By Ben Musanje
Uganda has called for stronger international cooperation to combat organised crime, terrorism, cybercrime, human trafficking and money laundering, warning that criminal networks are increasingly operating across national borders.
Addressing the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi, Uganda’s Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Norbert Mao, said no country could tackle transnational crime on its own.
Speaking as head of Uganda’s delegation, Mao welcomed the Abu Dhabi Declaration and the Congress theme of accelerating crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law in the digital age.
Uganda also aligned itself with statements delivered by the Africa Group, the Group of 77 and China, while stressing that effective crime prevention and criminal justice are essential to sustainable development and the protection of human dignity.
Uganda pushes cross-border justice cooperation
Mao said Uganda was placing particular emphasis on extradition, mutual legal assistance and information sharing to prevent national borders from being exploited by criminal networks.
He also welcomed technical assistance and capacity building from international partners, but said such support should be aligned with countries’ national priorities.
Uganda ratified the United Nations protocols on trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants in 2024. In October 2025, the country was also among the first states to sign the UN Convention against Cybercrime in Hanoi.
The government is meanwhile developing a National Strategy Against Transnational Organised Crime. The strategy is expected to identify Uganda’s major criminal markets and the groups operating within them, while addressing the social and economic factors that enable organised crime.
According to the statement, gender and human rights considerations will be incorporated into the strategy.
Beyond punishment
Mao argued that criminal justice responses should extend beyond imposing tougher penalties and should also address the conditions that make people vulnerable to crime.
“Our response, therefore, must go beyond punitive measures to address the social and economic conditions that foster vulnerability to crime,” he said.
He called for gender perspectives to be incorporated into crime prevention efforts and for greater action against impunity for gender-based violence.
The minister also highlighted reforms undertaken across Uganda’s justice and security institutions. According to the government, the country has recorded declining crime rates for three consecutive years under a whole-of-government approach coordinated through the Governance and Security Programme.
The statement further said the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has recorded a 75 per cent conviction rate.
Among the reforms cited were digitised case management in the Judiciary, the Uganda Police Force’s Sub-County Policing Model, Prosecution-Guided Investigations Guidelines, measures by the Financial Intelligence Authority to protect the financial system, and rehabilitation programmes within the Uganda Prisons Service.
Call for responsible use of technology
Mao also addressed the growing role of technology in crime prevention and criminal justice, saying digital tools should be used without compromising fundamental rights.
“We must harness technology responsibly, without allowing it to become a new avenue for criminality or a threat to fundamental rights,” he said.
He called for criminal justice systems that are innovative, inclusive and evidence-based, while remaining anchored in the rule of law.
Uganda, he added, was prepared to work with other UN member states and partners on efforts to build safer and more resilient societies.
Uganda showcases justice reforms
Throughout the Congress, the Ugandan government is hosting a national exhibition titled “Showcasing Uganda’s Criminal Justice Reform Journey through the JLOS Chain-Link Model.”
The exhibition features demonstrations of digital justice platforms, documentary material and a compendium of Uganda’s justice-sector reforms.
Uganda will also host a side event on Monday, Sept. 28, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Gulf Standard Time. The event, “Criminal Justice and Crime Prevention Reforms in Uganda: Delivering Results Through Government and Civil Society Partnerships,” is being co-organised with the Legal Aid Service Providers Network and Uganda Youth Development Link, with support from the Embassy of the Netherlands and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
The event will be available online, with Uganda’s participation being followed under the hashtag #UgandaAtCrimeCongress. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
