As proud members of the Uganda Youth Coalition for SDGs, the Step Up Youth Initiative is committed to keeping our network informed about the strategic direction of development in our country. We are pleased to share the latest UN Uganda Bulletin (September – October 2025), which highlights critical milestones in our collective journey toward the 2030 Agenda. This edition is particularly historic as it details the launch of the new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2026–2030, a roadmap that aligns directly with Uganda’s Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV).
) On October 22nd 2025, the Government of Uganda and the UN signed a renewed commitment to accelerate the SDGs. The new framework focuses on three transformative pillars that deeply resonate with our work at Step Up:
Transformative and Inclusive Human Development
Sustainable Ecosystems and Climate-Smart Development
Integrated, Inclusive, and Rights-Based Governance
We are incredibly proud to note that the voice of young people was central to this high-level launch. As highlighted in the bulletin, Ms. Aminah Nassali, President of the Youth Coalition for SDGs, delivered a passionate call for trust and investment in youth-led solutions.
She stated:
No nation can develop if its young citizens are excluded from decision-making. We must move from inclusion to influence.”
This aligns perfectly with our ObuntuBulamu pillar of Proactive Leadership (Obukulembeze). It is a reminder that young people are not just beneficiaries of the new framework, but active partners in its implementation.
Beyond policy, the bulletin showcases tangible impact on the ground—work that mirrors our own efforts in Economic Resilience:
Refugee Entrepreneurship: The story of Alexander, a refugee in Nakivale who used the ILO’s i-UPSHIFT programme to start a water and manure business, mirrors our own approach at the Komuka Skills Hub—turning vulnerability into economic resilience.
The launch of the UNSDCF 2026–2030 is a call to action. For Step Up Youth Initiative, it validates our dual focus on Economic Resilience and Policy Advocacy. We remain committed to working with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and the OPM SDG Secretariat to ensure these high-level frameworks translate into real dignity for youth in places like Bwaise and Mbale.