Experts of the Committee on the Rights of the Child Welcome Uganda’s Response to Violence against Children, Raise Questions on Impact of Anti-Homosexuality Act on Children and Steps to End Child Marriage
The Committee on the Rights of the Child today concluded its consideration of the third to fifth combined periodic reports of Uganda under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Committee Experts welcomed legal measures and mechanisms developed by the State to combat violence against children, while raising questions about repealing the anti-homosexuality act due to its impact on children and steps taken to end child marriage.
Timothy P. T. Ekesa, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said that the Committee welcomed the strengthening of Uganda’s legal and institutional framework, including laws on issues such as responding to violence against children. The Committee also welcomed the establishment of multiple reporting and response mechanisms, including helplines, direct action centres and family protection units within the police.
Benoit Van Keirsbilck, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator for Uganda, asked how Uganda would comply with the 2021 ruling of the High Court requiring a comprehensive and scientifically-sound sex education programme, considering that the anti-homosexuality act effectively criminalised this vital information? Another Expert said the anti-homosexuality act was likely one of the worst acts in the world in terms of human rights, with many United Nations bodies urging its repeal. This was a sad situation for the children and young people of Uganda who were discovering their sexuality and gender orientation. Had the State seriously considered repealing this legislation?
Mr. Ekesa also said that the Committee welcomed that the Constitution and the children’s act established 18 as the minimum age of marriage, as well as Uganda’s adoption of the national strategy to end child marriage. What further measures were in place to ensure that this law was effectively enforced for all forms of marriage, including customary marriage? The National Identification and Registration Authority still allowed girls to be married from age 16. What concrete results had been achieved in reducing child marriages, particularly in northern and eastern regions where the practice was prevalent?
Introducing the report, Lakisha Mercy Faith, Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs of Uganda and head of the delegation, said Uganda recognised that children were the foundation of the State’s future and the Government had undertaken substantial measures to reinforce the legal, policy and institutional structures that promoted and protected their rights. During the reporting period, the State had implemented wide-ranging reforms across education, health, juvenile justice and child protection systems.
Responding to questions, the delegation said a campaign had been enacted in Uganda targeting children in schools across the country, which was discovered because children began resisting going to school. It was subsequently discovered that there had been use of audio and video mediums as well as books to promote homosexuality. This was unacceptable in Uganda. As a result of what was unearthed, parliament adopted a bill which was then enacted into law. The bill did not discriminate; it prohibited promotion of any kind, whether this was heterosexuality or homosexuality. The State believed this law protected children and did not discriminate against their access to social services.
The delegation also said that the national action plan to end child marriage was running through to 2027. It tackled structural drivers such as poverty and limited access to education. Uganda set the age of 18 as the minimum age of marriage for both men and women. There was no legal exception permitting child marriage on the grounds of any custom. The Government was also strengthening awareness among communities and religious leaders around the legal minimum age, recognising that community enforcement on this topic was required, as well as legislation.
In closing remarks, Mr. Van Keirsbilck expressed gratitude to the high-level multisectoral delegation of Uganda for the transparent and collaborative exchange. The Committee stood ready to assist the State party in translating the provisions of the Convention into tangible actions on the ground.
In her concluding remarks, Ms. Faith expressed sincere appreciation to the Committee for the dialogue. Significant milestones had been achieved in implementing the Convention, although some work remained. The Committee’s concerns were noted and appreciated. The State would continue to strengthen national efforts to ensure no child was left behind.
The delegation of Uganda consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development; Equal Opportunities Commission; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs; Uganda Prisons Service; Governance and Security Programme Secretariat; Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs; Ministry of Education and Sports; and the Permanent Mission of Uganda to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Committee will issue the concluding observations on the report of Uganda at the end of its one hundred and first session on 28 September. Those, and other documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, will be available on the session’s webpage. Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here.
The Committee will next meet in public this afternoon at 3 p.m. to consider the fifth and six combined periodic reports of Burkina Faso (CRC/C/BFA/5-6).
Report
The Committee has before it the third to fifth combined periodic reports of Uganda (CRC/C/UGA/3-5).
Presentation of Report
LAKISHA MERCY FAITH, Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs of Uganda and head of the delegation, reaffirmed Uganda’s steadfast commitment to advancing and safeguarding the rights of all children in accordance with its international obligations. Uganda recognised that children were the foundation of the State’s future and the Government had undertaken substantial measures to reinforce the legal, policy and institutional structures that promoted and protected their rights. The report and responses to the list of issues were prepared through a consultative process that involved the participation of different ministries, State agencies, civil society organizations and other stakeholders.
Uganda was proud of the significant achievements made for children and mindful of the work that remained. During the reporting period, the State had implemented wide-ranging reforms across education, health, juvenile justice and child protection systems. In addition, targeted programmes had been introduced to support vulnerable groups, including children with disabilities, those living in conflict-affected areas and those at risk of exploitation.
Uganda’s fourth national development plan, which lasted up to 2030, placed children at the heart of Uganda’s development vision. It committed to interventions across the lifecycle, from conception through adolescence and into adulthood. Uganda was working to guarantee children’s rights to participation, protection from violence and access to justice.
The children’s act, as amended in 2024, dissolved the National Children’s Authority and transferred its functions to a dedicated Department of Youth and Children’s Affairs within the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development. This reform resolved the overlapping mandates of various State agencies for children. A National Child Wellbeing Steering Committee now provided strategic oversight of district and child wellbeing committees and was working to ensure that children could access services.
The national child policy of 2020 and its implementation plan had remained operational over the reporting period, and in 2024, the State completed a formal evaluation of the national child participation strategy. These findings informed the standard operating procedures for meaningful child participation that were adopted in 2025.
The National Blueprint for Disability Prevention, Management and Inclusion and the National Guidelines on Disability Inclusion, both adopted in 2024, guided case management and referral mechanisms for children with disabilities. The Government launched the national child disability benefit in July 2026, which supported over 40,000 caregivers. Uganda enacted the prevention and prohibition of human sacrifice act of 2021, which criminalised such killings, including those targeting children with albinism. The national action plan on albinism addressed the stigma, discrimination and violence faced by this vulnerable group.
The national strategy to end child marriage and teenage pregnancies running until 2027 tackled structural drivers of these issues such as poverty and limited access to education. The national action plan on sexual and gender-based violence against children running through 2030 provided the framework for coordinating prevention and response activities across various sectors. Further, the national framework for alternative care, adopted in 2025, established family and community-based care, including kinship and foster care as the preferred response for children deprived of a family environment.
In 2025, Uganda adopted its first early childhood care and education policy, which aimed to increase access to education and improve its quality. The policy covered more than 2.3 million learners and set inclusive standards for children with disabilities and those in rural communities. The national action plan on the elimination of child labour specifically targeted the agriculture, mining and domestic work sectors where risks were most acute. Interventions had already remediated hundreds of cases and reintegrated children into schools and vocational training. Uganda continued to expand access to education through universal primary and secondary education. As of 2025/2026, more than 9.1 million learners were enrolled in primary school and two million were enrolled in secondary school.
The national safeguarding guidelines for children of 2026 explicitly prohibited corporal punishment in all settings. Regarding female genital mutilation, Uganda continued to combine strict legal enforcement with community dialogue, including engagement with former practitioners to protect children from harmful practices.
Uganda continued to fulfil its international obligations in hosting, assisting and protecting refugees. As of June 2026, it hosted over two million refugees, of which more than half were children. The refugees act of 2006 guaranteed refugee and asylum-seeking children with equal access to health and education services alongside Ugandan children.
Uganda adopted an integrated approach regarding children, embedding children’s rights within national development planning to ensure that every child was not only safeguarded but also empowered to contribute to the country’s long-term transformation.
Questions by Committee Experts
BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator for Uganda, said the high-level delegation reflected the State’s commitment to implementing the Convention. The last concluding observations by the Committee on Uganda were issued more than 20 years ago, so the Committee was particularly looking forward to the review. The dialogue offered the opportunity to assess in concrete terms the practical implementation of the Convention and to provide a balanced assessment of the situation in Uganda. The Committee was pleased to be able to highlight the significant progress and major reforms made in recent years, such as the 2016 act amending the children’s act and the 2020 national children’s policy. It would also examine the structural changes and implementation difficulties facing the Government.
Were there plans to implement the Convention in the Constitution? What was the Convention’s status in Uganda’s legal system? Did it take precedence over national legislation in the case of a conflict? Could the delegation give some examples of court cases that had referenced the Convention? Was there a mechanism for identifying the gaps in the implementation of laws on children across the country and ensuring adequate budgets for children’s policies? How was work divided between the National Children’s Authority and the National Child Wellbeing Steering Committee? What measures were in place to inform children about their right to access justice and to provide child-friendly complaints mechanisms? How did the Government follow up on recommendations made by the Human Rights Commission related to children? Were there plans to create a separate institution for children?
The Expert commended Uganda for its efforts in disseminating the Convention and raising awareness of it. What plans were in place to ensure that this was done on a regular basis? How did the State involve non-governmental organizations and children in the development of public policies? What measures were in place to ensure that activists and non-governmental organizations working on children’s rights were not targeted by State officials under the “foreign agent” label?
To what extent did Uganda cooperate with United Nations agencies and other international actors? What progress had been made regarding the project for advancing respect for human rights by business for 2023 to 2026?
Ugandan law prohibited discrimination against children on various grounds, including family status, culture and social origin. However, discrimination against children with disabilities and girls remained a pervasive challenge. How did the State party intend to address the societal attitudes that continued to marginalise these groups? How would it comply with the 2021 ruling of the High Court requiring a comprehensive and scientifically-sound sex education programme, considering that the anti-homosexuality act effectively criminalised this vital information? How was the State party planning to deal with the consequences of this law regarding increased violence, including children being exposed to mob violence and becoming homeless?
