Uganda

Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs written question – answered at on 18 March 2014.

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Photo of Pamela Nash Pamela Nash Labour, Airdrie and Shotts

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Commonwealth Governments on Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act and Anti-Pornography Act.

Photo of Hugo Swire Hugo Swire The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The Anti-Homosexuality Act runs counter to the Commonwealth's commitment to equality and respect without discrimination on any grounds, which Uganda agreed under the Commonwealth Charter. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), made clear in his public statement of 24 February our deep concern and disappointment at Uganda's recent legislation. The Foreign Secretary also wrote to the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth on 1 March to ask him to work with us to review the worrying trend on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. I will discuss this issue with the Commonwealth Secretary-General in a meeting later this week.

We continue to raise our concerns about the legislation with the Ugandan Government at the most senior levels and our high commission in Kampala continues to discuss the issue with Commonwealth high commissions on the ground. The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend Mark Simmonds, raised our concerns with the Ugandan Foreign Minister on 28 December 2013 and again on 28 January, the Deputy Foreign Minister on 13 February 2014, and with the Ugandan high commissioner on 18 March. Our high commissioner to Uganda also raised our concerns with the Ugandan President on 11 March.

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