Olara A. Otunnu (born 6 September 1950)[1][2] is aUgandan politician, diplomat, and lawyer. He was President of theUganda People's Congress (UPC), a political party, from 2010 to 2015 and stood as the party's candidate in the2011 presidential election.[3] Otunnu was Uganda'sPermanent Representative to the United Nations from 1980 to 1985 and served asMinister of Foreign Affairs from 1985 to 1986. Later, he was President of theInternational Peace Academy from 1990[4] to 1998,[5] and anUnder-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict from 1997[4] to 2005.[6]
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Otunnu was born in Mucwini, among theAcholi people ofnorthern Uganda. His father was a key leader in theEast African Revival movement.
He received his early education at Mvara, Mucwini, andAnaka Primary schools. He received his secondary education at Gulu High School andKing's College Budo.[7] He then attendedMakerere University, where he was president of the Students' Guild.[8] Throughout his time as a student, he played an integral role leading the resistance movement against theIdi Amin regime, co-founding and serving as Secretary General of the Uganda Freedom Union, an organization that brought a number of patriotic Ugandans together in the struggle against Amin. Facing increasing threats from the government, Otunnu was forced into exile in 1973, evading arrest and escaping the country intoNairobi, Kenya.[8] There, he received an Overseas Scholarship to attendOxford University.[8] In 1976, he attendedHarvard Law School under aFulbright Scholarship.[9]
From 1980 to 1985, Otunnu served as Uganda's representative at theUnited Nations. In 1980, he was appointed Uganda's permanent representative at the UN by PresidentMilton Obote.[8] During this period, he served in a variety of major roles. In 1981, he was named president of theUN Security Council, where he presided over the election ofSecretary GeneralJavier Pérez de Cuéllar and invented the system of straw balloting commonly known as theOtunnu Formula still in use today.[10] From 1982 to 1983, he served as Vice President of theUN General Assembly, as well as Chairman of the Contact Group on Global Negotiations. The following year he worked as the Chairman of theUN Commission on Human Rights.
From 1985-1986, Otunnu served as Uganda's Minister of Foreign Affairs, and played a critical role in orchestrating theNairobi Agreement of December 1985.[4]
Otunnu was appointed President of theInternational Peace Institute in 1990, and served in that role until 1998, transforming the profile of the organization, attracting major new funding, and expanding its operations.[11]
Otunnu was appointed by United Nations Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan asUnder-Secretary General and Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict on 19 August 1997, taking office on 1 September 1997.[4]
Otunnu ran in 2010 to succeedMiria Obote, wife of former PresidentMilton Obote, as president of the UPC. On 14 May, he defeated her son, Jimmy Akena, at a UPC delegates conference.[3] UPC nominated him in November 2010 as its presidential candidate.[3] On election day in 2011, however, he refused to vote, even for himself.[3] He received 1.58 percent of the vote.[12]
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Otunnu has received several major international awards, including the Distinguished Service Award from theUnited Nations Association of the United States of America (2001);German Africa Prize (2002);[13] theSydney Peace Prize (2005); and the Global Award for Outstanding Contribution to Human Rights (India, 2006).[4] In 2007, he received the Harvard Law School Association Award, presented[14] by its president[15] Jay H. Hebert andElena Kagan (anAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States).[16]
Otunnu serves a variety of advisory roles at an array of civic organizations, including: trustee at theAspen Institute, juror at theMcNulty Foundation, adviser to Aspen France, Aspen Italia, theCarnegie Endowment for International Peace, theCarnegie Corporation of New York, the Hilton Humanitarian Prize, the International Selection Commission of thePhiladelphia Liberty Medal, theInternational Crisis Group (ICG), the Council of African Advisers of theWorld Bank, the Advisory Committee of theStockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), and founder of the LBL Foundation for Children.[4][10]