43 Speakers confirm attendance for Commonwealth conference
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, speaks African Continental Free Trade Area implementation at the 18th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) in Cameroon. Photo | Deputy Speaker press team.
What you need to know:
- Uganda is hosting the conference for the first time after it won the bid in 2020 during a similar sitting in Ottawa, Canada. It is not clear which countries have confirmed participation and which ones are not showing up and for what reasons.
At least 43 Speakers and presiding officers have confirmed attendance of the forthcoming Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers’ Conference slated for January 3 to January 6, at the Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo in Kampala.
Uganda is hosting the conference for the first time after it won the bid in 2020 during a similar sitting in Ottawa, Canada. It is not clear which countries have confirmed participation and which ones are not showing up and for what reasons.
Uganda has had to face a barrage of criticism accompanied by sanctions and withdrawal from preferential trade deals with the US and other Western countries.
Affected
Several would be beneficiaries of scholarships to Western countries have also been affected after many countries withdrew scholarships for Uganda after the passing of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill into law.
Speaker Anita Among, while a dressing a press conference yesterday, said they had extended invitation to 73 speakers and presiding officers, but some had not yet confirmed their attendance, with the first batch of the visitors arriving yesterday.
She said Uganda is ready to host the conference, with the security beefed up and the conference facilities at Munyonyo ready to accommodate the guests.
“43 speakers have already confirmed their attendance out of the 73 and we are set for the conference. His Excellency the President, who has supported us on this conference financially, and has done everything for us to have a successful conference, will be the one opening it on January 4 at Munyonyo Speak Resort,” Ms Among said.
Ms Among said the conference presents an opportunity for Uganda to network and collaborate with other countries to further its interests globally.
Investments
She added that the country needs collaborations with other Speakers and countries to be able to achieve desirable investments.
“As Ugandans, I want us to take advantage of the opportunities that are coming with this conference. We need a collaboration among these parliaments. We are going to network with a number of Commonwealth countries,” she said.
She also asked Ugandan businesses and other interest groups to take advantage of the conference to build commercial networks, which they can use to attract more investors.
“I also want to encourage our citizens to take advantage of the business opportunities that come with the number of delegates expected in the country. I want to urge all of us to accord our visitors the Ugandan hospitality and show them what makes us the Pearl of Africa,” she added.
