Meeting with human rights defenders

On Thursday 14 October around 25 human rights defenders (HRD) organisations/individuals met with representatives from the EU Delegation, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherland and The Royal Norwegian Embassy. The latter three form a focal group of states working on adapting the EU Guidelines on human rights defenders to the Ugandan context. The EU Guidelines are based on the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

As a member of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council, Norway is strongly committed to championing the human rights defenders agenda, as we have done for many years (read more on the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' webpage). Norway is in the process of revising its guidelines on human rights defenders and we are joining forces with others, like the EU and EU member states, where that possibility arises, like in Kampala. The focal group in Kampala (EU Delegation, the Netherlands and Norway) will be drafting a ”Local Implementation Strategy” that will focus on the specific situation for HRDs in Uganda and how diplomatic missions here can promote, support and protect HRDs in Uganda. Consultations with different stakeholders, including human rights defenders themselves and HRDs organizations are crucial. Some rural organizations were invited to include that perspective.  

The participants and conveners benefited greatly from the presence of United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mrs Margaret Sekaggya, who also leads the Uganda Human Rights Centre – an organisation that has recently been started up and focuses on HRDs in Uganda. Many views, suggestions and comments were made at the meeting, and we thank all those who participated at the meeting for their contributions and look forward to further cooperation on the future. The focal group will now continue work on the Local Implementation Strategy that will be launched and made public in due course. Concrete suggestion to the strategy are welcomed before 29th October – they can be sent to: Susan.ALEGRE@ec.europa.eu at the EU Mission and kam@minbuza.nl at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherland.