The UN Human Rights Communion in Uganda has ceased all operations and abandoned the country. This come just a day after President Yoweri Museveni signed the anti-LGBTQ+law with a death penalty for same sex act.
The office was initially established in Uganda in July 2005 with a primary focus on monitoring and addressing human rights issues in the conflict-affected regions of northern and north-eastern Uganda.
On February 6, 2023, the OHCHR received a note verbale from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dated February 3, 2023, informing them of the government’s decision not to renew the Host Country Agreement for the office in Uganda. In response to this decision, the UN Human Rights Office announced its closure and stated that it had made the necessary arrangements to conclude its presence in Uganda by August 5, 2023.
Through their Facebook page, they posted "#Uganda: We are appalled that draconian and discriminary anti-gay is now law. It's a recipe for systematic violation of the rights of LGBT people and wider population. It conflicts the constitution and international treaties and inquires urgent judicial review.
During a stocktaking meeting with UN human rights partners at Ndere Recreation Centre in Ntinda, Kampala, Ruth Ssekindi, the director for monitoring and inspections at the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), represented the commission chairperson, Mariam Wangadya. Ssekindi expressed gratitude for the longstanding partnership and friendship between UHRC and OHCHR, highlighting the latter’s professionalism, dedication, and collegiality over the years. She noted that OHCHR had been invited to Uganda at a critical time when the country was recovering from the effects of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) war, and their collaboration had been invaluable.
Ssekindi also acknowledged the challenging nature of human rights work, emphasizing that the field has grown increasingly complex, requiring continuous knowledge upgrading. She credited OHCHR for their assistance in enhancing the capacity of UHRC staff in addressing emerging human rights issues.
