We Effect at the UN to share views on rights in Uganda

In November Uganda’s human rights record will be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council. We Effect and partners have been to Geneva to notice the UN and other stakeholder on the rights issues we see on the ground.

The major human rights issues in Uganda will be brought up by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) at the upcoming Universal Periodic Review of the Ugandan Government in Geneva 3 November 2016.

To pave way for improvements We Effect together with the member organisations Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE) and the National Association of Women’s Organisations in Uganda (NAWOU) attended the UPR Pre-session held in Geneva 4-7 October 2016.

In March earlier this year We Effect’s regional office in Eastern Africa and eleven Ugandan partners submitted a report to the UN on human right issues we recognize in our work in Uganda. The aim with the report is to support the realization of human rights for We Effect’s target groups in Uganda. Together with other testimonies from the civil society the report lays the basis for “other relevant stakeholders’ information” used as undelay by the UNHRC.

The purpose of attending the Pre-session was to lobby states to raise “our” issues at the upcoming review in November. The concerns on forceful evictions, violation of land rights, lack of access to financial services, food insecurity and discrimination of women were shared with government representatives from Canada, Norway, United States and Czech Republic.  The team from We Effect, UNFFE and NAWOU also shared specific recommendations on what can be done to improve the situation. A written advocacy paper was also shared with representatives from Belgium, Ireland, Sweden and Netherlands.

The joint report on Uganda was submitted on behalf of the following civil society organisations:

Action for Development (ACFODE)
National Association of Women Organisations in Uganda (NAWOU)
Okoro Coffee Growers’ Cooperative Union Ltd (OCGCU)
Shelter and Settlements Alternatives: Ugandan Human, Settlements Network (SSA)
Teso Tropical Fruit Cooperative Union Ltd (TEFCU)
Uganda Cooperative Alliance (UCA)
Uganda Central Co-operative Financial Services LTD (UCCFS)
Uganda Crane Creameries Cooperative Union (UCCCU)
Uganda Housing Cooperative Union (UHOCU)
Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE)
West Acholi Cooperative Union (WACU)
We Effect