Five organisations raise rights concerns ahead of Uganda’s UN review
Five human rights organisations have jointly submitted information to Uganda’s fourth Universal Periodic Review, citing concerns over civic space, security-force accountability, electoral freedoms, expression, and discrimination.
Uganda is preparing for its fourth UN Universal Periodic Review, with a joint submission from the Robert and Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center, Committee to Protect Journalists, Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, Amnesty International, and Stanford Law School’s International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic.
The submission examines Uganda’s record under international human rights law, focusing on civic space, the conduct of security agencies, electoral freedoms, freedom of expression, and non-discrimination. It also sets out recommendations for addressing the identified violations.
The organisations say the human rights situation has deteriorated since Uganda’s previous UPR cycle in 2022. They point to attacks on civil society, arrests of human rights defenders and journalists, media closures, arrests of political opposition figures, the trial of civilians in military courts, and reports of torture and other ill-treatment.
The submission also highlights legislation that the organisations say restricts fundamental rights and freedoms. These include the Anti-Homosexuality Act, the NGO (Amendment) Act 2024, the Public Order Management Act, the Anti-Money Laundering Act, and the Protection of Sovereignty Act 2026.
According to the submission, the laws contain broad, vague, and repressive provisions affecting freedom of association and peaceful assembly, freedom of expression and the press, and political participation. LGBTIQ+ people, political opposition, human rights defenders, and civil society have been particularly affected, the organisations said.
The organisations also note that during Uganda’s third UPR cycle in 2022, the government did not accept a number of recommendations concerning civic space and fundamental rights. These included recommendations on bringing restrictive laws into line with international standards, addressing attacks on journalists and human rights defenders, decriminalising same-sex relationships, and investigating unlawful use of force by security forces.
A copy of the full submission can be accessed here.
