Human rights and economic security in Uganda

Abstract

The study seeks to assess the current state of human rights and economic security in Uganda. The research objectives were; to examine the link between human rights and economic security in Uganda and to establish whether the observance of human rights is effective in supporting economic security in Uganda. The study was premised on the argument that the observance of human rights will support economic security. The study used the case study design using the phenomenological research approach. This approach dealt with the use of document checklist as part of the qualitative research method that reviewed the already existing documents related to the topic that was studied. Reviewing documents therefore favored the use of qualitative document review approach for the study. Reviewing documents was guided by the major variables of the study and only documents which contained the variables related to the topic were studied. Data analysis was done in consideration of the fact that the study was qualitative. The data was therefore analyzed for content (content analysis) and the language used (discourse analysis). Basing on the findings from this study the following conclusions were arrived at; the major indicator of the link between human rights and economic security is the writing of the U.N. Charter, human rights and economic development that are adopted into the Ugandan constitution. Human rights abuses have affected the attainment of economic security. When individuals are denied the rights they are supposed to enjoy, there is absence of economic security. The recommendations were; the government of Uganda should provide timely access to such key information such as budget, tax and financial policies to enable civil society, parliamentary commissions, national human rights structures and courts to monitor and provide oversight over economic security. The ministry of gender, labour and social development should put in place measures in favour of people with disabilities as a way of implementing equity and equality for all people to help people with disability attain economic security. The Auditor General should evaluate whether fiscal contractions are strictly necessary by identifying all possible resourcing alternatives as a way of protecting people from economic corruption and exploitation through easy access to such information. Researchers need to replicate similar research for others types of security under human security in order to examine the relationship and impact of human rights on environmental security, community security, and other types like national security.