Background
Uganda Child Rights NGO Network (UCRNN) is a coalition of over 130 Community Based, National and International Organizations working for the welfare and the rights of children in Uganda. UCRNN derives its mandate from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and exist to monitor the implementation of Child Rights Instruments, a process that informs advocacy, Capacity Building, Research and Documentation. UCRNN works through its membership which is coordinated for monitoring, advocacy, capacity building, research and documentation. Member organizations deal with different categories of children and child rights issues including: children in Armed Conflict, children affected by HIV/AIDS, Early Childhood Development and Education Sexually abused children, Education, Health, among others.

Strategic Areas of Focus
a) Monitoring and promoting the implementation of National, Regional and International Instruments
Uganda has significant progress in signing and ratifying international instruments on the rights of the child. From the time it made the commitment to sign the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992, Uganda has also signed the two Optional Protocols to the convention i.e. Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, Optional Protocol on involvement of children in armed the African Charter on the Welfare of the child, the World Fit for Children, and the Millennium Development Goals among others.

On a domestic scene a number of policies and legal frameworks have been enacted to promote the rights and welfare of the child albeit numerous gaps. UCRNN raised awareness on the existing laws and policies, Regional, National and International child rights instruments among duty bearers and built their capacity to improve their work using the instruments as guiding tools.

UCRNN has continued to monitor and promote implementation of key child rights instruments through regular reporting to treaty bodies, holding government accountable on key commitments to children as well as advocating for institutionalization of measures that will ensure the protection of children.

UCRNN influenced the Concluding Observations and Recommendations of the UN Treaty Body (Committee of Expert on the Rights of the Child) to the Government of Uganda. 80% of the recommendations presented in the NGO Alternative Report were adopted and included in the Concluding Observations Recommendations to the Government of Uganda for implementation and reporting by 2011.

b) Collective Advocacy
The rampant increase in child rights violations is attributed to low level of appreciation and awareness among members of the public. This low awareness also has implication on and greatly affects the effective implementation of policies and targeting children.

UCRNN provided a platform for child focused organizations which generated and maintained public debate on child-related issues at national level such as Children Affected by Conflict (CAC), Children With Disability (CWDs), Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE), Protection and Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE).  Through the media, public dialogues, lobby meetings, and membership meetings.

Through Regional and International Advocacy UCRNN highlights the situation of children through Alternative Reports to Treaty Bodies and information sharing with other actors. This highlights gaps in existing interventions, policies and makes recommendations which inform future programs replication and design for child actors and government.

Initiating the Public, Private Partnerships for children through the establishment of the first Toll Free Child Helpline in Uganda and the East African Region. The lines are 0800111222 and 0800111333. This has improved access to services for children at risk and those abused. These lines register an average of 50-70 calls per week from children seeking for help.

Initiated and established a structure to raise issues of children on the floor of parliament initially called the Parliamentary Forum for Children now called the Uganda Parliamentary Forum for Children (UPFC). UPFC provides a link between child-focused organizations and legislators on children’s issues.

Influencing national policy processes to integrate issues of children and key marginalized groups such as National Policy on Disability, Universal Secondary Education, and National Strategic Framework on HIV/AIDS among others.

C) Capacity Building
UCRNN built capacity for member organizations and other stakeholders to improve on service delivery to children through:
Institutionalizing child protection in the work of child-focused organizations, deliberate efforts were made to develop, promote and mainstream the UCRNN Child Protection Policy among member organizations as a child Protection Mechanism.

Promoted inter-UCRNN networking among the membership at national and regional level. Through the public dialogues, lobby meetings, and membership meetings.

d) Research
UCRNN is an advocacy coalition that engages in evidence based advocacy on child rights issues at all levels. It therefore requires accurate and up to date information to facilitate advocacy work. The network undertook research thus increasing the body of knowledge on specific child rights issues. Below are some researches of UCRNN:

1. Issues paper on positioning children in the search for peace and reconciliation in Northern Uganda.
2. Carried out an analysis of the state of Nursery education in Uganda with the aim of advocating for an Early Childhood Development and Education Policy.
3. A research on the challenges of secondary education for children affected by conflict in Northern Uganda
4. The ABC Strategy and Prevention HIV/AIDS among the vulnerable children. This report highlights the ABC AIDS Prevention Strategy and explores the available gaps particularly in the protection of marginalized groups and the most vulnerable children who are left in the periphery of the national response to the prevention of the scourge.

Researches highlighted gaps and made recommendations for action by different stakeholders at community, district and national levels thus, the documents have informed program design in the respective thematic areas of focus.

UCRNN developed Informative Educative and Communication materials on specific child rights issues to promote child rights awareness and make known the existing frameworks and structures and facilities such as the Child Helpline.

Conclusion
UCRNN will continue to monitor the implementation of national, regional and international Child Rights instruments to inform advocacy by different actors at different levels, research and strengthen capacity of children actors on cross-cutting Child Rights issues.