Uganda Admits Gaps in Child Protection at UN Review

What the report says

Uganda has told a United Nations committee that it still faces gaps in child protection, education, health and juvenile justice as it underwent a review of its record on children’s rights. According to Nile Post, the discussion took place in Geneva during the presentation of Uganda’s Combined Third to Fifth Periodic Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which monitors how states implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The country’s delegation was led by Dr Mercy Faith Lakisa, Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs. She said Uganda has made progress, but that more work is needed to strengthen institutions, increase investment and improve support for children in vulnerable situations. She also stressed the importance of considering children’s views in decisions that affect them.

Lakisa said the government wants to move beyond reporting policies and focus on results that can be seen in children’s daily lives. She framed the Geneva review as a chance to measure progress, learn from scrutiny and speed up implementation of commitments on child welfare.

The acknowledgment matters because periodic UN reviews are a key way for governments to account for their human rights obligations. In general, such assessments can draw attention to weak services, limited enforcement or uneven access to support, even when governments also point to policy gains.