Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF)

Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF), an international non-governmental organization founded in 1992 and headquartered in Brussels, has been operating in Uganda since December 2007, with its office located in Kampala. The Uganda team comprises approximately 15 collaborators.

Mission and Focus Areas

ASF’s mission in Uganda centers on promoting access to justice and upholding human rights, particularly for vulnerable and marginalized populations. The organization addresses systemic challenges within Uganda’s justice system, including:

• Limited access to legal services for the poor

• Corruption within judicial and law enforcement institutions

• Overreliance on informal and often flawed alternative dispute resolution mechanisms

• Lack of a comprehensive public legal aid framework

• Discrepancies between legal frameworks and actual practices, leading to issues like unlawful arrests and prison overcrowding

ASF also focuses on transitional justice, addressing the lingering effects of past conflicts, and advocates for the rights of communities affected by large-scale development projects, especially in the extractive industries.

Key Projects

ASF has implemented several significant projects in Uganda:

• Empowering Civil Society for Inclusive Development: Running from January 2022 to December 2026, this project, funded by the Belgian Development Cooperation (DGD), aims to strengthen civil society organizations (CSOs) to enhance their capacity in promoting human rights and access to justice.

• From Access to Equality (FATE): This four-year initiative (April 2021 – March 2025), funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, focuses on empowering women to access justice, addressing gender-based disparities within the legal system.

Advocacy and Research

ASF actively engages in research and advocacy to highlight human rights issues in Uganda. Notably, the organization co-published the “HEATED” report, which examines human rights violations linked to oil projects by TotalEnergies and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) in Uganda. The report underscores the adverse impacts on local communities and the repression of human rights defenders.

Partnerships and Networks

ASF collaborates with various local and international partners to amplify its impact. In Uganda, it works closely with organizations like Civic Response on Environment and Development (CRED) and Advocates for Natural Resources and Development (ANARDE) to address issues related to natural resource management and community rights.

Additionally, ASF is a member of the Human Rights Network Uganda (HURINET-U), a coalition of organizations dedicated to promoting and protecting human rights across the country.

Contact Information

For more information or to get involved with ASF’s work in Uganda, you can reach out via email at oug-com@asf.be or visit their official website: https://asf.be/action/asf-in-uganda/.