Trade Policy Making process in Uganda: the role of the Civil Society

1. Trade Policy Making process in Uganda: the role of the Civil Society Jane S. Nalunga SEATINI (Uganda ) FEATS Inception Meeting 15th Oct 2008, Kampala, Uganda

2. Structure of the presentation • Introduction • Trade Policy Making process-theory • Trade policy making in Uganda • The Role and Influence of CSOs • Way forward

3. Introduction • August 2007 the Government of Uganda came out with the National trade policy • The policy was entitled “Trading out of poverty into wealth and prosperity”. • My presentation is based on the experience of my organisations’ involvement in this process.

4. Trade policy making –The theory • Very complex & dynamic. • Rich Interplay between trade and other policies/issues • Response to specific & broad challenges facing the country/economy/people • Specific & broad aspirations

5. Trade policy making in Uganda • Response to calls for one coherent & comprehensive trade policy. • Recognition of the centrality of trade in development. • Appreciation of the complexity of trade negotiations and need to have guidelines .

6. Trade Policy making in Uganda : The Process • Agenda setting • Lead agency –Uganda government represented by the Ministry of Tourism, Trade & Industry (MTTI) • MTTI tasked with consulting the stakeholders through the Inter-Institutional Trade Committee (IITC) and also directly. • IITC discussed the TOR for the consultant.

7. Cont. • Consultants major role: • Collect the scattered trade policies • collect stakeholder views • Resultant document discussed in IITC & in Stakeholders Conference. • Final draft presented to cabinet

8. Cont. • The final out comes: • Trade policy doc. • Implementation plan -The National Trade Sector Development Plan (NTSDP) 2008/9-2012/13”. • 5 year rolling plan • Spells out short, medium and long term activities to be implemented to achieve the aspirations in the policy • Indicates specific players /lead agencies • Indicates expected outcomes.

9. The Role & influence of CSOs • some CSOs members of the IITC good entry point to influence the Trade policy BUT • IITC membership and invitation ad hoc • Participation of CSOs haphazard • CSO participation in the trade policy process through the Civil Society Working Group on Trade ( CSWGT)

10. Cont. • And the Food Rights Alliance • CSOs had clear aim/objective for participating: • To ensure a pro-human development trade policy • Bring the aspirations of the people esp the most vulnerable i.e rural women onto the policy

11. Cont. • Shared/ agreed objective was important to use as a yard stick to assess the gaps and the efficacy of the positions in the draft policy • 2 meetings organised by CSWGT for capacity building of CSOs in trade policy making • Other meeting held to discuss the draft • 2 meetings with the consultants to present their views.

12. Influence • CSOs actively participated • Campaigned for the issue of inclusion of domestic trade in the trade policy • Promotion of domestic trade critical to poverty eradication and as a stepping stone for international trade .

13. Challenges • Lack of continuity in engaging in the process • Ad hoc nature of the CSWGT • Low inclusiveness i.e Kampala affair of CSOs working on Trade. • No systematic analysis of the policy after cabinet approval. • Minimal participation in the NTSDP yet CSOs given some responsibilities.

14. Way forward: some proposals • Trade policy making is dynamic • CSOs should get back on board • Assess the final document -can it enable people to trade out of poverty? • Actively participate in the implementation and monitoring • Strategise for the review in 2012/13.

15. END • THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION