A section of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) is convinced that Uganda’s adoption of the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights is a step forward in ensuring enhanced, inclusive growth and responsible investments in the country.
In 2021, Uganda became the first African country to pass a 5-year National Action Plan (NAP) on Business and Human Rights after the second Universal Periodic Review in 2016.
The plan focuses on eight areas, including the environment, labor rights, revenue transparency, tax exemptions, and corruption.
Speaking at the annual business and human rights symposium organized by the Ministry of Gender in Kampala, Mr Andrew Byaruhanga, Executive Director of the Resource Rights Alliance, said that since its implementation, significant improvement has been seen in areas like awareness and funding.
“We have three countries in Africa who have adopted the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights and that is Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria. Over the years now, we have been implementing the 2021 National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, now it’s three years since we started that journey of implementation and so far so good because we have seen a lot of improvement,” Mr Byaruhanga said.
Through the NAP, the government is able to articulate key priorities and actions that will be adopted to support the implementation of international, regional, and national obligations and commitments.
“