What plans were in place to promote awareness of the prevention and prohibition of human sacrifice act within communities and ensure its robust enforcement? How was the State party promoting children’s right to express their views on issues affecting them? What guidance was available regarding determining the best interests of the child? How were children involved in drafting the State’s report?
BENYAM DAWIT MEZMUR, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said that Uganda was one of the first five countries to ratify the Convention and was the first country in Africa to adopt comprehensive child rights legislation. What measures were in place to ensure that the registration of persons act was well-known, particularly in rural areas? Uganda welcomed many refugees and asylum seekers. How was it rolling out birth registration services in committees hosting refugees and asylum seekers? Mr. Mezmur welcomed that birth registration statistics in Uganda had improved but said only 18 per cent of people had been issued with birth registration certificates. What measures were in place to ensure that children under five in particular had access to birth certificates? Was the Government considering abolishing fees for late registration? What efforts were underway to prevent statelessness?
How did the State party ensure that the computer misuse act, the non-governmental organization act and the public ordinance management act were not implemented in a manner that arbitrarily limited freedom of expression and access to information for children? How widespread and effective were school-based child rights clubs? There were instances of children who appeared in court as victims, witnesses or perpetrators being reported on in the media. What happened when media organizations violated children’s rights? How was the State party addressing cyber bullying and hate speech? How did the State party reconcile the “media shutdown” that happened a year ago with children’s freedom of expression and access to information?
TIMOTHY P. T. EKESA, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said that the Committee welcomed the strengthening of Uganda’s legal and institutional framework, including laws on issues such as responding to violence against children. What mechanisms were in place to ensure the effective implementation of this legislation? The Committee also acknowledged the national action plan on sexual and gender-based violence and violence against children for 2019 to 2030, which provided for prevention, coordination, case management and accountability. What resources were allocated to this plan and what results had it achieved?
The Committee also welcomed the establishment of multiple reporting and response mechanisms, including helplines, direct action centres and family protection units within the police. How many complaints had been received through these mechanisms? How did Uganda ensure that frontline professionals such as teachers and social workers understood their reporting obligations? The Committee also welcomed the use of specialised sexual and gender-based violence court sessions and child-friendly reporting infrastructure. Could the delegation report on the geographical coverage of these facilities? Uganda had invested in prevention and awareness programmes on positive discipline, parenting programmes and engagement with community and traditional leaders. How did the Government evaluate the effectiveness of these measures?
The Committee welcomed Uganda’s efforts to promote digital literacy and the national action plan on online sexual exploitation and abuse. What was the status of this plan? Did it have a timeline for implementation and a dedicated budget? How was Uganda strengthening the capacities of law enforcement officers and the judiciary to investigate technology-facilitated sexual exploitation? How was Uganda working with technology companies in identifying, reporting and preventing child sexual abuse materials and online exploitation? What recovery and rehabilitation services were available to child victims of violence? Was reporting on violence against children mandatory for all persons who worked with children?
What steps had been taken to amend the children’s act to explicitly prohibit corporal punishment in all settings? What measures were in place to prevent and eliminate corporal punishment? How was the Government monitoring the impact of positive discipline programmes?
The Committee welcomed that the Constitution and the children’s act established 18 as the minimum age of marriage, as well as Uganda’s adoption of the national strategy to end child marriage. What further measures were in place to ensure that this law was effectively enforced for all forms of marriage, including customary marriage? The National Identification and Registration Authority still allowed girls to be married from age 16. What concrete results had been achieved in reducing child marriages, particularly in northern and eastern regions where the practice was prevalent?
The Committee commended Uganda for banning female genital mutilation under the children’s act. What progress had been made in eliminating the practice, particularly in eastern Uganda?
The Committee welcomed Uganda’s progress in strengthening its legal framework on trafficking and developing the national action plan on trafficking and referral and victim support guidelines. What impact had these measures had in preventing child trafficking, supporting the recovery and integration of victims and prosecuting perpetrators? Did Uganda prosecute the sale of children as a separate offence, and were there recent examples of such cases?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Ugandan courts had referred to the Convention in cases concerning the rights of the child, including cases related to legal guardianship.
Uganda had been developing a draft national action plan on combatting the online sexual abuse and exploitation of children. It had recruited dedicated counsellors to handle such cases, which were reported through a dedicated helpline. So far, the State had received over 2,200 cases of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Training on online child sexual exploitation was included in training modules for social workers.
The Government had committed in 2024 to amending the children’s act to outlaw corporal punishment outside of school settings. Provisions were being developed to ensure that this was implemented before the deadline of 2030. The Government was implementing several livelihood and social protection programmes targeting vulnerable children, including child refugees. It was developing a child wellbeing management information system, which was currently being piloted in six regions. The system would provide real-time updates on case management and support the delivery of timely, targeted services for vulnerable groups.
