I would like to thank our distinguished speakers and panelists for making this a successful event that has put social inclusion front and center in our priorities, as we go forward.
Since I am the World Bank’s Country Director for Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi, and having worked in many other parts of the world, I know that Uganda is not alone in facing new challenges and opportunities for social inclusion. Recent World Bank reports on youth employment and on land issues in Sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, emphasize the fact that social inclusion is central to addressing these complex problems of our time. We are well aware that a focus on poverty alone will not take us to the next stage of development. We also have to focus on shared prosperity; and these are the two goals of the World Bank.
We also cannot address social inclusion unless we learn from each other and a global report like “Inclusion Matters” makes an invaluable contribution to that learning agenda.
This report is the first of its kind for the World Bank Group and it is one of the most comprehensive reviews of these issues available, anywhere. “Inclusion Matters” underscores the fact that policy is critical in moving countries towards social inclusion. It is a timely nudge to collectively think differently about growth and social inclusion. At the World Bank Group we have realized that confronting the need for social inclusion will prove vital if we are to meet our goal of building shared prosperity for all people.
Uganda is on the right track to addressing social inclusion, but this is just the beginning. Let’s keep working together towards building inclusive development in Uganda and the entire region.
