With the 31st edition of Diplomatic Notes Newsletter, I have the honour of taking on the responsibility of Editor in Chief at a defining moment for Uganda’s diplomacy, when the value of our engagement abroad is increasingly measured not simply by our presence, but by the Economic and Commercial Diplomacy we create, partnerships we build and results we deliver for Uganda’s economy.

I express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Bagiire Vincent Waiswa the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the confidence placed in me to lead the Public Diplomacy Department. I also honour the foundation on which Diplomatic Notes Newsletter stands. As its first Editor in Chief, Mrs. Margaret Kafeero gave the publication its first voice and direction, while Mr. Stilson Muhwezi, my immediate predecessor, steadily carried forward that vision. It is a privilege to follow in their footsteps as we take this publication into its next chapter.

I deeply appreciate the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Uganda’s Heads of Mission, who have increasingly become the country’s Economic and Commercial Diplomacy eyes, ears and voices abroad. Their daily efforts continue to advance Uganda’s interests and open doors for our people.

THE 31st edition comes as ECD under the Tenfold Growth Strategy takes centre stage, anchored in Agro-processing, Tourism, Mineral Development, and Science, Technology and Innovation (ATMS). Our strategic direction is clear: diplomacy must increasingly connect Uganda to opportunities that contribute to national transformation.

September demonstrated this principle. From New York to Xiamen, Kampala to Paris, Uganda’s diplomatic engagement spanned multilateral, political, economic, cultural and people-to-people relations. At the United Nations General Assembly, Uganda reaffirmed its commitment to multilateralism and meaningful African representation, while engagement through the Non-Aligned Movement and BRICS reinforced our participation in evolving global partnerships.
At the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Uganda reaffirmed its commitment to multilateralism and advocated for a more representative international system, including meaningful African representation in the United Nations Security Council. Uganda also advanced its international priorities through its engagement with the Non-Aligned Movement and preparations to host the NAM Coordinating Bureau Ministerial Meeting in Kampala.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Adonia Ayebare, reinforced this diplomatic outreach through bilateral engagements and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Austria, while Uganda’s participation at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi further illustrated the country’s engagement with emerging global economic and political partnerships.
ECD gained further prominence through the inaugural Annual Economic and Commercial Diplomacy Performance Review Retreat, where 52 opportunities were assessed alongside challenges including non-tariff barriers, standards compliance and converting diplomatic contacts into measurable commercial results. Missions advanced this agenda through engagements in Xiamen, Paris, Perth, Warsaw, Kuala Lumpur, Cairo and Dubai, demonstrating how diplomacy can connect investment, trade, tourism, connectivity and enterprise.

The Uganda–Nigeria Business Forum reinforced an essential lesson: diplomatic engagement does not end when a meeting closes; its real value begins with what follows partnerships established, commitments honoured and opportunities converted into results.

Diplomacy is equally inseparable from peace, regional stability and people-to-people relations. Through IGAD, the Luanda Summit and United Nations engagements, Uganda continued contributing to regional security, good neighbourliness and sustainable peace. Meanwhile, diaspora communities, athletes, students, entrepreneurs and professionals continue to carry Uganda’s identity, talent and aspirations across borders.

As we proceed with Issue 31, our commitment is to honour the legacy already established while giving Diplomatic Notes Newsletter an even clearer, more accessible and dynamic voice one alive to the changing purpose of Uganda’s diplomacy.
To our Missions Abroad, contributors and partners, thank you for giving these pages meaning. To our readers, I invite you to look beyond engagements and into the opportunities, relationships and results shaping Uganda’s place in the world.

Welcome to Issue 31. The story continues.

Anne Babinaga
Editor-in-Chief