STORY: Ugandan FM calls for collective responsibility in addressing emerging issues
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 15, 2024
DATELINE: Jan. 23, 2024
LENGTH: 00:04:23
LOCATION: Kampala
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. wide of NAM Conference facility   
2. various of NAM summit in Uganda
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JEJE ODONGO, Uganda's minister of foreign affairs
4. various of NAM Summit
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JEJE ODONGO, Uganda's minister of foreign affairs
6. various of NAM Summit
7. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): JEJE ODONGO, Uganda's minister of foreign affairs
8. various of NAM Summit
9. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): JEJE ODONGO, Uganda's minister of foreign affairs
10. various of NAM Summit
11. SOUNDBITE 5 (English): JEJE ODONGO, Uganda's minister of foreign affairs
12. wide of conference building

STORYLINE:

The 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit concluded on Saturday in the Ugandan capital Kampala.

Jeje Odongo, Uganda's minister of foreign affairs told Xinhua in a recent interview that the current complex global challenges give a rebirth of the founding principles of the NAM.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JEJE ODONGO, Uganda's minister of foreign affairs
"Bearing in mind that the world today is more volatile and there are struggles for new redistribution of power, new arrangements and so, whereas it may not necessarily be about a bipolar world, it is now about the issues of justice in a more dynamic world and what we the global south, we the least developed would seek to achieve in this new dispensation that we are faced with. Right now, our issues as I have mentioned are in terms of justice in the power distribution and injustice in two particular areas on the questions of development and the question of humanity."

The minister said as Uganda takes the chairmanship of the forum from Azerbaijan, it would during its three-year-term continue to build solidarity and collaboration among the developing global South.

He said there is an ongoing reconfiguration of the global governance system, and the NAM must have a say.

He said member countries must have a say and make decisions on facts that affect them instead of other countries wanting to take this responsibility.

Odongo said previously the Western system of governance was dictated to the developing countries for adoption by Western powers, but now there are new governance systems that have proved to work.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JEJE ODONGO, Uganda's minister of foreign affairs
"A new world order based on the western thinking was a dominance by the western ideologies, was that just? My answer is - No. And therefore we in the non-aligned movement are now seeking the questions of different powers in the multilateral arrangement, calling on the international system for a share of managing international affairs."

Odongo also acknowledged that there may be differences among the NAM member countries regarding global issues, but they should work together for a united South.

He argued that it is through multilateralism that countries can have collective bargaining on international issues that affect them.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): JEJE ODONGO, Uganda's minister of foreign affairs
"This is a family and in a family there are different viewpoints and different points of emphasis. We will not stifle anybody's thinking. The purpose is for everybody to bring this up, and we will discuss them with a view to reaching a consensus."

On G77+China summit, minister Odongo argued that as a larger part of the developed North continues to push for unilateralism, the global South must stay the course of multilateralism.

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): JEJE ODONGO, Uganda's minister of foreign affairs
"The background to the formation of the G77 was in order to be able to pursue the agenda of development and in the question of development, there are two issues that are uppermost, fair distribution and financing for development."

SOUNDBITE 5 (English): JEJE ODONGO, Uganda's minister of foreign affairs
"As I said, China is a member of the G77+China, and they have a right to pursue their own interests within this organization, but again as I have mentioned before, it is up to the membership which direction will become paramount."

The NAM forum is guided by the Bandung Principles, which include respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, recognition of the equality of all races and nations, large and small, and abstention from intervention or interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kampala.
(XHTV)