The dialogue with the Committee was originally scheduled for January of this year, but at that time, an election was being held and there was a scheme during that time to incite the public using the internet. The Government had decided to restrict the use of the internet to ensure that it was not used as a vehicle to thwart the democratic process. This measure did not impact children, and now the country was peaceful and stable.
Children were being targeted by certain individuals and groups in an unacceptable manner. In response, the Parliament adopted the anti-homosexuality act, which aimed to prevent this targeting.
New laws on non-governmental organizations called on these organizations to exercise a degree of transparency. This law would continue to be implemented in an unhindered manner.
The State party conducted various awareness raising campaigns to ensure that children were aware of avenues for reporting rights violations and of their rights, including their right to access justice.
Refugees lived side-by-side with other persons in host communities in Uganda, rather than in camps. When refugee mothers gave birth, they were expected to notify the relevant State department. Through this process, they could receive birth certificates, which supported them to access State services.
The national action plan to end child marriage was running through to 2027. It tackled structural drivers such as poverty and limited access to education. There was a teenage pregnancy tracking and response system in place, which linked government sectors to ensure that rapid responses could be provided.
Monitoring of children’s rights was not limited to the Human Rights Commission; this mandate was also extended to the Equal Opportunities Commission, another independent body. The Human Rights Commission monitored violations of children’s rights, inspected places of deprivation of liberty, investigated complaints of human rights violations and provided recommendations to Government authorities. The Equal Opportunities Commission monitored whether children had equal access to services and investigated complaints involving discrimination against children. The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Human Rights monitored the implementation of the Convention and the recommendations of treaty bodies.
The Government had taken measures to ensure that children deprived of liberty were held in child-sensitive facilities and separated from adults. The judiciary had implemented various measures to improve access to justice for children, including setting up regional courts and implementing the justice for children programme, which included measures for strengthening the awareness of child rights among the judiciary.
Social welfare officers prepared welfare reports for children in cases related to custody, care, divorce and adoption, and courts considered the best interests of the child. Detention was used only as a last resort. Alternative care panels had been set up nation-wide to determine appropriate care options for children.
The children’s act prohibited female genital mutilation, as did the 2010 prohibition of female genital mutilation act. The Government had strengthened prevention through community sensitisation, engagement with traditional leaders, law enforcement and cross-border cooperation, particularly in eastern Uganda.
The Government had programmes targeting the eradication of poverty, including the Ugandan women entrepreneurship programme and the youth livelihood programme. The Government sought to ensure that children who dropped out of school were guided to vocational training and apprenticeship programmes.
Birth registration was free in Uganda and mandatory for all children. There were mobile registration services operating in remote regions of the country and the Government was working to ensure that registration services remained free and accessible.
Questions by Committee Experts
BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, asked whether the Human Rights Commission or the Equal Opportunities Commission had dedicated departments for children. How was the implementation of these institutions’ recommendations monitored? It was worrying that the budgets of these institutions had decreased. Was the Human Rights Commission trained on overseeing children in detention and receiving complaints from them? What systems were in place that informed children of their rights and supported their access to remedies?
TIMOTHY P. T. EKESA, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked whether there were inter-country programmes in place to tackle female genital mutilation, which was often practiced in border regions.
BENYAM DAWIT MEZMUR, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked for data on birth registration rates for refugee children compared to the general population. How was the State party addressing challenges faced by refugees related to birth registration?
SOPHIE KILADZE, Committee Chair, asked how the State party educated social workers. Were there enough social workers in both urban and rural areas? How did the State balance measures to protect children from online violence with measures to promote access to the internet and artificial intelligence for children in remote and rural areas?
Other Committee Experts asked follow-up questions on care provided for child victims of sexual violence; the rate of access of girls to emergency family planning; the number of children born as a result of rape and support services for such children; whether girls who were victims of sexual violence had access to abortions; measures to prevent digital violence; whether there were reinsertion programmes for child victims of violence; reasons for the high rate of sexual violence against children; why nearly 60 per cent of children were not yet registered; the time period for issuing physical birth certificates; whether mobile birth registration brigades provided birth certificates; the number of health centres with civil registration offices; follow-up and monitoring practices for cases of violence against children; and measures to ensure that children could express themselves in the media and in family environments and had access to freedom of association.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the State party had revised its child participation guide this year to consider emerging challenges and the evolving capacities of children. The guide enabled children to participate in their local communities, and to submit solutions to the issues they faced related to education, health and leadership.
The Government had targeted programmes for rural schools that enabled free access to the internet and digital services. Together with development partners, the Government was working to increase access to the internet in rural areas to the same level as for urban areas.
The toll-free 116 child helpline allowed children to report cases of violence confidentially. Such cases were then handled by child and family protection units established in all police stations.
