By Admin
MIDRAND-SOUTH AFRICA: The Pan African Parliament (PAP) is to debate a motion to commend Uganda for her policy towards refugees, the President of the continental assembly, Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang has said.
The
confirmation was made by Hon. Nkodo in response to a spirited presentation on
the Floor of the House by Uganda’s Leader of Delegation to PAP, Hon. Jacqueline
Amongin.
The PAP
members were debating the President’s activity report covering the period May
to September 2019 presented at the 3rd Ordinary Session of the 5th
Parliament.
Uganda’s delegation also includes: Prof. Morris
Ogenga Latigo, Hon. Felix Okot Ogong, Hon. Anifa Kawooya and Hon. James
Kakooza.
“The
motion has been deposited,” the President told MPs, meaning that the procedure
for the crafting of the motion can commence.
“As members from Uganda, we are proud
that Uganda is being recognised for the roles she has played in hosting
refugees,” Amongin said.
Uganda has been noted and appreciated
by members for having one of the best policies on handling refuges,” said Hon.
Okot Ogong.
Addressing the 10th Conference of
Speakers of African Parliaments and Senates at the Pan-African Parliament on
Tuesday, 6 August 2019, Uganda’s Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, criticised
the international community for failing to make good their financial
contributions to support refugees in Uganda.
She revealed that during the Kampala
Solidarity Summit on Refugees in 2017 attended by world leaders and technocrats
who included the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, of the
US$15 million that was projected to be collected, only US$540,000 was realised.
Uganda is the second biggest refugee
hosting country in the world and the first in Africa and according to the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), over 100,000 Africans
leave the continent every year for Europe, accounting for the highest number of
forced migrants in the world.
Whilst host countries continue to
shoulder the responsibility of and facilitating refugees’ access to basic needs
to the detriment of the host communities, refugees living in Uganda do not live
in camps but settlements, which gives them freedom of movement, access to
social service and employment.
The UNHCR says the continent
accounted for nearly one third of the world’s 68 million forced migrants,
including 6.3 million refugees and 14.5 million internally displaced persons.
Ends.