Uganda has signed a Host Country Agreement with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to establish a permanent office in Kampala.
The pact was signed on August 18, 2026, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Kampala.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Adonia Ayebare, signed on behalf of the Ugandan government, while UNODC Regional Representative for Eastern Africa, Mr. Ali Farouk Elbereir, signed for the UN agency.
The Kampala establishment is projected to become one of UNODC’s three largest offices globally, reflecting Uganda’s regional stability and strategic positioning.
The office will focus on combating transnational organized crime, including wildlife trafficking, human smuggling, cybercrime, money laundering, and corruption.
During the signing ceremony, the two sides discussed leveraging Uganda’s chairmanship of the Khartoum Process to strengthen regional cooperation on migration governance and crime prevention.
Hon. Ayebare noted that the partnership will boost institutional capacity and provide law enforcement agencies with critical tools to dismantle criminal cartels.
“Uganda is a team,” Hon. Ayebare stated, assuring the UN delegation of the government's full institutional backing.
Mr. Elbereir reaffirmed the UN agency's commitment to deepening operational ties with Uganda to neutralize cross-border illicit networks.