Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy for Human Rights in Uganda Project/Action officially Launched.

By Communications Officer

The National coalition of Human Rights Defenders Uganda (NCHRD-U) together with Danish Church Aid (DCA) and Witness Radio Uganda have officially launched a 36-month joint project titled “Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy for Human Rights in Uganda.” The three years (November 2023- November 2026) project will be funded by European Union with support from Danida.

The main objective of this project is to hold the private sector and government accountable in the respect, protection and promotion of the right to a clean and healthy environment as provided for under Article 39 of the Constitution. This will be improved through improved monitoring, documentation and reporting of environmental issues while using the same for evidence-based advocacy. This will promote the protection, respect for rights, and enable access to an effective remedy, where violations or abuses occur, more specifically in the Mid-Western and Karamoja sub-regions of Uganda where private sector actors are increasingly involved in land-based investments (LBIs).

While at the launch of the project today at Mt Moroto Hotel in Moroto District, Mr. George William Wopuwa, the RDC of Moroto District expressed serious concerns about land issues in Karamoja sub region due to the mineral exploration in the area but also pledged full government support in implementing the project. “The big issue we have as Karamoja sub region is land and water since the population is always increasing and discovery of minerals in the area. I want to thank the European Union, the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders Uganda and other partners for allowing to launch and implement such a good project in our area. I pledge full government support to see that this project is a success” he said.

Hon. David Karyang, the Moroto District Chairperson cautioned the elites of Karamoja sub region for owning big pieces of land at the expense of the local communities and rallied them to work jointly in achieving the sustainable development goal of saving lives especially in line of human rights issues.

According to a report on land evictions during the COVID19 lock down by Resources Rights Africa (RRA) of 2022, there was massive land evictions of communities in Kiryandongo, Kikuube, Mubende and Moroto. Data indicates that over 60% of land in Karamoja is under mineral concessions for national and international investors. Women, girls and children alongside other marginalized groups face disproportionate negative impacts in contexts where there is limited, or no corporate and government accountability, creating intersectional inequalities. Communities have little leverage to challenge investors or to advocate for their rights and favorable conditions for local development in the face of mineral resource exploitation. This project will work towards monitoring, documenting and reporting these violations for accountability, mitigating the risks to land and environmental defenders by ensuring effective response and support where the threat may not be fully avoided and promoting a multistakeholder approach to addressing these challenges.

“NCHRD-U and DCA teams together with Karamoja HRDs posing for a photo with Mr. George William Wopuwa, the RDC of Moroto District (seated third from left)

The project is organized into four activity packages which include; enhancing the capacity and skills of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) ie; Land and Environmental Defenders (LEDs) in monitoring, documentation, reporting, and protection. Secondly, establishing and reinforcing reporting and documentation mechanisms for advocacy and demand for corporate and government accountability. Thirdly, providing response and support to HRDs and marginalized communities. Lastly facilitating collaboration and multistakeholder engagements that link local and national issues to national and international frameworks and spaces. These interventions will ensure that land and environmental defenders have access to information and mechanisms for improved monitoring and reporting of land and environmental human rights cases and violations, as well as increased capacity and collaboration for more effective documentation and research of these cases and violations.

This will be implemented in the Mid-Western sub-region in the districts of; Bulisa, Hoima, Masindi, Kiryandongo, Kikuube, Kagadi, Kibale and Mubende. Karamoja sub-region in the districts of Moroto, Napak, Nakapiripirit, Amudat, Nabilatuk, Abim, Kaabong, Kotido and Karenga.

The launch was well attended by state and non-state actors who included; The office of the Presidency Moroto district, the Moroto district chairperson, representative of the Chief Administrative Officer Moroto district, Uganda Human Rights Commission Moroto regional office, Uganda Law Society Moroto office, consortium partners, human rights defenders from Karamoja sub region and the media.