The UN Human Rights Office, the UPC, and the UHRC conducted a three-day capacity building in human rights for 35 (33 male and 2 female) senior police officers of the Kampala Metropolitan Area.
In line with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, aimed at building peace, justice, and strong institutions, the workshop on human rights for senior police officers is organized under the United Nations Peace Building Fund (PBF), which focuses on “Harnessing the Youth’s Potential for Sustaining Peace in Uganda”. This project, jointly implemented by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, UNDP, UNFPA, and the UN Human Rights Office, recognizes the central role of the youth and women in the peace architecture and re-affirms the role of the youth and in sustaining peace and in the prevention of conflict in Uganda. The project is being implemented in four districts considered crucial in the sustainability of peace during the electoral period 2020-21; Kampala, Wakiso, Kasese, and Bundibugyo.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the training, Ms. Juliet Logose, the Head of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) Central Region Office lauded the efforts jointly made by the UN Human Rights Office, the Police, and the UHRC in ensuring that the Police are equipped with the necessary knowledge to perform their daily endeavors in the most effective manner. On his part, Mr. James Kushemerewa of the Head, Legal and Human Rights Department of the Uganda Police Force (UPF), encouraged his colleagues to listen carefully and share their experiences and challenges in an open manner during the training. Mr. Robert Kotchani who opened the activity emphasized the importance of the partnership between the UN Human Rights Office, the UHRC, and the Uganda Police to advance the promotion and the protection of human rights by the Police, which he said are primary human rights defenders in the country.
The training focused on general introduction to human rights, international, regional, and national human rights instruments and institutions, the prevention and fight against torture, upholding human rights during police operations, guidelines on the use of force in law enforcement, gender and youth consideration by police, professionalism, ethics, and deontology with the police, accountability for human rights violations by the police.
Similar training will take place for senior police officers from Kasese and Bundibugyo in Fort Portal.