The Programme on Accountability, Civic Engagement and Rights (PACER), 2023-2027 The Programme on Accountability, Civic Engagement and Rights (PACER), 2023-2027 The Programme on Accountability, Civic Engagement and Rights (PACER) in Uganda is a new programme within the democracy and human rights sphere covering the period 2023-2027. The programme focuses on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) as the main stakeholders but can also support government institutions as indirect partners with whom on-going dialogue on democratic values, protection of human rights and civic space should be maintained due to their role as custodians of government strategies, policies and legislation. The programme will support activities at national as well as local level but will also provide geographical priority focus on West Nile, Karamoja and Northern Uganda given the vulnerabilities and marginalization in these regions.

The overall goal of the programme is to strengthen democratic values, protect civic space and human rights in Uganda. The programme will deliver on this goal through three objectives: (i) Strengthening Accountability, (ii) Enhancing Civic Engagement, and (iii) Promotion and Protection of Rights. Programmet ”Accountability, Civic Engagement and Rights (PACER)” i Uganda är ett nytt program inom demokrati och mänskliga rättigheter som täcker perioden 2023-2027. Programmet fokuserar i huvudsak på civilsamhälles organisationer (CSOs) men kan också stödja statliga institutioner som indirekta partners. En dialog pågår om hur statliga institutioner kan stödjas inom områden som demokratiska värderingar, skydd av mänskliga rättigheter samt medborgerligt utrymme - i institutionernas roll som genomförare av regeringens strategier, politik och lagstiftning. Programmet kommer att stödja aktiviteter på nationell såväl som lokal nivå, men kommer även att ge geografiskt prioriterat fokus på västra Nilen, Karamoja och norra Uganda med tanke på sårbarheterna och marginaliseringen i dessa regioner.

Det övergripande målet med programmet är att stärka demokratiska värderingar, skydda och främja det civila utrymmet och de mänskliga rättigheterna i Uganda. Programmet levererar mot målet genom tre områden: (i) Stärka ansvarsutkrävande, (ii) Öka samhällsengagemanget, samt (iii) Främja och skydda de mänskliga rättigheterna. The overall goal of the programme is to strengthen democratic values, protect civic space and human rights in Uganda. The programme will deliver on this goal through three objectives; 

1. Strengthening Accountability 
2. Enhance Civic Engagement 
3. Promotion and protection of rights 

Under each of these objectives the following will be focused upon;

Accountability: Strengthened capacity of specific duty bearers to deliver on citizens needs, concerns and aspirations, and human rights in an accountable and transparent manner, and of civil society organisations to engage actively in holding government to account.

Civic engagement: Strengthened participation of citizens and civil society organisations, including youth and women, in decision-making processes and monitoring of government compliance in delivery of agreed public services. Active civic engagement based on principles of gender equality, human rights and leaving no one behind is a means for rights holders to demand increased accountability and transparency from duty bearers, which are empowered to implement their mandate, whereby rights are increasingly respected, protected and fulfilled.

Rights: Improved access to information on rights and civic education, and strengthened peoples capacity to claim their rights.