President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Tuesday the 28th of February 2023 while in South Africa for a state visit on the invitation of President Cyril Ramaphosa explained why Uganda doesn’t need the United Nations Human Rights (UNHR) office.
The President was addressing media on pertinent issues and when asked about why the Ugandan government closed offices of UNHR. He explained that it was no longer necessary to have them in Uganda.
“Having the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) and the United Nations Human Rights offices was confusing because people would not know exactly where to run to so it was important to close the United Nations office and only maintain the UHRC,”President Museveni stated.
The President added that there are many countries in the world that need the services of UNHR stating that could go there and be helpful.
“Uganda is capable of handling its own human rights cases, in fact we have several institutions mandated to do that job,” he stated.
The government in a letter dated February 3 said that due to the prevailing peace throughout the country, coupled with strong national human rights institutions and a vibrant civil society with the capacity to monitor, promote and protect human rights in Uganda, it will not renew the mandate of the office.
The Kampala office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights was established in 2006 to focus on the human rights situation in conflict affected areas in north and eastern Uganda but was later expanded to the rest of the country.
The Ugandan government says after the Kampala office is closed, it will continue its cooperation with U.N. human rights officials through their headquarters or their permanent mission in Geneva.
