MPs want HIV test ban at recruitment a human right

May 31, 2015

Members of Parliament and academicians have proposed inclusion of minimum wage and a ban of HIV testing during job recruitment to be among the human rights to be included in Uganda's National Action Plan (NAP) on human rights.

By Alfred Wandera

Members of Parliament and academicians have proposed inclusion of minimum wage and a ban of HIV testing during job recruitment to be among the human rights to be included in Uganda's National Action Plan (NAP) on human rights.


They made the proposals Wednesday during a consultative meeting with Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) and ministry of Foreign Affairs at Imperial Gold View Hotel in Entebbe.

"We should make minimum wage part and parcel of the National Action Plan on human rights because our people are being exploited by investors. The Government has prioritized foreign investors and they are mistreating our sons and daughters by offering them peanuts that is not commensurate with their work," argued Mary Nalubega Tuunde, Workers' MP.

Tuunde was complimented by Kitgum Woman MP, Beatrice Anywar, who claimed that some employers are forcefully subjecting their employees to HIV testing especially during recruitment, which tantamount to discrimination based on their health status.

Other controversial proposals made include the permanent share of natural resources by the communities where the resources are located and availing of land to those who need to utilize it where it is lying idle under ownership of absentee landlords.

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee of Human Rights, Jovah Kamateeka, who chaired the meeting, promised the Parliament's support to the exercise saying it is high time all government ministries and agencies were restructured to embrace human rights.

UHRC secretary, Gordon Mwesigye, told New Vision that they have so far held 10 regional consultative meetings since last year in all the commission's regional offices across the country.

"Today we have engaged the MPs and academicians to gather their views. The last group to meet will be the Permanent Secretaries in July and finally the gathered proposals will be presented to the Cabinet. Once approved by Cabinet, the views will become the official NAP that will be shared by the United Nations Human Rights Council on June 2016 during the Universal Periodical Review that will be held in Geneva," said Mwesigye.

The meeting is part of the countrywide consultations being undertaken by UHRC and Foreign Affairs ministry to establish the NAP, a key policy document which embodies the Government's commitments to the protection and promotion of human rights. NAP sets out goals and describes strategies to be used in achieving the set targets.

Uganda made a voluntary pledge to develop a NAP during the review of the human rights situation in Uganda by the United Nations Human Rights Council at its 12th session in October 2011.

The NAP is a demonstration of Uganda's commitment to the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993.

The UHRC, MoFA with support from Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights launched the process of the development of NAP last year.

It is expected that the NAP will be integrated into the National Development Plan II.

The development of NAP is being supported with funding from partners including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, GIZ, Democratic Governance Facility, and other government institutions including the Justice Law and Order Sector and the UHRC and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the overall coordinator.
 
The development of the NAP is hinged on six thematic areas of human rights contained in the draft framework – economic, social and cultural rights; civil and political rights; collective rights; rights of specific groups and institutional, legal and administrative framework for promotion and protection of human rights.

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