Uganda is one of the 18 Belgian Bilateral partner countries. The Belgian Bilateral Cooperation started in Uganda in 1995 with the signing of an MoU, containing projects in the transport and telecommunications sectors and institutional capacity building of local governments. The first General Convention was signed by the two Governments on the 1st February of 2005. A first ‘Indicative Development Cooperation Program’ (IDCP 2005-2008), was followed by a second IDCP (2008-2012) which was signed on the 5th of November 2008. A third IDCP (2012-2016) was signed by H.E. M. Kiwanuka, Minister of Finance and Mr. P. Moors, Director DGD on the 5th of April 2012.
The new cooperation program contributes to the realization of the PEAP (Poverty Eradication Action Plan, 2004-09), the NDP (National Development Plan, 2010-15) and targets of the MDGs (Millenium Development Goals) in Uganda.
1. Belgian Bilateral Cooperation projects and programs are implemented by the Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC). According to the Paris declaration and the local division of labor, the actual program is focusing on technical & professional education and on primary health care. The total budget (2009-2016) is 138 mio Euro (64 + 64 + 10) from which a significant part will we realized trough budget support (20 + 12 mio Euro in health sector and 12 + 14 mio Euro in education sector). The conditions for the incentative tranche will be worked out in a later stadium.
Several projects will complete the budget support : (1) Institutional Capacity Building in the Health Sector – in execution – 6,5 mio Euro (with delegated cooperation of Sida/Sweden) and (2) teacher training in the educational sector – in execution – 17.5 mio Euro, 8 mio Euro in BTVET-subsector en 8 mio Euro in PNFP-health –subsector. A delegated cooperation – 3 mio Euro – is under investigation in the environmental sector with FAO as a potential executor. 3 mio Euro will be added to the actual « Study & Consultancy Fund ».
Besides the 2 concentration sector programs, other activities are on track :
· A delegated cooperation of 3 mio Euro with Danida/Denmark in the agro-industrial sector (U-growth/aBI, 2011-2013) ;
· A finishing annual scholarship program with a yearly 1 mio Euro grant ;
· A finishing micro projects’ program with a yearly 125.000 Euro budget ;
· Kasese Rural Integrated Development Program (2001-13) : This district in Western Uganda was supported between 2001-2008 with a budget of 5,9 mio Euro. A final second phase continued with a 4 mio Euro budget. The multi-sectoral program is integrated and implemented by the local authorities and the population at district and sub-county levels, using the local technical, financial and accountability procedures.
· Clean Development Mechanism Capacity Development Project de 2 mio Euro, 2011-13, The projecthas been initiated and is installed in the Climate Change Unit in the Ministry of Water & Environment. The Belgian Ministry of Encironment are giving technical backstopping to the project.
2. The Belgian Food Security Fund (ex-Belgian Survival Fund) focuses on increased food security in Sub-Saharan Africa. It can finance BTC, multilateral partners (IFAD, UNICEF, FAO and UNCDF) and fifteen Belgian program-NGOs for multi-sectoral projects. Currently the 3 projects in Uganda (UNICEF, TRAIS, VECO) are finishing. New proposals will be made as soon as Uganda will be eligible for new BFSF-funds which will not be before 2016.
3. Several Belgian NGOs co-operate with local partners in projects for rural development, water supply, health provision and capacity building in Hoima, Kibaale,Kyenjojo, Masaka, Mbarara Karamoja and at national level. These include TRIAS, VECO, PROTOS, Broederlijk Delen and Vétérinaires sans Frontières. Enfance TiersMonde is active in Kampala/Makindye and tries to reintegrate street children and vulnerable children of Kampala into society. The Red Cross/Flanders is realizing first aid strategies in Mbarara and organizes youth exchange among Ugandan & Belgian youths The total annual Belgian co-funding to Belgian NGOs in Uganda amounts to an average of more than 2 mio Euro.
4. VLIR has been involved in M&E-studies through the UA. The Institute of Tropical Medicine of Antwerp cooperates in health research with Makerere University, Institute of Public Health, and other private universities. VLIR, as an umbrella organization is actually organizing his first development programme in Uganda. UG, UA, KUL & several Flemish High Schools are active in the health and agriculture sector. Belgian communes & Flemish region finance punctual activities.
5. Support to Conflict Prevention, Peace Building and Promotion of Democracy is concretized through UN-agencies and private institutions (financed through our Ministry of Foreign Affairs - S3.1)
6. Humanitarian aid is given through FAO, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP and Memisa (Belgian NGO). The average yearly contribution is 1,2 mio Euro but is diminishing given the need for structural support in Uganda.
7. BIO (The Belgian Investment Organization) financed a project in Jinja (African Minerals Ltd.).
The annual Belgian ODA in Uganda is 11,5 mio Euro (average 2005 to 2008), increased to about 15.5 mio Euro in 2009 and 21,2 mio Euro in 2010, but decreased (temporarily ?) to 10,4 mio Euro in 2012. | 
