HRCU WEEKLY UPDATE: ISSUE NO.10 OF 2023
THE HUMAN RIGHTS
CENTRE UGANDA (HRCU)
WEEKLY UPDATE ON KEY
EMERGING HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES WITHIN THE WORKING ENVIROMENT OF HRDS IN UGANDA
THE WEEK OF 13TH
TO 19TH MARCH 2023
Dear
reader,
Welcome to
this new week!
We
begin off this week with a reminder that human rights are natural ENTITLEMENTS
that belong or accrue to all of us by reason of being human. They are
fundamental values that ensure the dignity, equality, and freedom of every
individual, regardless of their race, gender, religion, or any other
characteristic. HRDs in Uganda, face significant challenges and risks,
including harassment, intimidation, and violence. This is due in part to the
country's restrictive legal and political environment, which places limits on
freedom of expression, association, and assembly.
Despite
these challenges, human rights defenders in Uganda continue to play a vital
role in promoting and protecting human rights, including by advocating for the
rights of marginalized groups, documenting human rights abuses, and holding
government officials and other actors accountable for human rights violations.
Research
and documentation of emerging human rights issues play a critical role in
protecting human rights, promoting accountability, and preventing future
abuses. It is important that human rights organizations, HRDs, researchers, and
other stakeholders prioritize this work and ensure that it is carried out in a
rigorous and systematic manner.
UGANDA
STILL ON GREY LIST FOR FAILURE TO CURB MONEY LAUNDERING
Uganda is in the crosshairs of anti-money laundering
and terrorism financing agencies after failing to enforce regulations in the
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) sector and slow progress on the
prosecution of money laundering and corruption cases.
This has seen its capital; Kampala’s efforts
to exit the global grey list over the past three years fail.
“The global
Anti-Money Laundering/ Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) grey
list maintained by the Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) based in Paris,
consists of countries with significantly weak anti-money laundering and
terrorist financing enforcement regimes; that are prone to be blacklisted in
the international financial system in case of persistent compliance
shortcomings,” financial experts said.
A grey list status usually translates into
relatively high costs incurred on electronic financial transfers carried out by
commercial banks, huge costs on the processing of letters of credit, increased
transaction fees incurred on overseas remittances and reduced dollar inflows.
“Many NGOs in Uganda rarely comply with AML/CFT regulations because they
perceive themselves as low-risk entities. This explains why an NGO would
receive $3 million from a foreign donor and not declare it to the FIA,” Robert
Suuna, a consultant at the African Women's Development and Communication
Network (FEMNET), a Kenya-based NGO said.
HOMOSEXUALITY: WEST BUGANDA DIOCESE
DIRECTS CHURCH SCHOOLS TO SEEK APPROVAL ON EXTERNAL FUNDING
West Buganda Diocese has directed all head teachers
across Church founded schools to seek permission from the diocesan education
committee before approving any external funding in order to check
on the spread of homosexuality.
While addressing members of diocesan council, Church
of Uganda's West Buganda Bishop Rt. Rev Henry Katumba Tamale observed
that there are many ill minded elements that may hide behind extending
financial support to schools but with the intention of recruiting young
children into same-sex activities.
“Let all kinds
of support be scrutinized and I urge you to be observant because
homosexuality is not only done by foreigners. They have so far recruited
Ugandans who act as their agents and these may even be teachers whom you hire
to teach in our schools’’ he added at an event on March 13.
The pronouncement has come in time when allegations
of homosexuality in schools are on the increase.
Recently, parents stormed PMM Girls’ School in Jinja
City after a female teacher, Ms. Lydia Mukoda, was accused and arrested over promoting
lesbianism among students.
A CALL FOR THE
PROTECTION OF CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS: RIGHTS ACTIVISTS CALL FOR
DECENTRALISATION OF EC SERVICES
Government
has been asked to decentralize the Electoral Commission (EC) services at village
or regional level.
The
call has been made by Mr. Godber Tumushabe, an associate director at Great
Lakes Institute for Strategic Studies during a high-level National Dialogue on
Constitutional Affairs held in Kampala on Wednesday March 15, 2023.
Tumushabe
said that citizens should organize their own elections at regional level to
ensure more accountability.
The
national dialogue has attracted 100 key stakeholders in Uganda’s democratic
journey; including the Electoral Commission, Uganda Human Rights Commission,
Members of Parliament, political party representatives, academia, and election
observers, among others.
Running
under the theme, “Citizen sovereignty and the quest for credible free and fair
elections in Uganda”, it has been organised by the NGO Forum and supported by
USAID.
Source: https://www.kfm.co.ug/news/rights-activists-call-for-decentralisation-of-ec-services.html
A CALL FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST TORTURE: NATIONS FAILING TO INVESTIGATE TORTURE CASES, UN EXPERT SAYS
UN
rights experts have decried the failure by nations to investigate torture
cases.
A
UN independent expert has told the Human Rights Council that states must be
“primary responders” in torture cases, to end impunity and bring justice on
behalf of victims.
Alice
Edwards, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or
degrading treatment or punishment is concerned that the national duty to
investigate torture is alarmingly, universally, under-implemented.
Emphasizing
the importance of national proceedings, she says despite the impressive growth
in international criminal courts and tribunals and our collective commitment to
those entities, their capacity to deal with the scale and scope of torture
crimes being perpetrated today will never be enough.
The
report highlighted the main obstacles hindering full and prompt
investigations into allegations of torture, including institutional,
regulatory, political, and practical challenges.
In
Uganda, few incidents of torture and other ill-treatment are officially
reported, and, of those that do come to light, cases regularly collapse or are
withdrawn before a satisfactory conclusion.
Source:
https://www.kfm.co.ug/news/nations-failing-to-investigate-torture-cases-un-expert-says.html
CONCLUDING REMARKS
1.
Uganda
being on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has several
potential effects which among others may include reduced access to
international finance, hence making it difficult for Uganda to access
international finance. This is because banks and other financial institutions
may view Uganda as a higher risk country for money laundering and terrorist
financing, and may be hesitant to do business with Ugandan entities.
Additionally, Calls for increased compliance by NGOs in Uganda are likely
driven by concerns around money laundering, terrorist financing, and other
illicit activities that may be facilitated through non-profit organizations.
NGOs are often used as a channel for moving funds and resources across borders,
and in some cases, these funds may be used to finance illegal activities.
2.
The
high level dialogue held last week by the Uganda National NGO Forum is long
waited discussion. Decentralization of election activities in Uganda can help
to improve the quality and credibility of the electoral process, increase
participation and accountability, and promote greater efficiency and
effectiveness. This can also increase the enjoyment of political rights.
3.
There
is a continued need to speak out against acts of torture in Uganda, as torture
is a serious human rights violation that can have long-lasting physical and
psychological effects on its victims. Torture is explicitly prohibited under
international law, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment, both of which Uganda has ratified. Despite this, reports of torture
and other forms of ill-treatment by security forces and other state actors in
Uganda are still common and hence, speaking out against acts of torture in
Uganda is crucial for protecting human rights, promoting accountability, and
ensuring that victims of torture receive the support they need to recover from
its dire effects.
4.
The
work of HRDs remains essential
for promoting social justice, reducing inequality, and creating a more just and
equitable society. Without their efforts, many human rights abuses and
violations would go unnoticed and unaddressed, and the most vulnerable members
of society would be at even greater risk of exploitation and abuse. Therefore,
their work must be supported and protected.
Thank you for reading.
Happy new week
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