African Union to build humanitarian agency headquarters in Uganda

• Uganda will host the headquarters of the African Union Humanitarian Agency.

• The facility will be constructed in Lubowa after Uganda won the hosting bid.

• The agency will coordinate Africa’s response to humanitarian crises.

• Government plans to provide temporary office space as construction begins.

The African Union (AU) will build the headquarters of its Humanitarian Agency in Uganda after the country won the bid to host the continental institution.

Minister of ICT and National Guidance Justine Kasule Lumumba said Uganda emerged as the preferred host country after a rigorous assessment by the AU.

“The African Union Humanitarian Agency headquarters is going to be constructed in Lubowa,” she said during an update on Tuesday.

She said the agency would serve as a central institution in coordinating Africa’s humanitarian response as the continent continues to face challenges linked to conflicts, displacement, climate change, public health emergencies and natural disasters.

The AU General Assembly adopted the Common African Position on Humanitarian Effectiveness during an extraordinary session held in Addis Ababa on January 30, 2016.

The decision outlined the need to strengthen Africa’s humanitarian architecture, address the root causes of crises and develop lasting solutions by improving state and non-state institutions.

“Central to this was the proposal to establish an African Humanitarian Agency as the principal vehicle to spearhead continental humanitarian action,” Kasule Lumumba said.

She said preparatory work began the following year and led to the establishment of the African Union Humanitarian Agency.

Uganda competed with other countries interested in hosting the institution before winning the bid after AU teams assessed the country’s suitability.

Kasule Lumumba said hosting the agency would boost Uganda’s economic development and international profile by attracting diplomats, humanitarian experts, researchers and government officials from across Africa and beyond.

She added that the presence of the agency would increase demand for accommodation, transport, conference facilities, banking services, legal services, healthcare and other support industries.

The Cabinet has decided that the project will be implemented in phases, with government first renting office space for technical teams in Rubaga as construction begins.

The headquarters is expected to be completed within two to three years.