Press Release
20 Sep, 2024 ObuntuModel, SDGs, UpdatesDemanding Radical Reforms for Sustainable Development
Kampala Uganda, September 20, 2024: As world leaders converge at the United Nations Summit of the Future on 22-23 September 2024, Step Up Youth Initiative, a leading Ugandan civil society organization, is joining the Global People’s Assembly to demand radical reforms to the international financial system. The Assembly seeks to ensure that inclusive solutions are prioritized, addressing the needs of marginalized communities worldwide.
This global gathering, a culmination of efforts from 30 regional and national assemblies across Africa, including a dedicated Uganda People’s Assembly, is organized by a coalition of 52 international and regional civil society organizations and networks, such as Oxfam International, CIVICUS, Global Call to Action Against Poverty – GCAP, Action For Sustainable Development, Global Coalition for Social Protection Floors and Forus.
The event highlights the growing inequalities and call for urgent reforms to address critical issues such as debt justice, climate financing, and social protection. These issues disproportionately affect the daily lives of people around the world, and the Assembly aims to amplify their voices and demand meaningful change.
Demanding a Just Future for Uganda
Ugandan communities face pressing challenges exacerbated by climate change, debt burdens, and unequal global power dynamics. Ambassador Francis Maberi, Co-Founder of Step Up Youth Initiative and African Youth SDGs Ambassador , stated,
It is imperative for global leaders to prioritize solutions that empower communities in the Global South, including equitable access to resources and inclusive decision-making structures. The time for empty rhetoric is over. We need concrete actions to address the systemic injustices that have marginalized millions of Africans.”
Our Demands
Increased climate finance to support African countries in adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change, such as:
Investing in renewable energy infrastructure to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
Providing financial support for climate adaptation measures, such as early warning systems, drought-resistant crops, and flood control infrastructure.
Supporting the development of climate-resilient agricultural practices to ensure food security in the face of changing weather patterns.
Promoting sustainable land management practices to protect biodiversity and reduce deforestation.
Implementation of universal social protection measures to address poverty and inequality, such as:
Expanding access to quality education and healthcare for all citizens.
Providing social safety nets such as cash transfers, food assistance, and health insurance for vulnerable populations.
Investing in social services like education, healthcare, and housing to improve access to essential services.
Promoting decent work by creating jobs, protecting workers’ rights, and ensuring fair wages.
Addressing gender-based discrimination and ensuring equal opportunities for women and girls
Protection of civic space and freedom of expression for civil society organizations, including:
Unhindered Participation: Ensuring that all individuals and civil society organizations can freely and safely participate in public discourse, decision-making processes, and peaceful protests without fear of reprisal.
Access to Information: Guaranteeing access to information and enabling the free flow of information, both online and offline, as a cornerstone of informed decision-making and active citizenship.
Independent Media: Supporting a vibrant and independent media landscape that can freely investigate and report on issues of public interest, holding power to account, and fostering a well-informed citizenry.
Transparent and Accountable Governance: Promoting transparency, accountability, and responsiveness in governance structures to foster trust and enable meaningful citizen participation in shaping policies and programs.
Advocating for the immediate suspension and cancellation of all unjust and unsustainable debts for developing countries, particularly those in Africa, to alleviate their financial burdens and enable them to invest in essential public services and sustainable development initiatives.: Immediate and unconditional cancellation of illegitimate debts to free up resources for essential services, including;
Focus on Multilateral Debt: Advocate for the cancellation of debts owed to
multilateral financial institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which often impose harsh terms and conditions that perpetuate poverty and inequality
Challenging Illegitimate Debt: Demand audits of national debt to identify and challenge illegitimate debts incurred under oppressive regimes, through corruption, or without the consent of the people.
Support Debt Relief Initiatives: Back initiatives like the Debt Justice Movement and the Jubilee Debt Campaign to advocate for debt cancellation and fairer debt restructuring.
Promote Debt Transparency: Demand greater transparency in debt negotiations and the disclosure of debt-related information to ensure accountability and prevent future debt traps.
Strengthen Debt Governance: Advocate for reforms to international financial institutions to make them more accountable and responsive to the needs of developing countries.
Step Up Youth Initiative joins the Global People’s Assembly to advocate for a just and equitable global economic system that prioritizes the needs of people, the planet, and prosperity for all. By participating in this global movement, Step Up Youth Initiative aims to amplify the voices of marginalized communities in Uganda and contribute to building a more sustainable and inclusive future for all.
The press release didn’t touch the most critical part Governance and mist rule !
Uganda is at the Age of becoming lk North Korea ! Abnormalities ve become Normalities ! Tulagawa Daala
We demand an End to Double Standards