Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-07-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Ugandan government and (b) his EU counterparts on the Anti-Homosexuality Act in Uganda; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect on Uganda of the sanctions against that country announced by the US administration on 19 June 2014 in response to the Anti-Homosexuality Act.

Mark Simmonds

We have consistently raised our concerns about the Act with the Ugandan Government. Most recently, the Secretary of State for International Development and the Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds MP, raised the issue with the Ugandan President on 6 May. The UK is working closely with international partners to register its concerns and to seek assurances about the protection of individuals. With our support, EU Heads of Mission in Kampala initiated strengthened political dialogue with Uganda under Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement.

The UK shares the concerns of the US and notes the US’s recent decision to apply existing visa mechanisms, redirect some healthcare support, end support for a community policy project, and cancel a military aviation exercise in response. The UK is engaging closely with civil society groups in Uganda to consult with them about the most appropriate next steps.