Florence Nakazibwe is a Senior Legal Advisor on the Sub-Saharan Africa program. She is responsible for providing technical assistance and advice to governments, civil society organizations, and regional institutions in Africa on civil society law reform and laws governing not-for-profit organizations and the freedom of association, assembly, and expression. Florence contributes to ICNL’s research on civic space within Africa, monitoring emerging trends and assessing the legal operating environment for civil society to inform ICNL’s program priorities and strategies in the region. She has a particular interest in research around the legal framework affecting civil society public participation and Constitutional democracy.

Previously, Florence worked as Legal Officer at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Uganda for nine years where she primarily advised and directly supported legislative development processes focusing on national laws and policy frameworks impacting on human rights and rule of law. She also facilitated institutional capacity building on human rights norms and standards targeting justice institutions, legislators as well as civil society actors.

Florence is a member of the Ugandan Bar and served on the Uganda Law Society Legislation Committee for two consecutive terms providing technical advice on emerging legislative proposals to advance legal reform. She formed part of the East Africa Law Society Regional Pool of Lawyers for the legal protection of human rights defenders. Prior to that, Florence worked at the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Africa office based in Accra-Ghana.

Ms. Nakazibwe holds a Master’s degree in Public International Law from Nottingham University in the United Kingdom, a Diploma in Legal Practice, and a Bachelors’ Degree in Law from Makerere University in Uganda.