The Foreign Minister of Iceland Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson released a statement yesterday deploring the President of Uganda’s decision to sign an Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which further criminalizes homosexuality and makes it punishable by up to life imprisonment. “The Government of Iceland strongly supports the rights of LGBT people and this law is therefore very disappointing,” Gunnar said.
The law is in breach of human rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It contravenes the essential principles of non-discrimination enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, both ratified by Uganda, the statement continued. The Foreign Minister underlined that it is the responsibility of the Ugandan authorities to protect the human rights of all its nationals, homosexual and heterosexual alike.
Uganda is one of five key partner countries in the strategy for Iceland’s development cooperation 2013-2016. Development cooperation with Uganda takes place on the district level and through NGOs.
