The World Bank says it will not consider new loans to Uganda after the East African country earlier this year enacted an anti-gay law that rights group and others have condemned.
The Washington, DC-based lender said it would pause project financing pending a review of measures it introduced to protect sexual and gender minorities from discrimination and exclusion in its projects.
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.
The lender will also increase third-party monitoring and grievance redress mechanisms “allowing us to take corrective action as necessary,” it said.
The World Bank Group said in May that the law was not consistent with the lender’s values and that it was “highly concerned” about its adoption.
However, homosexuality is criminalized in more than 30 of Africa’s 54 countries.
