As Uganda embarks on a transformative journey to strengthen human rights, a key focus has emerged educating young people about their rights and responsibilities, embedding human rights in schools, workplaces, and communities, and ensuring that respect for rights becomes an integral part of the national identity.
This commitment was emphasized at the National Stakeholder Consultative Conference on the National Action Plan on Human Rights (NAP-HR) held from February 20th to 21st, 2025, at Golf View Hotel, Entebbe.
Speaking at the conference, Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) Chairperson Mariam Wangadya highlighted human rights’ critical role in national development. “This is not just another meeting—it is a defining moment for Uganda’s human rights journey. We are here to take stock of our progress, confront challenges, and set a clear course for the future,” she remarked.
Wangadya described the NAP-HR as Uganda’s blueprint for integrating human rights into governance, development, and daily life. The plan aligns with Vision 2040, the National Development Plan, and regional and international treaties. Despite Uganda pledging to develop this plan during its first Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in 2011, the process stalled for over a decade.
“The UHRC played a central role in reviving and accelerating the process by working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and later the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. After years of advocacy, the Commission has finally validated a plan to reshape Uganda’s human rights landscape,” she said.
“The NAP-HR is not just for policymakers—it is for every Ugandan,” Wangadya stressed. The plan aims to ensure that human rights are embedded in governance, economic policies, and social structures. She emphasized the need to prioritize minority communities, indigenous groups, and marginalized populations to make human rights accessible to all.
“Discrimination must end. Equal access to justice, education, healthcare, and economic opportunities must be a reality for everyone,” she urged. Strengthening legal aid is crucial in this endeavor so that all Ugandans, regardless of status, have access to legal protection and redress.
She however emphasized that the success of the NAP-HR does not rest on one institution alone. Wangadya called for collective responsibility from all sectors. “The government must allocate adequate resources for implementation. Without funding, a plan like this only remains words on paper,” she warned.
She urged civil society organizations, academia, and the media to track progress, amplify marginalized voices, and hold duty-bearers accountable. The private sector, she said, must integrate human rights into corporate policies and business practices. “Respecting rights is not just good ethics it is good business,” she noted.
Most importantly, every Ugandan must play an active role. “We need a culture of human rights. That means educating young people about their rights and responsibilities, embedding human rights in schools, workplaces, and communities, and ensuring that respect for rights is part of our national identity,” she said.
Wangadya acknowledged that laws and policies alone will not transform Uganda. What is needed is a cultural shift where human rights are ingrained in every aspect of society.
“This is not an impossible dream. We know of countries that once struggled with human rights and have now turned their situations around. We too can do the same if we stay committed. We are optimistic that together, we can make Uganda a nation where human rights are not a privilege for a few but a reality for all,” Wangadya asserted.
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