mandate, the Embassy of Denmark will pursue consolidating private partnerships and trade.

Uganda’s large and diverse civil society remain active and vibrant but the civic space and human rights have come under increasing pressure in recent years. This affects among others human rights defenders, environmental activists and minorities. Uganda has a legal, policy and institutional framework in place for the protection of democratic principles, accountability and human rights, as evidenced in among others the Ugandan Constitution and the National Development Plan III as well as a number of human rights instruments signed by Uganda. An engaged civil society play a key role in advancing and implementing this framework and human rights instruments. Over the years, Denmark has supported the capacity building of accountability institutions such as the Inspectorate of Government as well as ca large number of ivil society organisations, thereby underpinning and supporting the promotion and protection of the Ugandan priorities in this area.