Strengthening Human Rights in Uganda

projekt beendet

Point of Departure:Uganda ratified nine core treaties of the UN human rights system as well as the substantial African human rights treaties and conventions, but has so far only inadequately implemented them. A systematic integration of the human rights based approach in policy development, implementation, accountability and the monitoring by independant public institutions and informed citizens is still absent. Many people and especially women, people living with disabilities and ethnic, religious and sexual minorities are denied the realization of their rights. The work of human rights defenders and civil society organizations, that advocate for the rights of disadvantaged groups of the society or report about human rights violations, is often constrained.Non-governmental organizations and the media are neither able to report freely and adeqautely on discrimination and human rights violations, nor able to inform the citizens about ways to protect themselves and to claim their rights. The management of the National Planning Authority is committed to eliminate the shortcomings in the area of good governance and human rights which were mentioned in the African Peer Review Mechanism Report. However, it is still missing necessary capacities just like the two independent human rights commissions, UHRC and EOC, as well as the civil society actors and organizations.Outcome:Selected key stakeholders (NPA, EOC, UHRC), as well as other government institutions and selected civil society stakeholders, are in position to strengthen the human rights in their respective fields of work.Strategic Approach:To achieve this, the project pursues a multi-level approach consisting of strengthening the national framework, composed of selected state duty-bearers and non-governmental human rights organizations, strengthening of the two independent human rights commissions UHRC and EOC, and sensitization and support of the legal owners and civil society actors and organizations including independent media. Capacity development is an integral part of the action in all three fields of activity. A combined financing by DGF, which begun in the previous project, will be continued to support the EOC.Impact: (can be neglected for projects that started recently)Gender Equality:The supported human rights approach is based on the international UN-Conventions that Uganda ratified and that are accepted in the region. It considers particularly the undertaking of the UN Convention on Women’s Rights and the protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa. Gender related discrimination is dealt with in all three fields of activities. The political participation of women and a gender sensitive differentiation of the national and sector specific development plans are specifically supported by strengthening the human rights based approach within the planning processes.Participatory Development and Good Governance:As a result of the systematic consideration of human rights standards and principles in the planning process and the strengthening of essential human rights actors, the respect, protection and guarantee of human rights in Uganda are supported. The project contributes to the promotion of the rule of law and democracy on the level of indirect impact.Socio-economic Impact:It can be expected that an efficient, transparent, aim-oriented and harmonized development planning and the strengthening of human rights complaint mechanisms on national and sub-national level can cause a positive long-term indirect impact, also on the situation of the poor that are affected by discrimination and human rights violations.

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