The State party had a law forbidding female genital mutilation and had organised joint community dialogues together with the Government of Kenya in border areas. There was a national action plan to combat female genital mutilation and the State’s goal was to eliminate female genital mutilation by 2030.
There was a backlog of cases of registration of refugees, influenced by declining funding for services provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The State party remained committed to addressing this backlog. Recently a European Union partnership fund had been established to support the registration of 100,000 South Sudanese children in the West Nile region.
The sexual offences bill of 2016 criminalised child prostitution and child pornography, making the former punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. The children’s amendment act of 2016 also criminalised sexual exploitation and abuse.
The Government had increased funding for the Uganda Human Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission. The increased funding for the Human Rights Commission allowed it to increase its staff and establish an additional 22 offices across the country. The Equal Opportunities Commission’s budget had increased by over 70 per cent from 2021 to 2026. The National Human Rights Commission had received around 70 complaints related to children, which were forwarded to relevant ministries for follow-up. Both these institutions produced annual reports that were launched publicly, overseen by Parliament and implemented by various ministries.
The State party had established children’s reference groups for researching policy issues and pitching solutions directly to leaders. It also had the children’s parliament and councils, which debated issues that concerned children. There were child-led manifestos led by non-governmental organizations that outlined their priorities regarding issues such as health and education. The Government used schools, child rights’ clubs and community structures to disseminate information on laws and children’s rights in local languages.
Questions by Committee Experts
TIMOTHY P. T. EKESA, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, acknowledged Uganda’s adoption of the persons with disabilities act of 2020 and the national action plan on disability for 2016 to 2021. However, the Committee was concerned by continued discrimination against children with disabilities. How was the Government developing tangible measures to ensure that children with disabilities enjoyed their rights on an equal basis with others?
Many children with disabilities continued to face barriers to accessing education. How was the State party ensuring that children with disabilities had access to reasonable accommodation, trained sign language interpreters and other accessibility measures in school? What proportion of children with disabilities were in the mainstream school system? What measures were in place to identify children with disabilities who were out of the school system and support them to enter it?
It was positive that the State party had worked with dermatology specialists on developing policies for persons with albinism. How were support services for children with albinism being monitored and strengthened? How were children with disabilities involved in developing the State’s disability policies? How many children were currently living in institutions and what deinstitutionalisation plans were in place? What measures were in place to prevent violence and abuse within families?
BENYAM DAWIT MEZMUR, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, acknowledged progress in the area of health. What measures were in place to address children who did not receive vaccinations? What lessons had been learned from the resurgence of the polio virus in 2024? The percentage of budgetary allocation to the health and water sector had decreased in recent years; how would the State increase this budget? Could the delegation provide an update on measures to prevent neonatal and child mortality? What steps had been taken to address mental health issues among children? How effective had the State’s interventions related to teenage pregnancy been? How was the State party regulating tobacco use? What interventions were undertaken to prevent mother-child transmission of HIV/AIDS?
CEPHAS LUMINA, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, noted Uganda’s progress on implementing the Convention. The vulnerable family grant had recently been phased out. Could the delegation provide details on current social assistance programmes that directly targeted children, including children with disabilities and children living in extreme poverty. Around 44 per cent of children experienced multidimensional poverty nationally. What measures were in place under the fourth national development programme to reduce the large regional disparities affecting children? Some 1.3 trillion Ugandan shillings had been allocated to water, sanitation and hygiene in 2025 and 2026, but rural water services covered only 67 per cent of the rural population in 2023. How would the State close this gap?
Around 54 per cent of Kampala residents lived in informal settlements. What measures were in place to prevent forced eviction? The school feeding programme was concentrated in urban areas and heavily depended on external support. Would the Government establish and sustainably finance a national child nutrition and school feeding framework?
Severe droughts in the State were linked to deaths from hunger and malnutrition. What child-specific early warning, anticipatory action and climate adaption measures were in place to guarantee food, health care and continued education during droughts and floods? What mechanisms supported children’s participation in the development of climate and disaster risk reduction policies?
What measures were in place to ensure genuinely free and compulsory primary and secondary education? How did the State ensure that pregnant girls could remain in or return to mainstream education without discrimination? According to the State party’s report, only 34 per cent of primary schools had adequate classrooms, and teacher absenteeism was estimated at 20 to 30 per cent. More than 120,000 primary teachers had been trained since 2020; what impact had this had on teacher absenteeism and learning outcomes for children? The State party aimed to add pre-primary classes to every primary school. However, currently only nine per cent of pre-primary school-age children attended licenced preschools. Would the State amend the education act to guarantee free pre-primary education? How would it bring all pre-primary education facilities in line with the State’s minimum standards?
What steps had been taken to make vocational and technical pathways affordable and accessible for adolescents? Could enrolment and employment data be provided? What measures were in place to ensure equal access to play, leisure, recreational and cultural activities for out-of-school children and other vulnerable children?
BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, said there was an alarming suicide rate in refugee camps and a disproportionately high maternal mortality rate among adolescent girls in these camps. Rates of unsafe abortions in these camps were also much higher than for the rest of the population. How was the State addressing these worrying issues? Many indigenous and minority groups in the State were not recognised in the Constitution. When would this be done?
Some 6.2 million children aged five to 17 were reportedly engaged in labour in Uganda, though the State had not provided any data on child labour. What measures were in place to collect data on child labour? Children as young as 12 could engage in hazardous work in Uganda if they were enrolled in an apprenticeship programme. What was done to prevent this situation?
There were around 100 cases in which children had disappeared and their whereabouts were not known. There were also reports of children being forcibly removed from the streets and separated from their mothers. How was the State addressing this issue? The minimum age of criminal responsibility was low at 12 years of age. Were there plans to increase it to 14? How did the State prevent the detention of children with adults in police stations, which were reportedly overcrowded and had inadequate conditions?
There were many cases of children and adolescents being trialled by military courts. Why was this? What measures were in place to prevent children from being recruited and used in armed conflict?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Uganda had ratified the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and was committed to responding to all forms of child exploitation. Significant domestic legal reforms had been undertaken to align domestic legislation with the Optional Protocol, including amending the trafficking in persons act to provide stringent penalties for aggravated child trafficking and establish victim protection measures. Other relevant legislation included the children’s act, the computer misuse act, and the national child policy, among others.
Institutional mechanisms for the enforcement of anti-trafficking legislation had been strengthened, including through the establishment of a specialised anti-trafficking department. Child friendly justice procedures had been implemented, including trauma informed interviewing and special court procedures to reduce secondary trauma. Several prevention measures, including community awareness campaigns addressing child trafficking, had also been implemented. Despite progress, Uganda still faced challenges, including limited resources for enforcement and victim support services, as well as insufficient data.
The legal and institutional framework, including the recently amended children’s act, set the age of criminal responsibility at 12. It enshrined the detention of children as a last resort. There was a prohibition of media recognition of children, and interviews could be conducted on camera. Specially adapted courts enabled child witnesses to testify without facing their perpetrator, limiting revictimisation. From 2023 to 2024, 1,754 children received legal aid, a 117 per cent increase from the previous year. A handbook had been prepared on prosecuting child-related cases. There was sign language interpretation in courts in different regions as well as a Braille version of the children’s act.
All remand homes held only children. The State acknowledged that the congestion of remand home was a critical challenge, and steps were being taken to address this, including the creation of a plan in this regard. Diversion guidelines were developed to ensure that where possible, children could be diverted to other avenues. In 2023, more than 1,500 juveniles were resettled from detention facilities. Renovation and reconstruction of remand homes had been undertaken, and the parliament had requested a significant increase in the budget for this project. Specific regulations governing remand homes had not yet been gazetted, but the Government was committed to doing so.
There were currently more than 15,000 children living in alternative care in Uganda. The State’s alternative care framework focused on family strengthening and prevention of separation. Reintegration and permanency planning were emphasised for all children in alternative care. Over 250 unapproved homes had been closed throughout the country, and guidelines had been developed in this regard. During the reporting period, two pilot programmes had been closed; they had been testing direct child-cash transfers. This year, Uganda established the national child assistance programme for children with disabilities, aimed at families raising children with severe functional impairments. The Office of the Prime Minister ran nutritional interventions annually.
The national strategy for strengthening the civil service workforce had been finalised, establishing an institutional mechanism, shifting social services to more Government-controlled mechanisms. The Government reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring safe access to water and sanitation for all children. Efforts remained focused on reducing the distance to safe water sources, strengthening school systems and climate resilient infrastructure, and expanding solar-powered water systems. Significant progress had been made in expanding access to water and sanitation services, with 81 per cent of households now having access to improved water drinking sources. Over two hundred million USD had been allocated to clean water infrastructure, allowing an additional more than three million people to access these services, including one million in rural areas.
Uganda was targeting a 22 per cent emissions reduction by 2030, with other measures taken, including increased climate change education to ensure vulnerable groups were active agents rather than just beneficiaries. Uganda had a legal framework specifically protecting children with disabilities, stating these children should not be separated from their families except in accordance with the law or in the child’s best interests. The Government was working to improve disability-friendly infrastructure and the provision of learning materials and assistive devices. The early identification of disability was also being strengthened to ensure that children could be identified earlier and referred to for intervention. The legal position was that disability itself was not a basis from separating a child from their family. Uganda’s legal framework promoted inclusive education.
In 2025, the Ugandan police engaged over 4,600 participants in crime-prone areas through community policing and sensitisation. The child protection case management system had also been strengthened. Police investigated cases of violence against children and had recorded 12,361 cases of domestic violence in 2025, compared to more than 14,000 cases in 2024, representing a 12.2 per cent reduction. Children who were identified as at-risk were referred to probation and social welfare officers.
