On 30 March 2023, the Ugandan Parliament’s Delegation led by Honourable Thomas Tayebwa, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament and comprised of the Chairmen of several Committees and members of the Parliament, visited the Energy Charter Secretariat (ECS) to meet with the Secretary-General, Mr Guy Lentz and the Deputy Secretary-General, Ms Atsuko Hirose. Several ECS staff members also participated in the meeting.

The Secretary-General updated the Deputy Speaker on recent developments, including the modernisation of the Energy Charter Treaty, and presented the main streams of the Secretariat’s work.  In turn, the Deputy Speaker and the members of the Delegation shared their views on pathways for the economic and social development of the country in general and the improvement of the energy sector in particular.

The parties discussed the potential involvement of Uganda in ongoing and future projects of the Secretariat. The Secretary-General and Mr Tayebwa agreed to enhance cooperation between the Government of Uganda and the Secretariat, including considering proposals for joint activities and exploring various areas of cooperation.

In 2015, Uganda signed the International  Energy Charter political declaration and became an Observer of the Energy Charter Conference. Uganda participated in all editions of the Energy Investment Risk Assessment (EIRA), the Secretariat’s flagship publication since its initial official launch in 2018. The EIRA report aims to assist governments in identifying and reducing legal and regulatory risks to investments in the energy sector. Recognising the value of this report, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development of Uganda has confirmed its participation in the EIRA assessment in 2023.