Politics 28 July 2026 State House (Uganda)
Museveni Offers Uganda as Potential OACPS Headquarters, Pledges Support
President Yoweri Museveni has offered Uganda as a potential new headquarters for the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and pledged strong support for the bloc's ongoing reforms and shift towards South-South cooperation. Source: https://statehouse.go.ug/president-museveni-pledges-support-to-oacps-offers-uganda-as-potential-new-headquarters
During a significant meeting at State House Entebbe, President Yoweri Museveni voiced his enthusiastic backing for the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), going so far as to offer Uganda as a potential location for its future headquarters.
The President was meeting with OACPS Secretary General, H.E. Moussa Saleh Batraki, and the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, who also chairs the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly. President Museveni welcomed the organization’s transformative reforms aimed at strengthening South-South cooperation among developing nations.
“You can look at Uganda if you want to relocate here. We shall support you,” President Museveni stated, endorsing the OACPS’s strategic move away from its historical base in Europe. This commitment comes as the OACPS seeks to re-establish its headquarters within one of its member states, moving from Brussels.
Secretary General Batraki elaborated on the OACPS’s evolution from a development negotiation forum with the EU to a more robust political and economic alliance. He highlighted the organization’s recent challenges, including significant debt and a lack of a permanent home since he took office a year ago.
“I found staff who had gone seven months without salaries,” Batraki noted, detailing the financial hurdles. He credited diplomatic efforts and support from member states like Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea, and Angola for stabilizing the bloc. Uganda was represented at a recent OACPS summit by the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gen. Jeje Odongo.
Rt. Hon. Tayebwa expressed confidence in Uganda’s potential contribution, given President Museveni’s consistent advocacy for South-South collaboration. The OACPS identified three strategic priorities for its future: promoting inter-member trade, enhancing climate resilience, and advancing digital governance.
Secretary General Batraki also shared upcoming initiatives, including a Global Business Forum with Indonesia and a proposed agricultural program with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). He congratulated Uganda for ratifying the Samoa Agreement, underscoring the importance of independent cooperation within the OACPS framework.
Furthermore, Rt. Hon. Tayebwa announced Uganda’s bid to host the next Joint Parliamentary Assembly and its diplomatic support for Ambassador Olara Otunnu’s UN Secretary-General candidature.