Govt Halts Operations Of UN Human Rights Offices In Uganda
The Uganda Government has terminated the operations of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Uganda.
In a letter dated February 3, 2023, the government says they will not be renewing the host country agreement signed with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Uganda when it expires.
“In that regard, given the strong government commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, the prevailing peace throughout the country coupled with strong national human right institutions and a vibrant civil society with the capacity to monitor the promotion and protection of human rights throughout the country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to convey government’s decision not to renew the mandate of the OHCHR country office in Uganda beyond the current term,” the letter reads in part.
This department of the United Nations Secretariat is mandated to promote and protect the enjoyment and full realization, by all people, of all rights established in the Charter of the United Nations and in international human rights laws and treaties. The office is also responsible for ensuring that human rights are incorporated into all work carried out by UN agencies.
Founded in 2006, as a response to the conflict in northern and northeastern Uganda the office renewed its services in 2009 and grew to cover the whole country and holistic approach to human rights issues.
The mandate for the Office was further expanded to include the establishment of a Regional Human Rights Training Centre in Uganda; to provide training activities on the international human rights system for Government officials of interested States in the region, as well as national human rights institutions and civil society organizations.
The office came to the limelight in the aftermath of the 2021 general election when military and police personnel clashed with a team of supporters of the National Unity Platform –NUP who were presenting a petition to the office over human rights violations in the country.
Aside from opposition supporters, another group that suffered gross human rights violations during this period were journalists who were beaten and injured in their pursuit of the news.
