Samarkand, Uzbekistan | Uganda has secured a seat on the UNESCO Executive Board after polling 172 votes, the second-highest in Africa behind Zimbabwe (175)and ahead of Zambia, during the43rd UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The results, officially displayed at the UNESCO General Conference venue, placed Uganda among thetop six African countrieselected underGroup V(a), alongside Zimbabwe, Zambia, Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Equatorial Guinea.
Other winning countries across groups includeLuxembourg, Norway, Türkiye (Group I); Ukraine, Romania, Republic of Moldova (Group II); Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, Haiti, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Guyana (Group III); Malaysia, India, Kyrgyzstan, China, Thailand, and Japan (Group IV); andMorocco, Jordan, and Egypt (Group V(b)).
The newly elected Executive Board will serve afour-year term (2025–2029), shaping UNESCO’s global policy directions, approving programs, and overseeing administrative and budgetary matters.
Uganda’s strong performance highlights its growing credibility and influence within UNESCO and the wider international community.
In an interview, Ambassador Doreen Ruth Amule, Uganda’s Envoy to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, said the victory was “a clear endorsement of Uganda’s leadership and commitment to international cooperation.”
She credited the success to Uganda’s strong ties across Africa and beyond, built through reciprocal support and active participation in UNESCO activities.
Uganda will now play a key role in committees that guide education, science, and cultural policy, allowing the country to lobby for projects, attract funding, and influence decisions that benefit national development.
“This opportunity allows Uganda to showcase its rich culture and strengthen education and science for sustainable growth,” Ambassador Amule noted.
Uganda’s four-year term will focus on implementing UNESCO programs and representing African interests.
The country also stands to benefit from new partnerships and funding, including the potential to host UNESCO regional and global conferences.
Ambassador Amule called on local schools, universities, and cultural organizations to actively participate in UNESCO programs.
