UNODC partners with Justice Institutions to Strengthen Access to Justice and Enhance Capacity in Responding to Organized Crime

As part of efforts to promote and support initiatives that prioritize people's needs and rights within the justice sector, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Uganda partnered with the Judiciary to hold the first National Court Open Day for inclusive active citizen engagement and participation. 

Held on 15 April 2024 under the theme “A People-centred Approach to Justice”, over 1,000 participants were sensitized on different court processes and interacted with various justice institutions including the Judiciary, Uganda Police Force, the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, and the Uganda Prisons Service. 

Presiding over the National Court Open Day, Hon. Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, the Chief Justice of Uganda, highlighted that the Judiciary has a duty to account to the public for what it is doing, and in turn the public has the right to question the Judiciary what it is not doing well. “We plan on holding the National Court Open Day on an annual basis so that we can continue engaging with the public to make courts and court experiences better,” noted Hon. Owiny-Dollo. 

Similarly, UNODC in Uganda is collaborating with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to ensure prosecution services are supported to effectively perform their functions while upholding the human rights of all persons in contact with the criminal justice system. From 22 to 24 April 2024, UNODC in Uganda partnered with the ODPP to equip prosecutors with the required knowledge and skills to effectively manage and prosecute organized and emerging crimes at the Annual Prosecutors’ Symposium. 

Over 300 prosecutors from across the country were trained on various topics ranging from prosecution of transboundary organized crimes; the trends of human trafficking; cybercrime and law enforcement; effective recovery of assets, proceeds of crime and enforcement of compensation orders; practical aspects of dealing with forensic evidence in criminal proceedings; professional ethics and integrity for prosecutors; and conducting joint investigation with Uganda Police Force, among others.

Building on the Annual Prosecutors’ Symposium, UNODC in Uganda further collaborated with the ODPP to pay tribute to the late Joan Kagezi, an accomplished lawyer and prosecutor who was assassinated in the line of duty in 2015, for her significant contribution to the field of criminal justice. Held on 25 April 2024 on the theme “Prosecution of Transnational Organized Crimes to Foster Security and Socio-Economic Development: The Linkage between Terrorism, Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants,” the 7th Joan Kagezi Memorial Lecture was graced by H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the President of Uganda, as the Chief Guest, and other key criminal justice actors. 

Giving the keynote address, Ms. Sharon Nyambe, the UNODC in Uganda Head of Office, stressed the role of effective prosecution in countering transnational organized crime.

“By giving priority to prosecution, enhancing inter-agency cooperation, and embracing a holistic approach that tackles the interconnection between terrorism, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling, we have the potential to cultivate security, safeguard human rights, and advance socio-economic progress in Uganda,” said Ms. Nyambe.

To further strengthen the country’s response to organized crime and to counter risks associated with use of new technology in Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing (ML/FT), UNODC in Uganda collaborated with the Financial Intelligence Authority to build the capacity of the ML/TF National Working Group to conduct oversight of virtual assets and their service providers in Uganda.