Emmanuele Da Ponte
(ZENIT News – Center for Family and Humand Rights / Washington, 10.21.2024).- A coalition of activists are urging the World Bank to withhold loans from Uganda, one of the poorest countries in the world, over its Anti-Homosexuality Act. This could set up a tension between sex and starvation.
Pro-homosexual activists protested outside the World Bank and the Uganda mission to the UN in opposition to the World Bank’s recent decision to restart much-needed loans to the African nation. “There can be no business as usual between the World Bank and the Government of Uganda while this law remains in force,” said a spokeswoman for Convening for Equality.
Along with 115 other groups, Convening for Equality sent a letter to the World Bank president calling for the continued suspension of loans to Uganda.
The World Bank ranks Uganda as the 13th poorest country in the world, with a 42% poverty rate. Despite the country’s dire need, last year the World Bank announced that it would stop new public financing to Uganda because its “Anti-Homosexuality Act fundamentally contradicts the World Bank Group’s values.”
Supporters argue the law protects traditional values; critics contend it violates human rights. However, the global trend to prioritize ideological concerns over immediate economic needs is arguably more contentious than the new law itself. By withholding crucial funding, the World Bank would be prioritizing controversial ideologies over the immediate needs of Uganda’s most vulnerable populations.
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni responded defiantly, accusing the World Bank of attempting to coerce Uganda into abandoning its “faith, culture, principles, and sovereignty” through financial pressure. Museveni asserted that the country “will develop with or without loans,” emphasizing Uganda’s commitment to its cultural values and tradition.
The World Bank operates with significant autonomy despite being an agency of the United Nations. The World Bank’s founding documents explicitly prohibit decisions based on political grounds, emphasizing economic considerations over political or non-economic influences.
This has not held the World Bank back from advocating for homosexual/trans rights in recent years. However, this stance has led to a complex dilemma. The World Bank must now balance its role as a crucial source of funding for developing nations against pressure from activist groups to use its financial leverage to influence social policies.
How they intend to resolve the situation is still not clear. The World Bank has been testing the effectiveness of “mitigation measures” since July and had plans to restart lending if these measures prove effective “in protecting LGBTQ+ people from discrimination.”
Even if lending recommences, the impact of this funding suspension has been significant. Uganda’s Finance Ministry spokesperson, Jimmy Mugunga, noted that World Bank loans are used to improve healthcare, agriculture, roads, energy infrastructure, and education. The loss of this support could have far-reaching consequences for the country’s development efforts.
Ironically, while international assistance that could significantly improve the health and livelihood of thousands of Ugandans suffering from poverty is being withheld, other assistance continues to flow into Uganda, often supporting organizations that oppose the country’s stance on LGBTQ issues.
Just this year, USAID gave over $700,000 to the Key Populations Consortium Uganda, composed of groups advocating for LGBT rights. Among them is Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), a cosigner to the letter for the World Bank. Another almost $3 Million is set to be expended until 2028, specifically earmarked as “Funding to improve the safety, agency, well-being and livelihoods of LGBTQI+ in Uganda.”
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