Cabinet has approved Uganda’s national report for the fourth cycle of the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR), ahead of its official submission to the UN Human Rights Council through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Minister for ICT and National Guidance, Justine Kasule Lumumba announced that while the report highlights major strides in strengthening domestic human rights protections, it also transparently outlines ongoing structural challenges.
“Our responsibility is to build on the progress made and address the gaps that remain,” Minister Lumumba stated, emphasizing that Cabinet approval does not mean all human rights hurdles have been cleared, but rather serves as an honest account for international peer review.
In tandem with the upcoming UN review, the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) conducted an intensive training workshop on the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) to planning and service delivery for senior officials across various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
The high-level training equipped state duty-bearers with the practical tools necessary to integrate human rights principles into everyday public service and national development planning.
Speaking on behalf of Acting Secretary Kamadi Byonabye, Ms. Rosemary Kemigisha explained the underlying philosophy of the framework: “The Human Rights-Based Approach places people at the center of development by empowering individuals and communities as rights holders to understand and claim their rights. At the same time, it strengthens the capacity and accountability of duty bearers, particularly the State and its institutions, to respect, protect, and fulfill those human rights.”
Led by human rights experts and chaired by Ms. Sarah Nakhumitsa (Director of Regional Services), the gathering also aimed to co-develop a standardized HRBA tool to evaluate future MDA performance nationwide.
The strategy session brought together top leadership from across Uganda’s governance spectrum:
Education and Sports; Foreign Affairs; Gender, Labour and Social Development; Justice and Constitutional Affairs; Health; Energy and Mineral Development; Lands, Housing and Urban Development; Internal Affairs.
National Planning Authority (NPA); Uganda Police Force (UPF); Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB); National Environment Management Authority (NEMA); Uganda Communications Commission (UCC); Uganda Law Reform Commission (ULRC); National Information Technology Authority (NITA-U); Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS).
