Human Rights Network Uganda

Human Rights Network Uganda

Abbreviation	HURINET
Motto	Linking for Human Rights
Formation	1993
Legal status	Non-governmental organization
Purpose	To foster the promotion, protection and respect of human rights in Uganda through linking and strengthening the capacity of member organizations.
Location	Kampala, Uganda
Region served	East Africa
Membership	60 CSOs[1]
Executive Director	Mohammad Ndifuna[2][3]
Affiliations	CICC, CHRI, Human Rights House Network, AFIC EAHAHRDN, EACSOF
Website	Homepage Official blog

The Human Rights Network - Uganda (HURINET) is a Ugandan non-governmental organization (NGO) whose mission is foster the promotion, protection and respect of human rights in Uganda through linking and strengthening the capacity of member organizations. HURINET works towards having a Ugandan society free of human rights abuse. It is an umbrella organization of 60 human rights organizations. Mohammad Ndifuna is the current executive director.^[4][5][6]

Overview

HURINET was established in 1993 by a group of eight human rights organizations. It was formally registered as a not for profit organization in 1994. The identity of HURINET lies with its diverse membership of 60 NGOs. Membership is drawn from organizations that are committed to a wide range of human rights issues which are complementary in terms of areas of focus including: civil and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights; children’s rights; gender and women’s issues; peacebuilding and conflict resolution; prisoners’ rights; refugee rights and labour rights.^[7]

The network is a host to a number of national civil society campaigns and coalitions including: National Coalition on Human Rights Defenders Uganda; National Coalition on Transitional Justice; Uganda Coalition on the International Criminal Court; National Coalition on Police Accountability & Security Sector Reform; Human Rights Education Coalition; Economic, Social & Cultural Rights Coalition and the Coalition on Freedom of Information among others.^[8]

Function

Vision, mission and objectives

HURINET’s vision is: A society free from human rights abuse

HURINET’s mission is: To foster the promotion, protection and respect of human rights in Uganda through linking and strengthening the capacity of member organizations at national, regional and international levels.^[9]

HURINET’s objectives are to:

• Promote and protect human rights as provided for in the regional and international instruments that Uganda is party to and as provided in the constitution of Uganda;^[10][11]
• Encourage close collaboration and networking among human rights organizations in Uganda;
• Encourage optimum sharing of information and resources both human and material among human rights organizations in Uganda;
• Continually assess a collective impact in the Ugandan society occasioned by several programs of human rights organizations in Uganda;^[12]
• Build the professional capacity of human rights organizations though training, research and technical skills acquisition;
• Adopt strategies necessary for an effective and coordinated human rights advocacy in the country;^[13]
• Develop policy guidelines for the effective, proper, transparent and accountable conduct of human rights organizations in Uganda; and
• Provide a frame work for regional collaboration and exchange- for the sharing of experiences and strategies and the analysis of specific needed advocacy skills thus making human rights organizations more effective in the ongoing human rights education and information.^[14]

Key program areas

HURINET has six key program areas which fall under the following categories:

1. Advocacy, Research and Information Exchange Program: Under this program area, HURINET aims to facilitate collective advocacy and action of human rights defenders and pro-democracy activists in influencing and shaping the human rights agenda in Uganda.^[15][16]
2. Capacity Building and Network Development Program: Under this program area, HURINET aims to grow and strengthen a fellowship of human rights defenders in Uganda that are well grounded in the norms and best practices in human rights protection and promotion, rule of law and good governance and ensure integration in the regional and international human rights movement.^[17]
3. International Criminal & Transitional Justice (IC & TJ) Program: Under this program area, the human rights body aims to engage the state and other supranational bodies on the ratification, domestication, and implementation of international treaties and other instruments especially those relating to promoting accountability and ending impunity after conflict.^[18]
4. Human Rights Fund (HRF) Program: The Fund was established in 2001 by Human Rights Network-Uganda (HURINET) in collaboration with the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and the Royal Netherlands Embassy (RNE) as an initiative to support the promotion and defense of human rights in Uganda. It is a re-granting initiative that enhances the work and capacity of CSOs and groups involved in the promotion of human rights in Uganda through providing them with financial and skills support. Member CSOs of the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders-Uganda (NCHRDs-U) have benefited greatly from this program.^[19]
5. Monitoring, Documentation and Reporting Under Regional & International Mechanisms (RIM): Under this program area, HURINET aims to equip civil society organizations in Uganda with skills on how to hold the state accountable to international instruments Uganda has ratified.^[20]
6. Institutional Strengthening and Development: This area of focus involves: strengthening the operational and policy base of HURINET with the view of enhancing effectiveness; and enhancing mutuality of understanding between HURINET and her relevant publics - as well as projecting her image as the leading human rights network in Uganda.^[21]

Membership

The identity of HURINET lies with its diverse membership of 60 NGOs. Members range from purely Ugandan NGOs to international organizations. The network’s members include the following:

See also

• Children's rights
• Human rights group
• Human rights literature
• Human Rights Watch
• List of human rights organizations

References

External links

• Official Website
• Official blog