Independence Day Celebration, July 2, 2004

Honorable Minister, Members of the Ugandan government, Diplomatic colleagues, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:

On behalf of my wife Britt-Marie and myself and the entire U.S. Mission in Uganda, welcome to this celebration of America's 228th year of independence.

The United States and Uganda continue to enjoy a strong relationship and exceptionally friendly ties built upon shared interests and mutual respect.  As many of you will recall, July 4 last year found us in frenzied preparation for the historic trip one week later of President George W. Bush to Uganda.

That warm and successful visit highlighted and intensified the work our countries and our governments are pursuing together to improve the lives of Uganda's people and make the world a safer and more prosperous place.

President and Mrs. Bush saw for themselves some of the remarkable efforts Ugandans have undertaken to stem the tide of HIV/AIDS.  This reinforced Uganda's role as a model for the President's 15 billion dollar Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

And I'm delighted to report that that money is already being put to effective use.

• Over 4,000 Ugandans who would not otherwise have access to live-saving antiretroviral drugs now have them because of this initiative which began less than 6 months ago.  By the end of 2004, we expect over 25,000 Ugandans to be benefiting from such ARVs because of our programs.


• 23 additional testing and counseling centers have been established.


• As of this month, over 14,000 primary schools will be educating students on AIDS prevention through our support of President Museveni's Initiative for AIDS Strategy for Communication to Youth, or PIASCY.

As President Bush said during his visit last year, "Uganda, by confronting AIDS aggressively and directly, is giving hope to peoples all across the continent of Africa."

Uganda remains America's number one partner for AIDS funding, and this year, Uganda has also become the largest African beneficiary of USAID's development funds.

Hon. Minister, I am pleased to note that in your areas of trade and tourism are included in our programs and that the numbers are up. The United States shares your government's vision that economic growth and opportunity are the key to poverty eradication.  With assistance from USAID, Uganda has seen substantial increases in agricultural exports.

Vanilla exports to the US were up 55% last year and fish 57%.  Ugandan garments benefiting from AGOA are also now reaching the U.S. market.  This translates into job creation, improved household income, and hope for a more secure future.

Other highlights of U.S.-Uganda relations during the past year include:

• Two visits by President Museveni to the United States - last November, which included the launch the Discovery Channel program on Uganda, and recently in June to attend the Group of 8 industrialized countries' summit at Sea Island, Georgia.
  
• The December visit to Uganda by Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson, who brought with him a senior delegation of more than 100 to investigate Uganda's multi-sectoral approach to AIDS, visit the successful Home-Based AIDS Care program being implemented in Tororo by the Centers for Disease Control, and observe what American and Ugandan non-government organizations are doing in the fight against AIDS.
  
• Another accomplishment this year was the Bank of Uganda's launch of multi-year government bonds, which brought down commercial interest rates, greatly expanded capital markets and has now set the stage for new options in housing finance. The U.S. Government, led by the US Treasury Department's International Technical Assistance program, was instrumental in all of these developments.
  
• The United States and Uganda continue a strong collaboration in pursuit of the shared goal of combating and defeating international terrorism. We're helping to strengthen Uganda's capacity to identify terror suspects at points of entry and together hosted a conference of East African Counterterrorism Initiative partners.  In addition, American experts are working with the Government of Uganda to upgrade its protections against money laundering and to prevent terrorists from accessing funds in Uganda.
  
• And among the highlights of the past year, I must not fail to mention the 1000th run of the Kampala Hash House Harriers.

Hon. Minister, Ladies and Gentlemen

There are indeed good reasons to be optimistic about Uganda's economic and social development. Tempering that optimism, however, is concern that the nation's political evolution could restrain or even reverse the positive trends.

It took the United States 13 years after independence in 1776 to hold a constitutional convention and approve a constitution.  But today, 215 years later, if there is anything that all Americans agree upon, it is that the constitution is the supreme law of the land and must be respected. If changes are needed, there is a procedure ordained in the constitution to amend it.

We are cognizant that in 1995, Ugandans established your own constitution as the supreme law and specified how that constitution can be amended.  Ugandans and their international friends will need to remain vigilant to be sure that rule of law prevails.  The constitutional authority of Parliament and of the courts needs to be recognized to prevent political violence and to stymie attempts to shortcut or circumvent constitutional procedures. 

Ugandans need look no further than their own political history to recognize the peril of disregarding the right of citizens freely to organize, associate, and assemble as a means of expressing their political will.  The Movement system has no doubt played an important role in stabilizing and unifying a state plagued by conflict and division.  But that role must evolve as the nation and its economy mature.

Among the important challenges facing Uganda today, none is more grave than the continuing conflict and humanitarian crisis in northern Uganda.  The cycle of violence, displacement, upheaval, and despair must be broken, and ultimately must be overcome by Ugandans working toward reconciliation.

The United States is certainly proud to have contributed over 80 million dollars last year in humanitarian relief in northern Uganda, and will continue that aid as long as it is needed.  However, we look forward to the day when we talk not of emergency food supplies but rather of agricultural exports from northern Uganda to the world.

Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you again for joining us tonight, and please now join me in a toast to the health of President Yoweri Museveni and to the nation and people of Uganda.