On 24 February 2014, president Yoweri Museveni of Uganda signed the controversial Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act into law, which increases penalties for some forms of consensual same-sex conduct between adults; curtails constitutionally protected rights to privacy, family life, and equality; and violates internationally protected rights to freedom of association and expression.
CILC expresses concern for the adoption of this law, in light of its consequences for the respect for human rights in Uganda. We consider the protection and promotion of human rights as fundamentally linked to Rule of Law and it is our mission to support the improvement of Rule of Law by working with government institutions and civil society organisations throughout the world.
CILC has been involved in projects in the justice sector of Uganda since 2005. Over the years we have contributed to positive changes and improved awareness about development needs in this sector by facilitating cooperation with Dutch counterpart institutions, peer-to-peer reviews and training of Ugandan legal professionals in The Netherlands and other countries.
Our ongoing projects in Uganda are not yet affected by the Netherlands government decision to stop the provision of bilateral support to the Ugandan justice sector and we will continue to provide support to our dedicated partners in Uganda, while following our government’s policy guidelines. We sincerely hope that subsequent developments will not compromise the notable progress made over the years in the Ugandan justice sector and that continued cooperation will help promote a more inclusive vision of human rights in Uganda.