Uganda set the age of 18 as the minimum age of marriage for both men and women. There was no legal exception permitting child marriage on the grounds of any custom. The Government was also strengthening awareness among communities and religious leaders around the legal minimum age, recognising that community enforcement on this topic was required, as well as legislation.
There was a public health concern regarding substance and alcohol abuse among children and adolescents in Uganda. Uganda used a combination of penal welfare laws to penalise those who exposed children to harmful substances. It was illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 18. One of the major hospitals was tackling child substance abuse with specialised clinical care and awareness campaigns.
Uganda hosted the largest number of refugees in Africa, at over two million, with borders remaining open. Refugees in Bidibidi, the largest settlement in Uganda, did not live in camps, but could build a home and work like any members of Ugandan society. However, international support for Uganda’s refugee programme had collapsed, which had put a strain on the response in terms of food ration cuts, limited basic services, tensions within host communities and impacting durable solutions. Community-based support required increased volunteers and health workers, as well as flexible funding from partners.
Uganda’s eviction and resettlement guidelines included child-specific protections. Structures had been developed to recognise children at risk of family separation or street living, and programmes had been developed to rehabilitate children living on the street. Collaboration with development partners had strengthened development care frameworks. Uganda acknowledged that urbanisation, poverty, shocks and climate breakdown continued to place pressure on financially insecure households. The State remained steadfast in its commitment to ensure that no child was left without care.
Uganda recognised that access to the internet increasingly shaped a child’s education and access to future opportunities. The State’s communication sector was growing, with smartphone ownership estimated at more than 55 per cent in urban areas, and 26 per cent in rural areas. The cost of the internet was identified as a barrier to access. The Government response aimed at lowering the cost of devices and data, among other factors.
Child labour monitoring had been strengthened through the labour offices and trained social workers. In one district, more than 600 cases of child labour had been identified since 2024, with more than 500 children able to return to education or training.
Uganda recognised the protection of children from HIV/AIDS as a public obligation and a child rights issue. By the end of 2022, Uganda had achieved important targets in ensuring the number of people who knew their infection rate and those taking retroviral medication. In April this year, Uganda launched Community Health Extension Workers to extend outreach in the community, particularly for HIV-positive mothers, with a focus on hard-to-reach areas. The number of children living with HIV had reduced dramatically, with a 78 per cent reduction in new transmissions and an 80 per cent reduction in HIV-related deaths in children. This demonstrated that Uganda’s programmes and policies were having an impact.
Questions by Committee Experts
Committee Experts asked follow-up questions, including on what was being done to prevent children from returning to institutions once they had left and the support provided to them; how foster carers were vetted, regulated and trained; whether care plans were reviewed and by whom; language barriers for refugee children; children who disappeared from the street; children being tried by military courts; institutions working outside of the legal control of the Government; and how to prevent children from being punished for the offences of their parents and needing to remain in prisons.
Experts also asked about plans to ensure free pre-primary, primary and secondary education; if there were any plans to ratify the Optional Protocol on individual communications; how it was ensured that resources allocated to children were efficiently spent; if there was a system for tracking budget allocations and spending for children across all Government levels, and how it was achieving the desired outcomes; execution rates for major child programmes; what emergency contraception was available for girls who were victims of rape; and figures on access to safe abortion.
Other Experts asked what happened to a child who was in contact with the law; concrete examples where children’s views resulted in changes to a law; if there was a system in place which would support families who could not afford to pay for education; how many schools in Uganda were truly inclusive; if there was a birth registration system in place for Congolese children and children born out of wedlock; if community and parish leaders were informed about the need for birth registration; how early pregnancy would be prevented; what was being done to prevent clandestine abortions; specific programmes to address female genital mutilation and associated obstetric fistula; programmes in place to combat paediatric tuberculosis and malaria; awareness raising on the proper use of mosquito nets; policies and regulations around surrogacy; children below the legal age of responsibility; whether the age of criminal responsibility would be changed from 12 to 14; and how work on child rights was undertaken in collaboration with religious leaders?
An Expert said the anti-homosexuality act was likely one of the worst acts in the world in terms of human rights, with many United Nations bodies urging its repeal. This was a sad situation for the children and young people of Uganda who were discovering their sexuality and gender orientation. Had the State seriously considered repealing this legislation?
Several Experts recognised the positive steps Uganda had taken in terms of juvenile justice.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Uganda did not have comprehensive legislation in respect to surrogacy yet. However, a bill had been tabled before parliament which sought to regulate assisted reproductive procedures and the rights of the children born. As of March 2026, the bill had progressed to the second reading.
Uganda recognised and respected the rights of all persons without discrimination. The children’s act applied to all children, including indigenous children. The Government had implemented programmes for historically marginalised communities, including indigenous peoples, ensuring that children had access to health care and education.
