The World Bank on Tuesday announced
that it will not consider new loans to Uganda in response to passage
of a controversial anti-LGBTQ law that calls for the death penalty in
some cases.
The law, approved in May, calls for the
death penalty for a person convicted of “aggravated homosexuality,”
which is defined as sex involving a minor or an HIV-positive person.
Conspiring to engage in gay sex carries a 10-year prison sentence,
while advocating for LGBTQ rights is punishable by up to 20 years in
prison.
According to the AP, the World Bank
reached its decision after it deployed a team to Uganda.
“No new public financing to Uganda
will be presented to our Board of Executive Directors,” the World
Bank said in a statement.
“Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act
fundamentally contradicts the World Bank Group’s values. We believe
our vision to eradicate poverty on a livable planet can only succeed
if it includes everyone irrespective of race, gender or sexuality.
This law undermines those efforts. Inclusion and non-discrimination
sit at the heart of our work around the world.”
“Immediately after the law was
enacted, the World Bank deployed a team to Uganda to review our
portfolio in the context of the new legislation,” the World Bank
said. “That review determined additional measures are necessary to
ensure projects are implemented in alignment with our environmental
and social standards. Our goal is to protect sexual and gender
minorities from discrimination and exclusion in the projects we
finance. These measures are currently under discussion with the
authorities.”
Prior to its passage, the United States
threatened economic sanctions against Uganda if the bill became law.
In 2020, the World Bank said in a
statement that it “has provided more than $10 billion in financing”
to Uganda since 1963.
A similar law approved by Ugandan
lawmakers in 2014 that imposed the death penalty was struck down by a
court on technical grounds.