Entebbe, Uganda – Uganda advanced its diplomatic bid for the leadership of the United Nations following President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s reaffirmation of the country’s support   for the candidature of Ambassador Olara Otunnu for the position of the UN Secretary-General.

At the meeting held in Entebbe, President Museveni formally presented Amb. Olara Otunnu to the representatives of the UN Security Council describing him as a seasoned Ugandan statesman whose long experience within the UN system has prepared him for the organisation’s highest diplomatic office.  “He is the type of person you will need in the UN system because he is very much aligned to it. I therefore hand over Olara Otunnu to you,” President Museveni said.

The president grounded Uganda’s bid on the broader diplomatic position centered on peace and security, humanitarian responsibility, multilateralism and institutional reform pointing to Uganda’s contribution to regional peace and its humanitarian record as important elements of the country’s multilateral credentials. Uganda was hosting 2,036,021 refugees and asylum-seekers as of 31 July 2026, including 1,959,525 refugees and 76,496 asylum-seekers, underscoring the scale of its engagement with forced displacement and international protection. “Uganda’s credentials in the UN are many, but the uncontested ones are two: our contribution to regional security … and our support for refugees,” President Museveni said.

Ambassador Otunnu, whose previous UN responsibilities had included serving as Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, outlined a vision focused on conflict prevention, peacebuilding, development financing, institutional effectiveness and responsible international cooperation on emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. The President emphasised that the Secretary-General’s office required moral authority, consensus-building and engagement with Member States. 

The campaign was unfolding as the UN’s 2026 selection process entered its decisive phase with Ambassador Otunnu participation in the official interactive dialogue with Member States on 19 August 2026, alongside other nominated candidates. With Secretary-General António Guterres’ second term due to expire on 31 December 2026, the selection and appointment of his successor is expected to be concluded during the final months of 2026, allowing the new Secretary-General to assume office in January 2027.

President Museveni announced that Dr. Rugunda would lead a Ugandan delegation to engage governments in various capitals, signaling an intensified phase of Uganda’s campaign as the UN selection process moved towards its conclusion. For Uganda, the candidature represented more than an individual bid. It provided an avenue to project the country’s diplomatic experience, regional peace credentials and humanitarian engagement into the global multilateral arena while advancing its longstanding commitment to an effective, representative and responsive United Nations.

Photo Credit: PPU