KAMPALA – The United Nations Women has barred the delegate from Uganda that was scheduled to attend the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women due to the outbreak of coronavirus across the globe.
The cancellation was revealed by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga who informed Parliament that the global body has decided to hold a one-day event on March 9 so delegations in New York can adopt a draft political declaration commemorating the 25th anniversary of the U.N. conference in Beijing that adopted a wide-ranging plan to achieve equality for women.
“Due to the situation of coronavirus, the United Nations has cancelled the meeting on status of women which happens every year in New York, so for this year, we shall be represented by our permanent representative there, all countries have been advised not to travel,” said Speaker Kadaga.
The meeting had been scheduled for 9th- 20th of March and during her communication during today’s plenary sitting, the Speaker said that Uganda will be represented by its permanent representatives in New York as all countries have been advised not to travel.
Information from UN Women indicates that the conference was scheduled to discuss issues pertaining promoting equality and women’s empowerment.
The deadly coronavirus was first reported in January from Wuhan-China and has so far affected more than 60 nations with more than 3,000 deaths mostly in China and in Africa; Nigeria, Algeria and Senegal have each reported cases although all these were brought to the continent by foreigners.
Uganda which has had a history of deadly viruses like ebola is on high alert, with 500 cases of people having been quarantined by the Ministry of Health.
In her communication, the Speaker also announced that The Uganda Red Cross Society Bill that has been under consideration in the Committee of Gender, Labour and Social Development, has been referred to the committee of Presidential Affairs after realizing that there were some contents of the bill which fell across different ministries.
