Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am taking this Topical Issue matter on behalf of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Eamon Gilmore. The passing of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill by the Ugandan Parliament and its subsequent signing into law by President Museveni last week is a very disappointing and unwelcome development. The Tánaiste has made it clear that the enactment of this draconian legislation will affect our valued relationship with Uganda.

The Minister of State, Deputy Joe Costello, in his speech this week to the UN Human Rights Council, highlighted our grave concerns at the enactment of regressive legislation in some countries, including Uganda, affecting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex, LGBTI, individuals. The Minister of State called on the Human Rights Council to be more vocal as the most basic rights of LGBTI people continue to be violated on a daily basis. This Government has consistently supported the promotion and protection of the human rights of all persons, irrespective of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and is strongly committed to combating all human rights violations committed against individuals on such or any basis. Our commitments in this area are a fundamental feature of our foreign policy and our aid programme.

There is no doubt that this legislation is in clear conflict with Uganda's binding international obligations to uphold human rights. The legislation is in contravention of the principle of non-discrimination in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and People's Rights, both of which have been ratified by Uganda, as well as in the Ugandan Constitution. It is the responsibility of the Ugandan Government to uphold its international obligations to treat all citizens equally, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Ireland, together with our EU partners, has been actively engaged with the Ugandan Parliament and President Museveni in efforts to halt this regressive and discriminatory legislation. It is a threat to Uganda's gay community and an affront to all those who value tolerance, respect and dignity of all people. It will also undermine public health in a very practical way, including the efforts to combat the scourge of HIV-AIDS in Uganda. Ireland will continue to play a positive role in support of human rights and equality in Uganda. We will continue to express our support for all human rights activists in Uganda, in particular those working on LGBTI rights. We strongly urge the Ugandan authorities to protect all its citizens against violence, exclusion, discrimination and arbitrary punishment and to abolish all laws that contravene human rights obligations, including this new regressive law.

I would like to emphasise that none of our aid budget is provided by way of direct support to the Government of Uganda, with the exception of the Office of the Auditor General for its important work on fighting corruption. Our support to the poorest and most disadvantaged people in Uganda is provided through trusted non-government channels. In this way, we are directly targeting the poorest and most vulnerable sections of society, be it people living with HIV-AIDS, those experiencing chronic poverty in Karamoja, or those who are being subjected to gender based violence. A review of the future of our partnership with Uganda has been planned in the coming period, and this will provide us with the opportunity to consider what we have achieved so far and how we should work for the benefit of the people of Uganda in the future.

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