The Embassy of Uganda in Brussels, the capital of Belgium is home to over 200 embassies and consulates of various countries around the world.
- The establishment of the Ugandan Embassy in Brussels reflects the importance of Belgium as a key player in European and international affairs. The embassy was commissioned to strengthen Uganda’s diplomatic ties with the host country and to serve as a crucial platform for collaboration with the European Union and other international bodies. Over the years, the embassy has evolved to address the dynamic needs of Uganda’s foreign policy and to support Ugandan citizens residing in Europe.
- The embassy is dedicated to serving the needs of all Ugandan nationals residing within the embassy’s consular jurisdiction. The embassy has a consular jurisdiction in Brussels, Belgium where it’s located, Netherlands and Luxembourg. The embassy is also accredited by the European Union and the organization of African, Caribbean, and Pacific states.
- The embassy runs on a mission to provide consular services, support, and assistance to Ugandans with the utmost diligence and care. The embassy also strives to foster strong and mutually beneficial relations between Uganda and the host countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The embassy aims to promote diplomacy, trade, investment, tourism, and cultural exchange between nations. The embassy officials actively collaborate with local authorities, organizations, and individuals to strengthen these bonds and explore new opportunities for cooperation.
- The Embassy is committed to enhancing the well-being and protection of the citizens. The embassy provides consular assistance, including passport services, visa facilitation, and legal support.
- The embassy actively engages with the Ugandan diaspora through community activities, cultural events, and informative outreach programs. Furthermore, the Embassy represents Uganda’s interests and promotes Uganda’s policies and values within the diplomatic arena.
- Through public diplomacy initiatives, the embassy aims to showcase Uganda’s diverse beauty, rich heritage, and promising investment opportunities.
The Embassy’s Mandate: Promoting Uganda’s Interests
The Ugandan Embassy in Brussels is dedicated to serving the needs of Ugandan nationals residing within its consular jurisdiction. Its mission encompasses a broad spectrum of activities, such as:
The embassy provides essential consular services to Ugandan citizens, including passport renewals, visa facilitation, and legal support. The embassy strives to ensure the well-being and protection of Ugandans abroad, offering assistance in emergencies and navigating local systems.
The embassy also actively engages with the Ugandan diaspora through community activities, cultural events, and informative outreach programs. This fosters a sense of connection between Ugandans living in Europe and their homeland, promoting cultural exchange and strengthening ties.
The embassy also fosters strong and mutually beneficial relations between Uganda, the host country, and all her accredited countries and organizations.
The embassy actively collaborates with local authorities, organizations, and individuals to promote diplomacy, trade, investment, tourism, and cultural exchange.
The embassy in Brussels also enables Uganda to represent its interests and promote its policies and values within the European Union and the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, helping Uganda in advocating for Uganda’s priorities on the international stage.
Consular Services
The embassy offers a comprehensive range of consular services designed to assist Ugandan citizens residing or traveling within its jurisdiction. These services include:
Passport Services: Facilitating passport renewals and issuing new passports to Ugandan citizens.
Visa Facilitation: Processing visa applications for foreign nationals seeking to travel to Uganda.
Legal Support: Providing legal assistance and guidance to Ugandan citizens facing legal issues in the host countries.
Emergency Assistance: Offering support and assistance to Ugandan citizens in emergencies, such as accidents, illness, or loss of travel documents.
Mission and Strategic Objectives
The primary mission of the Embassy of Uganda in Brussels is to provide comprehensive consular services and support to Ugandan nationals within its jurisdiction, which includes Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
Countries Accredited to the Embassy of Uganda in Brussels
- Belgium: As the host country, Belgium is the primary focus of the embassy’s activities. The embassy manages Uganda’s bilateral relations with Belgium, focusing on political dialogue, economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, and consular services for Ugandan nationals in Belgium.
- The Netherlands: The Embassy of Uganda in Brussels is also accredited to the Netherlands. The embassy oversees diplomatic relations with the Netherlands, promoting trade and investment, development cooperation, and cultural ties. The embassy provides consular services to Ugandan nationals in the Netherlands and facilitates diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
- Luxembourg: The embassy is accredited to Luxembourg as well. It is responsible for managing Uganda’s diplomatic and consular relations with Luxembourg, which includes fostering economic cooperation, promoting cultural exchanges, and providing consular assistance to Ugandan citizens.
International Organizations Accredited to the Embassy of Uganda in Brussels
- The European Union (EU): The embassy represents Uganda’s interests to the European Union, which has its main institutions headquartered in Brussels. The embassy engages with various EU bodies, including the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union. The focus is on political dialogue, development cooperation, trade agreements, and other areas of mutual interest.
- African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States (ACP): The embassy also serves as Uganda’s representative to the ACP, an organization that facilitates cooperation between countries in Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the European Union. The embassy is involved in discussions and negotiations on trade, development aid, and other forms of cooperation between ACP member states and the EU.
Bilateral Relations between Uganda and Belgium
The Embassy of Uganda in Brussels is responsible for managing Uganda’s diplomatic relations not only with Belgium but also with several other countries and international organizations that it is accredited.
Uganda and Belgium have maintained a strong bilateral relationship over the years, marked by cooperation in political, economic, cultural, educational, and developmental areas. The Embassy of Uganda in Brussels and the Embassy of Belgium in Kampala facilitate these relations through various diplomatic engagements, development aid programs, trade initiatives, and cultural exchanges.
Uganda and Belgium maintain regular diplomatic dialogues to discuss mutual interests and concerns. These engagements often occur through high-level visits by government officials, diplomatic meetings, and participation in international forums. The dialogues typically cover topics such as peace and security, governance, democracy, human rights, and sustainable development. Both countries also collaborate on international platforms like the United Nations (UN) and the African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States (ACP). They often share common interests in promoting international peace, security, and development cooperation.
