Museveni to World Powers: Dump domination; embrace shared prosperity at NAM meeting
The NAM Midterm Review Meeting is expected to conclude on October 16 with discussions focused on implementing actionable outcomes from the 2024 Summit, particularly in areas like trade facilitation, technology transfer, and climate resilience.
President Yoweri Museveni, speaking on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, urged the global community to pivot away from ideological conflict and geopolitical domination, calling instead for a focus on “minimum mutually beneficial interests” centered on shared prosperity.
The President, who is the current Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), delivered the address while chairing the 19th Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of NAM, held at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala.
The meeting, running from October 13 to 16, serves as the Midterm Review following Uganda’s successful hosting of the 19th NAM Summit in January 2024.
Foreign Affairs Ministers from NAM’s 121 member states, along with representatives from the United Nations and the African Union, gathered under the banner: “Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence.”
Rejection of Hegemony
In his address, President Museveni warned that the pursuit of global control by any single power was futile and counterproductive. “Anybody who thinks they should control the world is wasting their time,” he declared, cautioning against the ambitions of “hegemonism.”
He lauded the foresight of the founding leaders of NAM in 1961, who chose neutrality during the Cold War. “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.”
President Museveni advised that the world’s priorities must shift to areas that unite rather than divide nations.
“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,” he stated.
“Where we don’t agree, let us act by good example and not coercion. If you think you are right, show it by doing things properly in your own country so that others learn from you.”
The Economic Case for Universal Prosperity
The Chairman used economic logic to dismiss fears of other nations’ development, arguing that global prosperity benefits everyone, including wealthy trading partners.
“I don’t see why anybody would worry that country X and B, and C have come out of poverty and are more prosperous. After all, if you want to do business, why do you want to do business with a poor man, a poor partner? How much will he buy from you?” Museveni posited. “Why don’t we want all our partners to be prosperous so that you can do better business?”
He cited the example of China’s massive industrial transformation, which he noted indirectly benefited developing nations like Uganda by making technology and materials, such as steel, more affordable globally.
Turning to Africa, President Museveni reiterated his long-held argument that increasing buying power across the continent is the key to global trade expansion.
“If Africa’s GDP per capita was $20,000, we would have a total GDP of about $30 trillion,” he explained. “That would not only make Africa richer but would benefit our trading partners because we would buy more from them.”
He urged NAM countries to prioritize industrialization, harnessing science, and developing human resources to enable this equitable global affluence.
Global South Unity and Support for NAM
The importance of NAM as a bridge between the developed and developing world was underscored by multilateral institution representatives present.
The representative of UN Secretary-General António Guterres congratulated Uganda for its successful stewardship, praising NAM’s crucial role in promoting dialogue, diplomacy, and South-South cooperation.
Ambassador Musa Mohamed Omar, representing the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, lauded Uganda’s leadership and emphasized the need for unity among the Global South.
He noted that countries benefiting from the current world order were actively defending an unfair status quo, necessitating coordinated efforts to reform global governance structures.
The NAM Midterm Review Meeting is expected to conclude on October 16 with discussions focused on implementing actionable outcomes from the 2024 Summit, particularly in areas like trade facilitation, technology transfer, and climate resilience.
About the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM): Founded in 1961, NAM is the second-largest grouping of countries after the United Nations, representing over 55% of the global population and two-thirds of UN member states. Its mandate is to promote peace, sovereignty, and cooperation among developing nations, maintaining independence from major power blocs.
