O U R M I S S I O N
To undertake collective action for the promotion and protection of children’s rights in Uganda.
O U R V I S I O N
A society where children’s rights are realized.
Who We Are
The Uganda Child Rights NGO Network (UCRNN) is a coalition of over 150 child-focused organizations, comprising community-based, national, and international non-governmental organizations, working for the welfare and rights of more than three million vulnerable children in Uganda. As a membership network rather than a single implementing agency, UCRNN’s distinctive role is to coordinate, convene, and amplify: to bring the sector together around shared priorities and to ensure that the collective experience of its members shapes the laws, policies, and practices that affect children’s lives.
Over more than two decades, the network has earned recognition as the leading civil society voice on child rights. The government, development partners, and international human rights bodies alike trust Uganda. Its central purpose remains constant: to undertake collective action for the promotion and protection of children’s rights in Uganda.
Our Story
UCRNN was established in 1997 to spearhead the generation of the NGO Alternative Report on the progress of Uganda’s implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). What began as a coordinated reporting effort quickly grew into an enduring movement. Recognizing that meaningful change required Sustained, collective engagement rather than one-off reporting, child-focused organizations rallied around the Network as a permanent platform for joint advocacy.
In the years since, UCRNN has played a leading role in mobilizing organizations for collective action at the national, regional, and international levels, submitting alternative and complementary reports to the United Nations and African human rights mechanisms, pioneering the country’s first child-protection helpline, and shaping landmark legislation for children. Today, the Network stands as a mature, respected coalition whose history is woven into the
very fabric of Uganda’s child rights movement.
Our Core Values
Five values define how the Network operates and hold us to account in everything we do:
ACCOUNTABILITY
We hold ourselves, our members and duty-bearers
responsible for commitments made to children, and we report transparently on our work.
CHILD PARTICIPATION
We recognize children as rights-holders with a voice, and we create genuine space for them to influence the decisions that affect their lives.
FAIRNESS
We pursue equity and justice for every child, ensuring that the most marginalized are never left behind.
NON-DISCRIMINATION
We uphold the rights of all children without distinction of any kind, in line with the core principles of the UNCRC.
TRANSPARENCY
We act openly and honestly in our governance, partnerships, and use of resources, earning the trust of members, partners, and the public. Uganda
What We Believe
We believe that all children must be recognized as individuals with human rights. We are committed to protecting and defending children’s rights and seeking justice when those rights are violated. We focus on keeping leaders and governments accountable for their actions towards children, defending children whose rights are violated, protecting the most vulnerable children, and making the rights of the child accessible to as many people as possible.
