In Summary: Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has urged African, Caribbean and European parliamentarians to strengthen multilateral cooperation, dialogue and conflict prevention as global insecurity, organised crime and geopolitical tensions threaten development.
Brussels, Belgium — Uganda’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, has called for stronger international cooperation, dialogue and collective action to address growing global security challenges, warning that conflicts, organised crime and geopolitical tensions continue to threaten international stability and development.
Tayebwa made the call on Wednesday while chairing a joint parliamentary assembly of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Belgium, under the theme, “Global Security and Multilateralism in a Highly Interconnected, Multipolar and Fragmented World.”
Tayebwa, who also serves as President of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly and Co-President of the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, said security and development were closely connected, noting that conflicts disrupt public services, destroy livelihoods and divert resources from national development priorities.
He observed that organised crime and instability increasingly cross national borders, making international cooperation more necessary. “Our partnership should help strengthen respect for sovereignty, international law and the protection of civilians. It should also support international institutions in which developing countries and smaller states have a meaningful voice,” Tayebwa said.
He challenged parliamentarians from both regions to strengthen dialogue, support mediation and hold their respective governments accountable for commitments aimed at preventing crises and sustaining peace.
Highlighting Uganda’s refugee-hosting policy, Tayebwa said the country accommodates more than two million refugees, mainly from neighbouring countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Burundi and South Sudan.
However, he expressed concern that Uganda receives only 12.5 per cent of the funding required to support the refugee population, placing additional pressure on national resources and forcing the Government to divert funds from other development priorities. “As a country, we will never close our borders to anyone seeking refuge because of conflict,” he said.
Sheema Municipality Member of Parliament Dicksons Kateshumbwa called for reforms in global financial governance, improved debt sustainability and increased development financing to strengthen developing economies and improve people’s livelihoods.
Kateshumbwa argued that economic insecurity, unemployment and limited opportunities could expose vulnerable populations to recruitment into conflicts.
He cited the recruitment of young people from developing countries to participate in the Russia-Ukraine war as an example of how economic vulnerability could draw individuals into foreign conflicts.
Calls for fairer global financial systems
Former Chadian Foreign Affairs Minister and former United Nations envoy Mohamed Saleh Annadif described the renewed partnership between the OACPS and the European Union as an example of how international institutions can adapt their cooperation to changing global circumstances.
Annadif said the two organisations had demonstrated that they could renew their relationship and build a mutually beneficial partnership based on mutual trust and respect.
However, he cautioned that historical imbalances in international relations remained a concern, warning against treating Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific merely as areas of geopolitical influence or experimentation. He argued that the regions should instead be recognised as important global actors capable of contributing innovative solutions to challenges such as energy transition and conflict resolution.
Zimbabwean delegate Lt. Gen. Michael Reuben Nyambuya also called for stronger multilateral cooperation, saying the international community should strengthen rather than abandon multilateral institutions despite the challenges they face.
He described the United Nations as the cornerstone of the international multilateral system and urged the OACPS and EU to defend its central role in maintaining international peace and security.
The joint parliamentary assembly forms part of ongoing engagements between the OACPS and EU, bringing together legislators from Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific and Europe to discuss shared political, economic and security concerns.
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