Belgium has been a significant development partner for Uganda. The Belgian development agency, Enabel, is actively involved in Uganda, providing development assistance focused on various sectors such as education, health, agriculture, and governance. These programs are aligned with Uganda’s national development goals and aim to improve social welfare, reduce poverty, and promote sustainable development.
The economic relationship between Uganda and Belgium includes trade in goods and services. Uganda exports products such as coffee, tea, flowers, fish, and minerals to Belgium, leveraging Belgium’s position as a gateway to European markets. Conversely, Uganda imports machinery, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and other goods from Belgium.
Belgium has investments in various sectors of Uganda’s economy, including agriculture, renewable energy, infrastructure, and services. Belgian companies are involved in projects that contribute to Uganda’s economic growth, job creation, and technological transfer.
Both countries engage in economic diplomacy to promote trade and investment. The Embassy of Uganda in Brussels and the Embassy of Belgium in Kampala actively work to create linkages between businesses, encourage trade missions, and participate in trade fairs and investment forums to explore mutual economic opportunities.
The bilateral relations between Uganda and Belgium are multi-faceted, involving political, economic, cultural, and developmental cooperation. These relations are fostered through diplomatic engagements, development aid programs, trade and investment initiatives, cultural exchanges, and collaborative efforts in international forums. The Embassy of Uganda in Brussels and the Embassy of Belgium in Kampala continue to play crucial roles in enhancing these bilateral ties, ensuring mutual benefits and a strong partnership between the two countries.
Uganda Embassy in Brussels Enhances Diaspora Engagement with Monthly Consular Outreach Programs in the Netherlands
- To strengthen ties with its citizens abroad and promote national development, the Embassy of Uganda in Brussels has launched a series of monthly consular outreach programs in the Netherlands.
- Although Uganda does not have a physical embassy in the Netherlands, the Ugandan Embassy in Brussels, Belgium, is accredited to serve Ugandans residing there. This arrangement allows the embassy to cater to the needs of Ugandan nationals within its consular jurisdiction, providing a range of essential services such as passport renewals, visa facilitation, and legal support. The embassy is committed to safeguarding the well-being of Ugandans abroad, offering assistance in emergencies, and helping them navigate local systems.
- The embassy is also mandated to engage with the Ugandan diaspora through community activities, cultural events, and informative outreach programs. These initiatives foster a sense of connection between Ugandans in Europe and their homeland, promoting cultural exchange and strengthening ties.
- The monthly consular outreach sessions that have been introduced by the Embassy of Uganda in Brussels have become a vital link for Ugandan citizens living in the Netherlands.
- For many Ugandan citizens residing in the Netherlands, these monthly consular outreach programs are set to provide them with access to essential services such as national ID registration, passport renewals, and document legalization. This initiative has been highly appreciated by the Ugandan community, who previously faced challenges in accessing these services from afar. Since they had to travel to Brussels Belgium to access these services.
- A key achievement of these consular programs is the registration of national IDs, which allows Ugandans in the diaspora to participate more actively in the nation’s development. By securing their national IDs, diaspora members can engage in various civic responsibilities and benefit from government programs, deepening their connection to Uganda and contributing to its growth. Also, facilitating passport renewals and document legalizations ensures that Ugandans abroad remain compliant with international regulations, simplifying their travel and professional endeavors.
- The consular outreach programs also offer a range of other services tailored to meet the unique needs of individual participants. By legalizing documents, the embassy helps Ugandans manage their legal affairs more effectively in a foreign country, whether for education, business, or personal reasons.
- These monthly sessions demonstrate the proactive stance of the Ugandan Embassy in Brussels and its dedication to fostering strong relationships with Ugandans abroad. They highlight the importance of a responsive and accessible foreign service in promoting national development and unity.
- With proper documentation and support, diaspora members can contribute more effectively to Uganda’s economic growth through remittances, investments, and the sharing of skills and knowledge. Additionally, these outreach programs help collect valuable data, enabling the government to better understand and support its citizens abroad. This, in turn, can inform more targeted and effective policies that benefit both the diaspora and the nation.
- Through its monthly consular outreach programs in the Netherlands, the Embassy of Uganda in Brussels has taken a significant step in enhancing the lives of Ugandans abroad. By providing essential services and fostering a sense of inclusion, Uganda is empowering its diaspora to contribute to a more inclusive and prosperous future.
Operational Aspects and Embassy Staff
The embassy is located at Avenue de Tervuren 317, 1150 Brussels, Belgium. And can be contacted through Tel: +32 472 89 24 05.
The embassy operates from Monday to Friday, with general office hours from 9:00 am to 12:45 pm and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
The consular section is open for applications from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm and for pick-up from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
Diplomatic Staff
- Her Excellency Ambassador Mirjam Blaak: Head of Mission.E.Mail: mirjam.blaak@ugandamission-benelux.org
- Mrs. Joyce B. Onek: CounsellorE-mail: jbonek@ugandamission-benelux.org
- Ms. Catherine Otiti: Minister CounsellorE-mail: cotiti@ugandamission-benelux.org
- Mrs. Jacqueline Wabyona Banana: First SecretaryE-mail: jacqueline.wabyona@ugandamission-benelux.org
- Ms. Lucy Kakwano: Consular OfficerE-mail: lkakwano@ugandamission-benelux.org
- Ms. Magaret Ichemu: Administrative AttachéE-mail: michemu@ugandamission-benelux.org