United Nations closes Uganda human rights office

Aug. 4 (UPI) -- The United Nations human rights watchdog said Friday it was pulling out of Uganda after almost two decades with the closure of its final remaining office in the country due to cease operations Saturday after the government withdrew permission.

U.N. Office for Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Turk said he was sorry but was left with no choice but to close the Kampala office after Uganda's government decided not to renew its "Host Country Agreement.

"I regret that our office in Uganda had to close after 18 years, during which we were able to work closely with civil society, people from various walks of life in Uganda, as well as engaging with State institutions for the promotion and protection of the human rights of all Ugandans," said Turk.

The announcement came after a sub-office in Gulo closed on June 30 and another in Moroto closed on Monday.

Turk cited progress since the office opened in 2005 in helping Uganda integrate "Sustainable Development Goals into its national planning frameworks" and bringing legislation in line with international human rights laws and standards as well as become only the second African country with a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.

"Much progress has been made in the country over the years, but serious human rights challenges remain in the path to full enjoyment of human rights for all," said Turk.

The Ugandan government, however, launched a crackdown in 2021 that saw 54 NGOs shut by the government and backtracking on international human rights treaties it has ratified, including in the passage of a "deeply discriminatory and harmful anti-homosexuality law, that is already having a negative impact on Ugandans," UNHCHR said.

Turk expressed particular concern about the human rights situation in the run-up to elections in 2026, given what he called the "increasingly hostile environment in which human rights defenders, civil society actors and journalists are operating."

He noted that most of the NGOs shuttered in August 2021 remained closed and said he was worried about amended computer misuse legislation that he feared might further curtail free speech.

Turk said the U.N. Human Rights office's commitment to working on human rights in Uganda remained unbowed. He urged the government to uphold its end of the bargain by adequately resourcing the "chronically under-funded and under-staffed" Uganda Human Rights Commission and ensuring its independence amid reports of political interference.