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Welcome

About the Human Rights Recommendations Database and Search engine

The Human Rights Recommendations Database and Search engine was developed in 2014 – 2017 as an online platform hosted by Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) on behalf of the Government of Uganda and with support from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The database serves three critical aims; (i) Assist in the systematic monitoring of human rights recommendations from international, regional and national human rights mechanisms, such as the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), Treaty Bodies and Special Procedures, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights as well as the Uganda Human Rights Commission, issued to the Government of Uganda; (ii) Facilitate the follow up on implementation of these recommendations by responsible government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and (iii) Ensure wide dissemination of human rights recommendations that Uganda has received from these mechanisms among the general public in Uganda.

Background Information

The Government of Uganda is a signatory to several core international human rights treaties and has, as a result, assumed obligations to submit status reports to the monitoring bodies at the UN on a periodic basis.

One of the main challenges for the engagement of the State of Uganda with the human rights mechanisms has been the lack of a functional structure for state reporting which has consequently undermined coordination among the various State institutions to facilitate efficient and timely preparation of progress reports to treaty bodies.

UHRC has also been cognizant that over the years, a number of human rights recommendations issued by various mechanisms at the international, regional and national level are repeated in successive years by the same bodies in the absence of accurate information and updates on what has been done. This was further been complicated by the requirement for most MDAs to provide and or submit information to various treaty bodies which is a tedious exercise.

In light of this, the idea of developing a Database and Search Engine that encompasses all recommendations from human rights mechanisms was birthed in 2014. The aim of the Database is to provide a comprehensive tool for monitoring implementation of all human rights recommendations. It is also intended to ease the reporting process by providing agreed indicators, targets and baselines upon which MDAs are supposed to report. The Database will be updated periodically with current recommendations that are allocated to the responsible government institution in order to ease integration into the ordinary work plans of these institutions. This will in turn facilitate state reporting for various MDAs as this information is downloaded and exported for further use.

This Database was introduced at the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Human Rights in September 2013 for endorsement. In September 2014, the initial version of the Database was developed. The initial roll out (pilot) commenced in January 2015 targeting six Ministries and Departments including; Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs (MOJCA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MOGLSD), Uganda Prisons Service (UPS), Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) and Uganda Police Force (UPF). These pilot MDAs were trained and supported to populate the Database with relevant updates while in the process giving valuable feedback that has been used to further improve the system that is to be launched today.

How to Use this tool (Database)

The tool consists of a database and search engine to enable easy access to country specific human rights information emanating from international, regional and national human rights mechanisms, as well as a monitoring and evaluation framework to access the information about the status of implementation of these recommendations.

How to search

The recommendations included in this database can be searched in two ways:

  • Search by keyword using search text box in the top section of each page. Enter your search keyword in the search box and click on search.
  • Search based on specific criteria (i.e., search by mechanism, year, theme, or MDA). You select your desired parameters from the dropdown lists and then click on the button labeled "Go"

Search results

After clicking on the "Search" or "Go" buttons, a page with the pertinent search results will load in your browser. Thereafter you may perform one or more of the following operations on the search results:
  • Refining your search using specific criteria using the filtering tool on the right of the page labeled "Refine your search"
  • Refining your search by keyword
  • Export search results to MS Excel or MS Word using the dropdown control on the upper left of the search results table
  • Download a recommendation by clicking on the download link () corresponding to it in the "Recommendation" column in the search results table

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the database/search engine about?

The Database and search engine is an online platform created and hosted by Uganda Human Rights Commission on behalf of the Government of Uganda and with support from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Uganda. It is meant to facilitate monitoring the follow up on implementation of the recommendations received through international, regional and national mechanisms, including those from the UHRC Annual Reports presented to Parliament.

2. What are human rights?

Human rights are entitlements Human Rights are entitlements that everyone has by virtue of being a human being, and that, based in the freedom, dignity and equality of the human persons, are recognized by the legal frameworks of the states, at the national or at the international levels. These rights are protected by the law and guaranteed by the State. Human Rights protect individuals and groups of individuals against actions that interfere with their fundamental freedoms and undermine their human dignity.

