Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Uganda (Ratification: 1963)

Articles 1(1) and 2(1) of the Convention. 1. Trafficking in persons. The Committee notes the Government’s indication, in its report of 22 July 2011 to the Human Rights Council for the Universal Periodic Review, that the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act 2009 was adopted (A/HRC/WG.6/12/UGA/1, paragraph 25). It notes that section 3 of this Act prohibits trafficking in persons for both labour and sexual exploitation, with a penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment for this offence. Additionally, the Committee notes that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, in its concluding observations of 5 November 2010, welcomed the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, but expressed its concern that statistics on the number of women and girls who are victims of trafficking for sexual and economic exploitation were not available and at the Government’s failure to address the root causes of trafficking (CEDAW/C/UGA/CO/7, paragraph 27). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to combat trafficking in persons in its next report. It also requests the Government to provide information on the application in practice of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, including the number of investigations, prosecutions, convictions and specific penalties imposed.

2. Freedom of career military officers to leave their service. The Committee previously noted that, pursuant to section 28(1) of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (Conditions of Service) (Officers) Regulations, the Commissions Board may permit officers to resign their commission in writing at any stage during their service. It noted the Government’s repeated indications that the officer applying for the resignation must give his/her reasons for it, and the Board will consider these reasons and, if it finds them fit, will grant permission to resign.

The Committee once again observes that, under section 28(1) of the above Regulations, the application to resign may be either accepted or refused by the Commissions Board. Referring to paragraph 290 of the General Survey of 2012 on fundamental Conventions concerning rights at work, the Committee recalls that under the Convention, career members of the armed forces fully enjoy the right to leave their service in peacetime at their own request within a reasonable period, either at specified intervals, or with previous notice. It requests the Government to provide, in its next report, information on the application of section 28(1) of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (Conditions of Service) (Officers) Regulations in practice, indicating the criteria applied in accepting or rejecting a resignation, as well as the number of cases in which such resignations were refused and the grounds for refusal.