Browsing by Author "Ssenyonjo, Manisuli"

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    The Applicability of International Human Rights Law to Non-State Actors: What Relevance to Economic, Social and Cultural Rights?
    (The International Journal of Human Rights, 2008) Ssenyonjo, Manisuli
    In recent years, non-state actors (NSAs) such as transnational corporations, civil society groups, international organisations (including the World Trade Organisation, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund) as well as armed opposition or terrorist groups have assumed major roles in relation to the progressive enjoyment throughout the world of all human rights, and economic, social and cultural rights in particular. Despite this development, NSAs are still not bound directly by existing international human rights treaties which apply to states parties. The fact, however, is that the growth in the wealth and power of NSAs has meant an enhanced potential for NSAs to promote or undermine respect for human rights. This raises two fundamental questions examined in this article: (1) how should international human rights law ensure that the activities of NSAs are consistent with international human rights standards? (2) How should accountability of NSAs be promoted effectively when violations of international human rights law occur? It is concluded that in order to ensure more accountability for human rights violations by NSAs, it is relevant to consider the adoption of a Statute of an International Court of Human Rights, to which NSAs could also become parties in addition to states.
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    The Crime of Unconstitutional Change of Government and Popular Uprisings in Africa: Issues and Challenges
    (African Journal of International and Comparative Law, 2020) Ssenyonjo, Manisuli
    Several African states have experienced military coups as a form of government change, undermining the constitutional change of governments, human rights and threats to regional peace and security in Africa. This article examines the crime of unconstitutional change of government in Africa. It considers the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Criminal Law section of the African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples’ Rights over the crime of unconstitutional change of government. It then examines the scope of the crime of unconstitutional change of government and whether there is a right to peaceful rebellion against undemocratic governments in Africa. It also considers the impact of immunity granted to African heads of state on the prosecution of the crime of unconstitutional change of government. It further explores whether the imposition of the death penalty by some domestic courts for the crime of unconstitutional change of government is compatible with African states’ international human rights obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other human rights instruments. This is followed by a consideration of the challenge of providing funds for the benefit of victims of crimes including unconstitutional changes of government.
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    The domestic protection and promotion of human rights under the 1995 Ugandan Constitution
    (Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights, 2002) Ssenyonjo, Manisuli
    This article examines the domestic constitutional framework for protection and promotion of human rights in Uganda. It considers the historical evolution of Uganda's Bill of Rights in the context of Uganda's history, which has been characterised by gross human rights violations. It observes that in 1986 Museveni under his ‘Movement’ or ‘no-party’ government declared a period of ‘fundamental change’, but argues that despite some positive aspects, the change as related to the protection and promotion of human rights has been far from being ‘fundamental’. It contends that, although the 1995 Ugandan Constitution attempts to protect human rights, the constitutional restrictions on civil and political rights and the relegation of most economic and social rights as ‘directive principles' coupled with elastic executive powers together with the ‘no-party’ political system undermine the effective protection and promotion of civil, political as well as economic, social and cultural rights. The article concludes by calling for a democratic constitutional reform representative of all interest groups, judicial activism on the part of the Ugandan Judiciary and Human Rights Commission and developing a culture of constitutionalism in Uganda to give effect to the indivisible and interdependent nature of all human rights in accordance with Uganda's international human rights obligations as a State party to the two international human rights covenants on civil and political as well as economic, social and cultural rights.
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    The International Criminal Court and the Lord's Resistance Army leaders: prosecution or amnesty?
    (Netherlands International Law Review, 2007) Ssenyonjo, Manisuli
    On 13 October 2005, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber II unsealed the warrants of arrest for five senior leaders of the Lord's Resistance Army/Movement (LRA/M) for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Uganda since July 2002. While these warrants were yet to be executed, the Ugandan government entered negotiations with the LRA/M rebels. As a result Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, disregarding the ICC arrest warrants, announced a ‘total amnesty’ for the LRA combatants in July 2006 on the condition that the rebels renounced terrorism and accepted peace. Following the amnesty offer, an agreement on cessation of hostilities between the Ugandan government and the LRA/M was concluded with effect from 29 August 2006. This article considers the question whether a ‘total amnesty’ to individuals indicted by the ICC may be binding upon the ICC.
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    Reflections on state obligations with respect to economic, social and cultural rights in international human rights law
    (The International Journal of Human Rights, 2011) Ssenyonjo, Manisuli
    In 1948 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) declared a wide range of human rights including economic, social and cultural rights as a ‘common standard of achievement’ for all peoples and all nations. At an international level, these rights were reinforced by a legally binding international treaty, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in 1966, and more recently by the Optional Protocol to the ICESCR as adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 2008, and opened for signature on 24 September 2009. Despite these positive developments, six decades after the UDHR, there are still questions regarding the status of economic, social and cultural rights as human rights in international law. In particular, four key questions regarding these rights, are addressed in this article: (1) what are the real human rights obligations of states parties to the ICESCR? (2) Are such obligations territorially limited or is there scope for extra-territorial obligations? (3) Are states permitted to derogate from (some) economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights during emergencies despite the fact that the ICESCR does not contain a derogation clause either permitting or prohibiting derogations? (4) Was it really necessary to adopt in 2008 an Optional Protocol to the ICESCR to provide for the competence of the committee monitoring the obligations of states parties under the ICESCR, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to receive and consider communications alleging violations of any of the rights protected by the ICESCR? And should states parties to the ICESCR sign and ratify this Optional Protocol without delay?
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    Responding to Human Rights Violations in Africa Assessing the Role of the African Commission and Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights
    (International Human Rights Law Review, 2018) Ssenyonjo, Manisuli
    This article examines the main achievements and challenges of Africa’s two regional bodies established to ensure the implementation of human rights in Africa. It makes an assessment of the role of Africa’s oldest regional human rights body, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) in the last 31 years of its operation (from 1987–March 2018). It also considers the judicial role of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Court) in the last 12 years of its operation (from 2006–March 2018). The increasing contribution of both the Commission and the Court to the protection of human rights under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights is rarely subjected to scrutiny in mainstream human rights literature. The article is limited to the consideration of the Commission’s contribution with respect to: (i) decisions on admissibility of communications concerning mainly exhaustion of domestic remedies; (ii) decisions on merits of communications; (iii) adoption of resolutions, principles/guidelines, general comments, model laws and advisory opinions; (iv) special rapporteurs and working groups to deal with thematic human rights issues; (v) consideration of State reports and conducting on-site visits; and (vi) referral of communications to the African Court involving unimplemented interim measures, serious or massive human rights violations, or the Commission’s findings on admissibility and merits.