Francis K. Butagira

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Francis K. Butagira (born on 22 November 1942 in Bugamba, Mbarara, Uganda) is currently the Permanent Representative (or Ambassador) to the United Nations from Uganda.

[edit] Education

Mr. Butagira was educated at the University of Dar es Salaam, Harvard University and the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies.

[edit] Diplomatic activities

Mr. Butagira became the Permanent Representative in July 2003 after serving from 2000 as the mediator in Sudanese peace talks sponsored by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). In 1999, he led a team of Ugandan negotiators in talks leading to the establishment of the East African Community. He served in Nairobi as Uganda's High Commissioner and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT). In 1998, he was Uganda’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Addis Ababa.

Prior to his diplomatic assignments, he was Chairman of the Legal and Security Affairs Committee in the National Assembly of Uganda from 1989 to 1996. He was a Member of Parliament between 1980 and 1985, and from 1981 to 1983, he served as President of the Joint Assembly of the European Economic Community and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (EEC/ACP).

He was a member of the National Consultative Council from 1979 to 1980 and a High Court judge between 1974 and 1979. In 1974, he was Chief Magistrate of Mbarara, and in 1973, of the Buganda Road Law Courts. He headed the Law Department at the Law Development Centre in 1969 and 1970, lectured in Law at the Nsamizi Law School in 1968 and served as State Attorney for the Ugandan Ministry of Justice in 1967.