The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, expressed in a press release on Friday his deep regret at the closure of his office created in 2005 in Uganda, after the government’s decision to Kampala not to renew the Host Country Agreement, according to the UN Information Service.
The Kampala office is scheduled to officially cease operations this Saturday, August 5, while the sub-offices in Gulu and Moroto closed on June 30 and July 31 respectively.
In February, the Ugandan government decided to end the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the national territory. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and human rights defenders denounced the decision and called for it to be reversed, according to media reports.
“I regret that our office in Uganda had to close after 18 years, during which we were able to work closely with civil society, people from all walks of life in Uganda, as well as state institutions for the promotion and protection of the human rights of all Ugandans,” said Volker Türk.
The official expressed particular concern over the human rights situation in Uganda, given the elections scheduled for 2026 and the increasingly hostile environment in which human rights defenders, civil society actors and journalists.
He pointed out that most of the 54 NGOs arbitrarily suspended in August 2021 have still not resumed their activities.
The High Commissioner called on the government to ensure that the Uganda Human Rights Commission can function effectively and independently as the main human rights monitoring body in the country.
“The Commission, our long-standing partner in the protection and promotion of human rights in the country, suffers from a chronic lack of funds and personnel, and reports of political interference in its mandate undermine its legitimacy, independence and impartiality,” he said.
And to insist, « I urge the Ugandan government to provide the Commission with adequate human, technical and financial resources so that it can discharge its important mandate more effectively ».
By OMA Newsletter N° 1277 of 05/08/2023
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
Valuing human potential
The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
Inter-African integration
