With support from the European Union and Enable-Belgian Development Agency, Resource Rights Africa (RRA) is implementing a 21-month project aimed at strengthening civil society engagement in business and human rights advocacy in Uganda.
The project seeks to enhance the monitoring and documentation of human rights abuses linked to business activities and support the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MoGLSD) in developing and using a Management Information System (MIS).
It also aims to convene strategic dialogues to foster collective action on business and human rights.
The Busoga sub-region, home to large-scale agribusinesses such as sugar cane plantations and rich in mineral resources, including gold and the recently discovered rare earth metals, has seen a surge in business activity.
However, some community members have expressed concerns over human rights violations, including displacement and deforestation due to open-cast mining.
The Makuutu Rare Earth Project, led by Rwenzori Rare Metals Ltd, is expected to impact about 5,000 families across Iganga, Bugiri, Bugweri, and Mayuge districts.
Emmanuel Mugisha, a programme associate at Resource Rights Africa, noted that while some civil society organisations (CSOs) in the Busoga sub-region engage in human rights work, their efforts remain weak and uncoordinated.
“A mapping conducted by Resource Rights Africa in November and December 2024 revealed significant capacity gaps among CSOs in terms of knowledge of the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, as well as inadequate monitoring, documentation, and reporting of business-related human rights abuses,” Mugisha said.
To address these gaps, Resource Rights Africa has conducted a three-day capacity-building training for 40 CSOs in Busoga.
The training focused on business and human rights, monitoring, documentation, and reporting in line with international frameworks such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and Uganda’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.
“It is hoped that the trained CSOs will play a critical role in ensuring businesses operate in a manner that conforms to established human rights standards,” Mugisha added.
Findings from CSO monitoring efforts will contribute to the Management Information System being developed by MoGLSD and inform the annual State of Business and Human Rights Report, which feeds into discussions at the Annual Symposium on Business and Human Rights.