| Overview : In 2000, the Millennium Declaration committed Member States of the United Nations towards a new global partnership aimed at reducing extreme poverty.[1] At the summit, eight time bound targets commonly referred to as the Millennium Development Goals were developed as a basis for a common achievement. By 2015, more than one billion people throughout the world were lifted out of extreme poverty, child and maternal mortality rates were reduced, net primary school enrolment and the overall Official Development Assistance were increased.[2] In the same period, Uganda achieved 33% of the MDG targets including, inter alia, a reduction in household income poverty and malaria incidence, increased access to safe drinking water and net primary school enrolment.[3] However, progress has been uneven across regions in Uganda thus leaving significant gaps,[4] and particularly widening inequalities among regions, poverty and between genders. On the latter, women continue to endure discrimination in access to work, economic assets and participation in private and public decision-making processes, thus significantly limiting their contributions to national development. During the period, Uganda continued to register high Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR),[5] and HIV/AIDS prevalence.[6] There was a negative HIV/AIDS trend reversal with prevalence rate increasing from 6.4% in 2004/2005 to 7.4% in 2012/2013.[7] In an effort to address these gaps, Uganda launched in April 2013, Vision 2040,[8] ahead of the post-2015 development summit and committed as a model country in the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. This was through a strategic policy shift within a Comprehensive National Development Planning Framework (CNDPF) including, the Vision 2040,[9] the National Development Plan (NDP), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) framework. In addition, Uganda developed the SDG coordination, monitoring and reporting frameworks including, inter alia, the National SDG Roadmap.[1] The National Development Plan II (NDPII) currently integrates 69% of the SDG targets,[2] and up to 76% by the United Nations Development Assistance Framework.[3] Also, the 2030 Agenda coordination structure including, inter alia, the SDG Policy Coordination Committee (PCC), the SDG Implementation Steering Committee (ISC), the SDG National Task Force (NTF), and the SDG Technical Working Groups (TWGs) were established in readiness for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Through these frameworks, the government of Uganda envisages addressing gaps in the implementation and realization of the SDG targets and equally realize its commitment to leaving no one behind in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. OHCHR intends to contribute to this process through demonstrating, in practical terms, the linkages between the Government of Uganda’s SDG framework to international human rights standards and principles, and how human rights can be used as an important tool in advancing the overall vision of Vision 2040 and the SDGs. [1] As part of the efforts to operationalize the SDGs Coordination Framework, a National SDGs Roadmap - a costed multi-year roadmap to be implemented during the NDPII period (2015/16-2019/20) – is being finalized. The Roadmap will provide a framework for SDGs implementers to argument their efforts to mobilize internal and external resources for SDG specific initiatives, and will help inform and prioritize which activities needs urgent attention to ensure effective implementation of the SDGs. [2]NDPII alignment rate with the SDGs stands at 69% (170 SDGs targets addressed by NDPII). [3] UNDAF, 2016/2020 |
