After decades of indirect engagement in various multilateral forums, Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal and Republic of Uganda formally established diplomatic relations on June 12, 2017, through a joint communiqué signed at the United Nations (UN) in New York. Though, the two nations have been long engaged through various international platforms like Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Group of 77 (G77), its high time to review the need of Nepal to engage with African nations also due to increasing Nepali migrant workers outflow to the region.

This policy brief examines the evolution, present dynamics, and challenges of Nepal-Uganda relations, offering policy directions for strengthening trade diversification, examining new areas of cooperation, and fostering development partnerships in areas such as tourism, renewable energy, and agricultural products including coffee. It also evaluates the historical genesis, current economic and diplomatic state, and the future trajectory of Nepal-Uganda relations, emphasizing the shift from symbolic multilateralism to functional bilateralism.

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