Children in prison with their parents were treated as children requiring care and not as prisoners. The Government was committed to improving the conditions to which children accompanied their parents in detention centres.
A few years ago, a study was carried out which showed that over 90 per cent of Ugandans reported crimes to local entities before the formal justice system. Uganda’s engagement with local religious leaders was embedded in the State’s justice programme. Uganda united religious leaders and recognised them as people who would supervise diverted children. Chaplaincy was provided in remand homes. Clan leaders also provided mediation in family disputes and intervened in harmful practices, including child marriage. It was acknowledged that religious leaders served as child protection partners, but in some contexts imparted harmful practices.
The Uganda child helpline remained one of the most trusted platforms for reporting cases of gender-based violence against children and cases of child labour. The helpline also ran periodic media campaigns with support for development partners. The children reference groups were present in 30 districts.
The State had implemented a vaccination catch-up campaign to bring those behind in their vaccinations up to date. Uganda aimed to strengthen routine immunisation, and community-based disease surveillance. The Government had increased its domestic contribution to health by around six per cent this year compared to the last financial year. The number of registered doctors had increased in the past year, as did the number of midwives and nurses. However, the staffing of public health facilities remained a challenge. The Government had also expanded and upgraded the health facility network.
The Government trained at least 100 teachers each year and deployed them in hard-to-reach areas. Community-based education centres were not subject to any taxes and received Government subsidies. Families were informed about the importance of early learning in a variety of settings.
The Government had not received any reports concerning children who had been rescued from the streets but then disappeared. Children rescued from the streets were taken to a village where they were rehabilitated and provided with free accommodation. Reintegration plans were developed for them, and those who wished to return to school could do so within their local Government. In one region, children found on the street were put into a boarding school and provided with food and educational materials. For those whose parents were identified, they could return to them or stay in vocational education.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government had distributed food to all approved and non-approved children’s homes. As of this year, all children’s homes for children with special needs would receive benefits from the Government.
Public expenditure was regulated under an act, which required the mainstreaming of gender and obliged inclusive service delivery. Before any budget was approved and funds were released, gender and equity responsiveness were assessed, and a compliance certificate was issued, which was a requirement for budget approval.
Civilians were not tried in martial courts in Uganda. Uganda was peaceful and secure and did not have child soldiers. The State was involved in supporting mediation efforts in the region, including in Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A campaign had been enacted in Uganda targeting children in schools across the country, which was discovered because children began resisting going to school. It was subsequently discovered that there had been use of audio and video mediums as well as books to promote homosexuality. This was unacceptable in Uganda. As a result of what was unearthed, parliament adopted a bill which was then enacted into law. The bill did not discriminate; it prohibited promotion of any kind, whether this was heterosexuality or homosexuality. The State believed this law protected children and did not discriminate against their access to social services.
Uganda had made progress in expanding birth registration and had scaled up the electronic birth registration system in 120 districts. The State had made use of “birth registration weeks” which had registered over 600,000 children between 2021 and 2023. Births had been registered in refugee settlements, ensuring the recognition of children born in displacement.
The State held an annual walk to fight against malaria, attended by high-level politicians and diplomats. There were two village health teams in each village that aided in household distribution and door to door campaigns. Mosquito nets had been distributed to 130 districts. There had been an Ebola outbreak in May 2026, with Uganda successfully able to halt the transmission. The Committee members were invited to visit Uganda; the State was ready to receive visitors at any time.
Concluding Statements
BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, expressed gratitude to the high-level multisectoral delegation of Uganda for the transparent and collaborative exchange. The Government should be congratulated for the children’s act, and numerous strategies and progress in key areas since the last review, including in child justice, child mortality and the development of the child wellbeing management system. The path for the full realisation of the Convention was an ongoing journey, and the State was called upon to address outstanding issues, including situations of vulnerable children and the anti-homosexuality act.
Looking ahead, the concluding observations should be seen as a strategic roadmap to guide Uganda’s national plans over the coming years. The State was encouraged to strengthen its Human Rights Committee and disseminate its conclusions widely, as well as produce a child-friendly version. The Committee stood ready to assist the State party in translating the provisions of the Convention into tangible actions on the ground.
LAKISHA MERCY FAITH, Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs of Uganda and head of the delegation, expressed sincere appreciation to the Committee for the dialogue. Significant milestones had been achieved in implementing the Convention, although some work remained. Uganda remained committed to advancing education, health services and social protection measures as well as the prevention of all forms of violence, discrimination and exploitation. The Committee’s concerns were noted and appreciated. The State would continue to strengthen national efforts to ensure no child was left behind.
SOPHIE KILADZE, Committee Chair, thanked the delegation for the constructive dialogue. The Committee appreciated and commended the positive developments made by Uganda, but challenges remained, which the State was aware of. The State had the Committee’s full support in implementing the concluding observations. Ms. Kiladze conveyed warm regards to all the children of Uganda.
___________
Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media;
not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.
CRC26015E