They are fundamental rights, to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being. They protect human dignity and integrity. They involve all elementary pre conditions for a dignified human existence.

3. Are some human rights more important than others?

Human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated. There are Civil and Political rights; Economic, Social and Cultural rights; and there are also collective rights. They are all equally important and necessary in creating a strong and healthy society.

4. Who is responsible for upholding and protecting human rights?

The primary responsibility for upholding human rights lies with the states. The human rights responsibilities of states are often broken down into obligations to respect, protect, and fulfill the human rights. Human rights are to be respected by State, by non-state actors and by individuals.

5. What are Human Rights treaty bodies?

Human rights treaty bodies are committees of independent experts who monitor implementation of the key human rights treaties. Each treaty creates an international committee of independent experts to monitor the implementation of the rights enshrined therein. The treaty bodies are also called conventional mechanisms because they are created by the same human rights conventions. The State Parties to the human rights treaties have an obligation to periodically report to the treaty body.

The functions of the treaty bodies include:

  • Examination of State Party Reports, and formulate recommendations for the states to improve in the implementation of the pertinent human rights treaty;
  • Issue General Comments, which are authoritatively interpretations of specific provisions in the treaties;
  • Promotion and awareness raising of the human rights treaties.
  • Handle individual complaints or conduct inquiries, if the State recognizes the competence of the treaty body.

6. Who are the Special Procedures and what do they do?

The Special Procedures are independent experts on human rights issues who are nominated by the Human Rights Council to examine the situation of particular human rights issues either worldwide or in specific territories, depending on their type of mandate. Hence, they examine, Monitor, Advise, and Publicly Report on HR issues related to their specific mandates. Based on emerging human rights issues new Special Procedure mandates can be created by the UN Human Rights Council. Their selection is based on their independence, expertise, integrity and objectivity. They are not UN functionaries

They can be referred to with different names: Independent Experts, Special Rapporteurs, or Working Groups. There are two types of mandates of the Special procedures:

  • -Thematic mandate: 37 Special Procedures have a thematic mandate;
  • - Country mandates: 14 Special Procedures have country mandate.

They can conduct country visits, upon previous invitation by the host country. They can also receive communications on human rights violations from individuals, organizations and other entities in countries and follow up with states on these allegations.

7. What is the mandate of the UHRC?

UHRC’s mandate is to protect and promote human rights monitor government compliance with international, regional and national human rights instruments. In this regard, it investigates cases of human rights violations, visits places of detention to assess the conditions of inmates, educates and encourages the public to defend the Constitution at all times among others.

8. How do I get information about UHRC and its activities?

Information can be got from the UHRC website http://www.uhrc.ug or from our physical addresses as follows; head office- TWED plaza Lumumba Avenue or from our 10 regional offices spread throughout the country i.e. Arua, Central-Kampala, Fortportal, Gulu, Hoima, Jinja, Masaka, Mbarara, Moroto, Soroti and field offices of Kapchorwa, Nakapiripirit, Kalangala, Lira, Kitgum, Pader, Kaberamaido and Moyo.

9. What kind of reports does the UHRC submit?

UHRC submits Annual Reports and Special Reports to Parliament and as a National Human Rights Institution reports to Treaty Bodies both internationally and at regional level.

10. How is UHRC different from other Human Rights Organizations?

The UHRC is a National Human Rights Institution that was established under Article 52 of the 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda to uphold and protect human rights. There are over 100 such institutions in several other countries, about two-thirds assessed by peer review as compliant with the UN standards set out in the Paris Principles. However, UHRC works closely with other human rights organizations. At Country level, UHRC works with other institutions whose mandate also includes protection of human rights such as; the Equal Opportunities Commission, Judiciary, Uganda Police Force, Uganda Prisons Service and a range of semi-autonomous government agencies set up under the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (e.g. National Council for Children Services, National Youth Council, National Women Council, National Council for Disability among others).

11. Which office of the United Nations is responsible for dealing with human-rights?

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) with its headquarters in Geneva. The OHCHR has a Country Office in Uganda with a head office in Kampala, and sub field offices in Gulu (northern Uganda) and in Moroto (Karamoja).

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