)
)
The Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Finance have launched the Economic and Commercial Diplomacy (ECD) Strategy Handbook during the Annual Ambassadors' Conference in Gulu.
The Handbook was officially launched by the Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi, with Oryem Henry Okello, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of International Cooperation.
Oryem said the ECD Handbook will guide Uganda’s Economic and Commercial Diplomacy.
He called for full understanding, discussion, and use by all Heads of Department and Uganda Missions abroad.
He stressed the Ministry’s active role in development, rejecting the view that the Foreign Service is merely consumptive. He also pointed to the preparation for managing oil revenue inflows.
“The ECD strategy is now a handbook for economic and commercial diplomacy. Every Head of Mission and Foreign Service Officer should read, understand, and apply it to ensure coordinated action that attracts investment, tourism, and development for Uganda,” said Oryem.
The Permanent Secretart for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bagiire Vincent Waiswa, urged Heads of Mission to stay focused on Uganda’s development agenda, avoid distractions, and fully engage in advancing the Foreign Service’s role.
The ECD strategy is now a handbook for economic and commercial diplomacy
He noted that Ggoobi’s leadership has energised Missions to align with Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.
He highlighted transformations in Missions such as Tokyo and New Delhi, stressing the impact of increased resources on Uganda’s diplomatic engagement.
In his remarks, Ggoobi gave an overview of Uganda’s economic resilience.
He noted the stability of the national currency, FDI inflows of $3.7 billion, record coffee exports of $2.2 billion, a $1.5 billion tourism recovery, and diaspora remittances, all supporting agro-industrialisation, trade, tourism, and manufacturing.
He stressed the need for skilling, environmental sustainability, market integration, and policy consensus.
He also pledged to personally visit all Uganda Missions abroad to strengthen oversight and engagement.
Bagiire outlined the goals of the ECD Strategy, which include attracting investment, increasing exports, boosting tourism, and drawing technology and knowledge transfer in line with the Tenfold Strategy.
Key initiatives are institutional coordination, export-import think tanks, stakeholder engagement, country profiling, intelligence gathering, joint planning meetings, technical capacity building, and private sector participation.
Day Two of the conference continued with focused discussions, stressing the alignment of Missions’ activities with national priorities, stronger institutional coordination, and advancing economic diplomacy to achieve measurable contributions to national development.