The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Ltd and the Belgian Development Agency, Enabel, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in promoting Business and Human Rights principles within Uganda’s energy sector.
The MoU reflects both institutions’ shared commitment to ensuring that energy and infrastructure development is carried out in a manner that upholds human rights, social inclusion and sustainable development.
Through this partnership, EACOP and Enabel will jointly advance responsible business conduct, build capacity on human rights due diligence and support stronger alignment of private sector operations with Uganda’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP-BHR).
The collaboration falls under the European Union–funded Advancing Respect for Human Rights by Businesses in Uganda Project, co-implemented by Enabel and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr. John Bosco Habumugisha, EACOP’s Deputy Managing Director, underscored the importance of corporate leadership in safeguarding human rights within the energy sector.
“EACOP is committed to delivering the pipeline project responsibly—ensuring that growth, inclusivity and human rights go hand in hand. This partnership with Enabel represents a shared commitment to sustainable development and responsible corporate citizenship,” he said.
He added that the partnership marks a major step in EACOP’s journey.
“Built on good faith, mutual trust and transparency, it demonstrates EACOP’s commitment to delivering not just an engineering project, but a responsible legacy for Uganda and the region.”
Enabel’s Country Director, Mr. Nicolas Oebel, highlighted the alignment of the partnership with national priorities.
“Enabel is proud to collaborate with EACOP, a leading private sector actor, to translate the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights into tangible actions that safeguard rights and foster sustainable investment,” he noted.
Mr. Benard Mujuni, Commissioner for Equity and Rights at the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, welcomed the MoU as an important boost to the implementation of the NAP-BHR within Uganda’s oil and gas sector.
He emphasized that the partnership will extend business and human rights capacity-building initiatives to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) supplying and contracting with EACOP.
Such efforts, he said, will strengthen responsible and sustainable sourcing while supporting broader national content development goals.
