HUMAN RIGHTS - GOOD GOVERNANCE, THE RULE OF LAW AND DEMOCRACY PROGRAM 

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. There is no doubt that nurturing good governance is essential to ensuring respect for human rights. Without the rule of law, independent courts and other institutions of the modern society - essential components of good governance - the promise of human rights may remain just that: a promise unfulfilled. Enforcement of fundamental freedoms when it matters may be impossible. The lesson of history is that transparent, responsible, accountable and participatory governance is a prerequisite to enduring respect for human dignity and the defence of human rights. Good governance and respect for human rights are key pillars of Center for Citizen’s Communication and Justice. CECICOJU’s good governance strategy focuses on public sector management, and underscores that the agenda is much wider, encompassing human rights and democratization, the judicial sector and the rule of law.

Governance refers to mechanisms, institutions and processes through which authority is exercised in the conduct of public affairs.  The concepts of good governance and human rights are mutually reinforcing, both being based on core principles of participation, accountability, transparency and State responsibility. With a focus on critical social justice issues, Promoting good governance & human rights projects express CECICOJU's commitment to harnessing our expertise to bring about change. Such efforts are based on strategic partnerships that engage with communities, that advocate for improved policy and that prepare socially responsive citizens.

Overview

CECICOJU’S KEY ATTRIBUTES OF GOOD GOVERNANCE

​

• transparency

• responsibility

• accountability

• participation

• responsiveness (to the needs of the people)

By linking good governance to sustainable human development, emphasizing principles such as accountability, participation and the enjoyment of human rights, and rejecting prescriptive approaches to development assistance, the resolution stands as an implicit endorsement of the rights-based approach to development.

CECICOJU believes that Good governance and human rights are mutually reinforcing. Human rights principles provide a set of values to guide the work of governments and other political and social actors. They also provide a set of performance standards against which these actors can be held accountable. Moreover, human rights principles inform the content of good governance efforts: they may inform the development of legislative frameworks, policies, programmes, budgetary allocations and other measures.
On the other hand, without good governance, human rights cannot be respected and protected in a sustainable manner. The implementation of human rights relies on a conducive and enabling environment. This includes appropriate legal frameworks and institutions as well as political, managerial and administrative processes responsible for responding to the rights and needs of the population.
The links between good governance and human rights can be organized around four areas:

• Democratic institutions

When led by human rights values, good governance reforms of democratic institutionscreate avenues for the public to participate in policymaking either throughformal institutions or informal consultations. They also establish mechanisms forthe inclusion of multiple social groups in decision-making processes, especiallylocally. Finally, they may encourage civil society and local communities to formulateand express their positions on issues of importance to them.

• Service delivery

In the realm of delivering state services to the public, good governance reforms advance human rights when they improve the state’s capacity to fulfil its responsibility to provide public goods which are essential for the protection of a number of human rights, such as the right to education, health and food. Reform initiatives may include mechanisms of accountability and transparency, culturally sensitive policy tools to ensure that services are accessible and acceptable to all, and paths for public participation in decision-making.

• Rule of law

When it comes to the rule of law, human rights-sensitive good governance initiatives reform legislation and assist institutions ranging from penal systems to courts and parliaments to better implement that legislation. Good governance initiatives may include advocacy for legal reform, public awareness-raising on the national and international legal framework, and capacity-building or reform of institutions.

• Anti-Corruption

In fighting corruption, good governance efforts rely on principles such as accountability, transparency and participation to shape anti-corruption measures. Initiatives may include establishing institutions such as anti-corruption commissions, creating mechanisms of information sharing, and monitoring governments’ use of public funds and implementation of policies.

CECICOJU is mandated to:

• To make recommendations and proposals to the government and other stakeholders on human rights violations and aspects of existing and proposed laws;

• To report on specific violations of human rights and the national human rights situation in general; and

• To receive, investigate and report on complaints from individuals. Most CECICOJU also has power either to commence litigation to enforce human rights or to intervene in litigation involving significant human rights issues.

