Mpuuga (Left) addressing the press
Civil Society Activists have called on the Opposition to lead the amendments into the Ratification of Treaties Act in Uganda to ensure that the role of ratification of the treaties, agreements and protocols signed by Uganda has an input of Ugandans through their leaders the Parliamentarians, saying the current provision that only requires input of Cabinet has been abused.
The call was made by Jane Nalunga, Executive Director of Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI) Uganda while presenting their petition to the Leader of Opposition, Mathias Mpuuga where they cited a number of treaties with problematic clauses that only require disputes to be handled at international courts, they say would be costly for Uganda in terms of litigation.
“We need to re-access the ratification of the Treaties Act because this Act because this Act says if it isn’t a war, things can pass through cabinet. Somebody can be able to go, just inform cabinet, lays before parliament and it is done. Today, I doubt whether our Government knows how many treaties we have signed, whether they are, who signed them what are our obligations under that treaty but every treaty signed by any official is binding on us,” said Nalunga.
She also revealed that certain protocols if entered into would take Uganda 26years to exit, and even some of them even after exiting them 20years down the road, Uganda can be held liable, which calls for the need to have these treaties and protocols tabled before Parliament for scrutiny and input of other stakeholders like civil society before they become binding to all Uganda.
Leader of Opposition Mpuuga welcomed the recommendation made by SEATINI revealing that although the Minister of State for Regional Affairs, John Mulumba tabled a list of 270 protocols and treaties signed and ratified by Uganda, Government fell short of tabling all these treaties, saying he had instructed his Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs (Muwada Nkunyingi) to demand to have all these treaties tabled before Parliament for scrutiny.
Mpuuga said, “And the red flag informs the danger in which we are walking namely that the possibility in form of undertaking in form of protocols that are going to affect generations, and somehow, we don’t seem to care. And from what she is saying out of the Ratification of Treaties Act, whereas the constitution is very clear that that such protocols should be brought to the attention of Parliament.”
“There seems to be a contradiction between the constitution and Ratification of Treaties Act in this case the Constitution should have stood that every treaty and protocol should be brought before Parliament so it does seem like a lot is going on without the knowledge of Parliament and therefore the red flag asked by SEATINI should enable us ask further questions and get to understand who is signing what on our behalf,” added Mpuuga.
His proposal was backed by Muwada who said, “We commit that we must make an argument that such treaties and agreements be done before Parliament. If you look at treaties that are ratified through Cabinet, that power has been abused, and we need to bring that power towards a more centred approach where people are involved, there are consultations, especially through leaders.”
