Museveni Urges Global Cooperation for Shared Prosperity

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called on world leaders to prioritize mutually beneficial cooperation and shared prosperity over domination and ideological conflict.

The President made the remarks on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, while chairing the 19th Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) at Speke Resort Munyonyo. The meeting, held under the theme “Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence,” runs from October 13 to 16, bringing together Ministers of Foreign Affairs from NAM’s 121 member states, as well as representatives from the United Nations, African Union, and other multilateral institutions.

The conference serves as the Midterm Review Meeting following Uganda’s successful hosting of the 19th NAM Summit in January 2024.

President Museveni, who currently chairs the Non-Aligned Movement, praised the vision of NAM’s founding leaders, noting that their pursuit of neutrality during the Cold War laid the foundation for global peace and cooperation.

“I salute the Non-Aligned Movement. Our elders who started it did us a great service because they achieved neutrality,” he said.
“At that time, there was a conflict between the socialist camp and the capitalist camp, and our elders said, ‘No, we want to be neutral. We want to judge issues on merit.’ That helped us then, and it is even more important today.”

The President warned against hegemonic tendencies, describing attempts by some global powers to control the world as outdated and counterproductive.

“Anybody who thinks they should control the world is wasting their time,” he asserted.

Museveni emphasized that nations should instead focus on “minimum mutually beneficial interests” such as trade, investment, and tourism—areas that foster unity rather than division.

“My advice to people in the world is that we concentrate on minimum mutually beneficial interests: trade, investments, tourism, and mutual support in any other area. Where we don’t agree, let us act by good example and not coercion,” he said.

Drawing on Christian teachings, President Museveni quoted scripture—“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father who is in heaven”—to illustrate that nations should inspire others through positive example rather than force.

He reflected on historical conflicts in Europe, such as the Thirty Years’ War and the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as lessons against intolerance and attempts to suppress change.

“When capitalism emerged in France after the Revolution, Metternich of Austria-Hungary tried to stop it but failed. Where is Austria-Hungary today? It disappeared because it wanted to stop the evolution of history, which is impossible,” he noted.

President Museveni also highlighted how global advancements in science and technology serve all humanity.

“Once there is an advance in the control of nature through science, we should be very happy, and there should be no conflict,” he said. “Why don’t we want all our partners to be prosperous so that you can do better business?”

He cited China’s industrial transformation as an example of how the rise of one nation can benefit others through affordable technology and materials such as steel.

Turning to Africa’s development, Museveni reiterated his long-standing position that global prosperity depends on raising purchasing power in all regions.

“If Africa’s GDP per capita was $20,000, we would have a total GDP of about $30 trillion. That would not only make Africa richer but would benefit our trading partners because we would buy more from them,” he explained.

He urged NAM countries to promote industrialization, science, and human resource development to achieve equitable global affluence.

President Museveni also thanked NAM member states for entrusting Uganda with the chairmanship of the movement.

“We are very happy that you have come to Uganda in such big numbers. I thank you for honoring us with the chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement. When I look around and see all of us together, I believe we may be the hope of the world,” he said.

The meeting also heard statements from representatives of the United Nations and the African Union, who commended Uganda for its effective leadership of the movement and reaffirmed NAM’s relevance in the modern, multipolar world.

A representative of UN Secretary-General António Guterres congratulated Uganda for its stewardship, emphasizing NAM’s continued role in promoting diplomacy, dialogue, and South-South cooperation.

H.E. Ambassador Musa Mohamed Omar, representing African Union Commission Chairperson H.E. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, also lauded Uganda’s leadership, urging the Global South to remain united in reforming global governance.

“Those who benefit from the current world order are defending the status quo. But if we align our efforts with frameworks such as the G77 plus China, we can help construct a fairer world order,” Ambassador Omar said, while condemning coercive unilateral measures as obstacles to peace and development.

The January 2024 NAM Summit in Kampala—attended by over 120 member states and observers—was widely hailed as a diplomatic success that reaffirmed the movement’s role as a bridge between the Global North and South.

This week’s Midterm Review Meeting builds on those achievements, with discussions focusing on peacebuilding, technology transfer, trade facilitation, and climate resilience.

Founded in 1961 in Belgrade by leaders including Jawaharlal Nehru (India), Josip Broz Tito (Yugoslavia), Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egypt), Sukarno (Indonesia), and Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana), the Non-Aligned Movement was established to promote peace, sovereignty, and cooperation among developing nations, independent of Cold War power blocs.

Today, NAM remains the second-largest global grouping after the United Nations, representing over 55% of the world’s population and two-thirds of UN member states.