The International Detention Coalition acknowledges the significant contributions of the Honourable Med Kaggwa as he retires from his position as the commissioner of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR), as well as the Special Rapporteur on Prisons and Conditions of Detention in Africa.

 

Through his contributions he has furthered the rights and protections of refugees in Africa. In the position of Special Rapporteur on Prisons and Conditions of Detention in Africa he championed guidelines including the following:

 

The Guidelines on the Conditions of Arrest, Police Custody and Pre-Trial Detention in Africa. These guidelines have helped to ensure refugees are informed of their right to contact consular officials and international organisations, such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR). Furthermore, the guidelines maintained that all decisions in relation to refugees below the age of eighteen shall be consistent with the principle of the best interests of the child.

 

The Hon. Med Kaggwa also contributed to the Guidelines of Police Compliance with the Rights of Women under the Luanda Guidelines: Principles and Challenges. Presenting a side event to the 59th Ordinary Session; Women’s Rights, Our Collective Responsibility, the Hon. Med Kaggwa emphasised that special focus should be taken in addressing needs of vulnerable persons, in particular women, throughout arrest. The event was moderated by the Hon. Commissioner Maya Sahil Fadil who is the Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Internally Displaced Persons in Africa.

 

The Hon. Med Kaggwa also chaired the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) for several terns, as well as being appointed head of the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC). In addition to this, Kaggwa has previously served as an MP between 2001 and 2006.

 

This article was authored by Lily Raynes as part of her Communications Internship with the IDC