By Kanishka Singh and Andrea Shalal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The World Bank said on Tuesday that Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ law, which has been condemned by many countries and the United Nations, contradicts the bank’s values.
Immediately after the law was passed, a team from the World Bank had traveled to Uganda to review the multilateral development bank’s portfolio. That investigation found that additional measures were needed to ensure that projects were carried out in accordance with the bank’s environmental and social standards.
These measures were now being discussed with authorities, but no new public financing projects would be presented to the World Bank’s board of directors until “the effectiveness of the additional measures has been tested,” the World Bank said.
It said third-party monitoring and complaint mechanisms will be expanded significantly, allowing the bank to take corrective action if necessary.
The World Bank said it remains committed to “helping all Ugandans – without exception – escape poverty, access essential services and improve their lives.”
The law was passed in May and includes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality,” a crime that includes transmitting HIV through gay sex.
The World Bank had provided $5.4 billion in International Development Association funding to Uganda by the end of 2022. That existing portfolio will continue to pay out even if new loans are suspended, a World Bank source said.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Andrea Shalal in Washington; editing by Leslie Adler and Jonathan Oatis)