PUBLIC EDUCATION AND AWARENESS

Whatever human rights mechanisms are adopted, there must be a heavy emphasis on education and promotion. In this respect, CECICOJU plays a fundamental role in educating Citizens about their rights. In Uganda,  A criticism of many good governance programs is that they address the "supply side" and do not give adequate consideration to the needs of citizens whose "demand" they should be answering. Consequently, development programs tend to reflect a "top-down" approach to administrative reform and restructuring and do not prioritise the needs and concerns of the poor and marginalised. This approach detracts from the sense of ownership and participation that communities should feel for development programs. Since CECICOJU was generally established to promote the interests of the common citizen, we  are better suited at planning and delivering "bottom up" programs, including the delivery of human rights information.

CECICOJU will respond to the Overall Objective of Creating a Voice which is “More pluralistic, representative and accountable governance based on democratic values, institutions and processes in Uganda, however, not totally leaving out cross cutting issues of Human Rights, that come across the period of implementation with many projects to as below.

1. The Citizen Civic Empowerment and Environment Governance Project, which focuses on equipping Citizens as agents of civic empowerment and climate change advocacy.
2. The Citizen Manifesto Project, will jointly be implemented with other partners and stake holders through massive campaigns, Radio talk shows and community dialogues.

3. Deepening Local Democracy Project; the thrust of this project is to deepen multiparty democracy at the local government level. It involves training of district councillors, selected civil society leaders, political party leaders, church leaders, appointed leaders and media actors in selected communities in the region on key tenets of multi party democracy.

4. Political Accountability in Local Government Project; which focuses on monitoring and measuring the performance of district local government’s councils in the region. The LG and political Scorecard in the districts shall be launched

5.    Budget Tracking and Analysis; that is designed to track budgetary inflows and process in local governments with a view to enhancing budget performance, demystifying the budgetary process and to assess the budget and public policy impact on livelihoods of the ordinary people.

6. Improvement of the Citizen Livelihood Standards; Willing Citizen Partners (WCPs) Associations for a well conceived Livelihood Agricultural projects so as to be able to support and improvement of household incomes through well their organisations for sustainability.  

7. Technical Support Services Project; CECICOJU provides technical support services to target clients. The range of services provided include Organizational Development (OD) process, project impact assessments, governance and leadership enhancement, Organizational Capacity Assessments (OCA), process facilitation and mentoring, corporate strategy development etc.

8. Educational Film Collection on Contemporary Democracy  and Human rights (Documentation)
Production and distribution of  DVD sets consisting of long documentaries, 18 short films and a Facilitators Guide in different languages, in order to provide a relevant and contemporary educational resource to organizations and institutions working in the field of democracy  and human rights throughout Uganda. Documenting the human rights abuses, Conducting  Community film shows on human rights and good governance.

This  is the -strategy for CECICOJU’s support to service delivery, human rights and good governance in Uganda . The program is designed around people’s right to participate in their own development, enhanced local governance, access to justice, and improved local service delivery. It applies a human rights based approach by addressing the four principles of participation, non-discrimination, transparency and accountability with an emphasis on ensuring sustainability of essential governance functions for efficient service delivery systems. It addresses the supply and demand side of governance by supporting duty-bearers in delivering according to their mandates and rights-holders in voicing demands for rights while at the same time providing funds for concrete services based on local priorities and demands.

 EMERGENCY SUPPORT TO HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AND ACTIVISTS.

CECICOJU makes it possible on an ad-hoc basis to Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) in need of urgent support. The assistance provided through this emergency fund may include the coverage of fees for the legal representation of defenders as well as of medical emergency expenses and rehabilitation of victims of torture and inhuman and degrading treatment; the purchase of security material for local organizations; the temporary relocation of HRDs forced to leave their place of residence or their countries for security reason; temporary support to families of imprisoned or deceased defenders.