Kampala, 12th/Mar/2012; It is over
120 days since the Ugandan government voluntarily accepted and pledged to
implement 170 recommendations in the area of human rights during the review at
the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism (UPRM) in Geneva October 2011, but
Uganda still falls short of implementation.
The
Ugandan mission to Geneva was headed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs for
the11th/October/2011 review. Of the 170 recommendations, nothing has been done
or put in place so far to start improving the human rights situation in the
country.
The government particularly in the area of
press freedom pledged to investigate acts of Violence meted against journalists
and bring errant law enforcement officers to book, Repeal and amend all laws
that contravene with the constitution and international Conventions and
treaties among others, but not a single government committee or departments has
Been set-up to undertake these special assignments either in the police or
parliament.
Human
Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) notes with concern that government
has continued to sideline civil society organizations in the UPRM process as a
way to front ill Represented interests
from the period of validation of a national report to pre-adoption process Where
final decisions on the reserved recommendations has been decided on by a few
individuals in government. This has been
done with no consultations or substantive engagements with the various
stakeholders.
Ugandans
have not only remained largely ignorant of their rights and freedoms but also
the UPRM process. This action clearly shows how the government aims at keeping the
citizens less empowered in order not to demand for what is entitled to them in
regard to this process.
Although we have heard that that government
has drafted terms of reference for a consultant who is expected to be hired to
develop a National Action Plan for UPRM, the time frame within which to realize
such an initiative is still unknown.
The
Ugandan government has continued its on-slaughter on the work of the United
Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression when it roundly rejected
recommendations to admit the him into the country. Recommendations came
particularly from Canada and Latvia among others. The Ugandan government for
years has turned a deaf hear to numerous requests by the same office to be admitted
in order to assess the enjoyment of such freedoms.
The voices of reason and freedom of the press
continue to shrink and sink as well as voices by the political activists to be silenced
and activities brutally dispersed by the police and other security agencies.
Uganda has dropped 43 places to 139 of all the
170 countries in the world that were assessed by an international body
Reporters without Boarders. And a recent human rights report the Press Freedom
Index (PFI) released by local journalists’ human rights body summed up the
press freedom and the media as Shrinking and sinking due to increasing attacks
on journalists and the high level of impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators who
are mainly the security agents.
The working environment for Non-Government
Organizations (NGO) is becoming frail and rights and freedoms including the
right to privacy are being clamped down with impunity despite the country
facing an international scrutiny.
“The
UPRM process should be for all Ugandans and not a preserve of a few people who
are again in-control and managing country resources and drafting policies and
laws. The process is intended to improve human rights situation for all
Ugandans despite the fact that the government is reporting to the United
Nations human Rights Council. It is the responsibility of government to ensure
that all rights and freedoms are fully enjoyment. Uganda should be mindful of
examples it is setting as a member of the human rights council of the United
Nations.” Noted the HRNJ-Uganda Programme Coordinator Wokulira Ssebaggala.
He stressed the importance of exerting more pressure
on the government to accept all recommendations that were put to it because
they are expected to improve the enjoyment of rights and freedoms in the
country.HRNJ-Uganda calls upon the UN member states to remind the Ugandan
government of its obligation of upholding human rights and undertake
all-inclusive approach to involve CSOs and citizens in this process as a way of
improving the general human situation in the country.
For More
Information Contact;
Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda
(HRNJ-Uganda)
Kivebulaya Road Mengo Kampala Opp. St.
Marcelino Pre. School
P.O.BOX. 71314 Clock Tower Kampala
Tel: +256-414-272934 / +256-414-667627
E-mail: news@hrnjuganda.org
humanrajournalists@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.hrnjuganda.org
BLOG: http://hrnjuganda.blogpost.com
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