The monitoring, documentation, and reporting will feed into the Management Information System (MIS) being set up by MoGLSD as well as the State of Business and Human Rights Report that Resource Rights Africa produces annually to partly inform deliberations during the Annual Symposium on Business and Human Rights.
With support from the European Union (EU) and Enable-Belgian Development Agency, Resource Rights Africa (RRA) is implementing a 21-month project aimed at Strengthening Civil Society for Business and Human Rights Advocacy in Uganda.
The project seeks to improve monitoring and documentation by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on human rights abuses stemming from business activities in Uganda; facilitate CSOs to support the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MoGLSD) in the development and usage of the Management Information System (MIS) as well as convening of strategic dialogue around issues for fostering collective action on Business and Human Rights.
For years, the Busoga sub-region has witnessed the growth of businesses in different sectors such as agri-business, especially large-scale sugar cane plantations. The sub-region is equally endowed with mineral resources including gold and the recently discovered Rare Earth Metals which adds to the region's potential to attract other business activities in manufacturing, Agri-processing, and mining.
However, according to a section of members of the community, the new developments in addition to the already existing have caused fear for precipitating human rights abuses including the lack of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) from communities (for example the Rwenzori Rare Metals Ltd that has established its presence in the region to develop the Makuutu Rare Earth Project has a potential of impacting about 5,000 families across the four districts of Iganga, Bugiri, Bugweri, and Mayuge) through the displacement of people and deforestation for open cast mining.
According to Emmanuel Mugisha, the program associates from Resource Rights Africa told Nile Post that a section of CSOs in the Busoga sub-region are involved in human rights work but their efforts are still weak and uncoordinated.
"A mapping conducted by Resource Rights Africa in November and December 2024 indicated glaring capacity gaps among the majority of CSOs in terms of knowledge of the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, lack of coherent human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting modalities about human rights abuses perpetrated by businesses in the sub-region," Mugisha stated.
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It's from this background that Resource Rights Africa has conducted three days capacity building training for 40 CSOs in the Busoga sub-region to enhance their knowledge of the concept of business and human rights, monitoring, documentation, and reporting on the activities of businesses and their conformity to established frameworks and standards such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights as well as Ugandan Action Plan on Business and Human Rights that mandates businesses to put in place mechanisms to enhance Responsible Business Conduct in their operations.
"It is hoped that the CSOs trained will play a critical role in supporting existing efforts aimed at ensuring businesses undertake their activities in a manner that conforms to established human rights standards and frameworks". Mugisha added.
The monitoring, documentation, and reporting will feed into the Management Information System (MIS) being set up by MoGLSD as well as the State of Business and Human Rights Report that Resource Rights Africa produces annually to partly inform deliberations during the Annual Symposium on Business and Human Rights.
