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A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 10 augusT 2023

World Bank says no new funding to Uganda over anti-gay law

By Rodney Muhumuza It was not immediately pos-
Associated Press sible to get a comment from
KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Ugandan finance authori-
The World Bank said it will ties, who for months have
not consider new loans to been trying to secure new
Uganda after the East Afri- funding from the country’s
can country earlier this year top multilateral lender. The
enacted an anti-gay bill World Bank statement not-
that rights groups and oth- ed that despite the latest
ers have condemned. decision it remains “com-
The World Bank had de- mitted to helping all Ugan-
ployed a team to Uganda dans without exception es-
after the law was enacted cape poverty, access vital
in May and determined services, and improve their
that additional measures lives.”
were necessary to ensure The U.N. Human Rights Of-
projects align with the fice has said the Ugandan
bank’s environmental and law is “draconian and dis-
social standards. criminatory,” describing it
“No new public financ- as ”a recipe for systematic
ing to Uganda will be pre- violations of the rights” of
sented to our Board of Ex- LGBTQ+ people and oth-
ecutive Directors until the ers. The U.S. has warned of
efficacy of the additional economic consequences.
measures has been test- The World Bank building is seen on April 5, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) Activists and some aca-
ed,” the World Bank Group demics have challenged
said in a statement on Tues- are currently under discus- sexual acts, was signed the World Bank and others the law in court, but it re-
day. “Our goal is to protect sion with the authorities,” it into law in May. It has wide- might withdraw resources mains unclear when hear-
sexual and gender minori- added. spread support at home, over the legislation. Some ings will begin.
ties from discrimination and The anti-gay legislation, and Ugandan officials have officials have suggested Homosexuality is criminal-
exclusion in the projects we which prescribes the death been defiant amid con- that the funding threats are ized in more than 30 of Af-
finance. These measures penalty for some homo- cern that partners such as inappropriate. rica’s 54 countries.q

Brazil’s Amazon Summit ends with a plan to protect the world’s

rainforests, but no measurable goals

By Fabiano Maisonnave sought by some environ- point of no return.” it likewise contained no for forest protection.
and David Biller mentalists to end defores- Several environmental concrete goals and mostly Speaking to reporters af-
Associated Press tation. groups described the dec- reinforced criticism of de- ter Wednesday’s meeting,
BELEM, Brazil (AP) — Bra- Leaders and ministers from laration as a compilation veloped nations for failure Lula railed against “pro-
zil’s Amazon Summit closed eight Amazon nations of good intentions with to provide promised vast tectionist measures poorly
Wednesday with a road- signed a declaration Tues- little in the way of measur- climate financing. The pres- disguised as environmental
map to protect tropical day in Belem, Brazil, that able goals and timeframes. idents of Bolivia, Colombia concern” that restrict im-
rainforests that was wel- laid out plans to drive eco- However, it was lauded by and Peru did not attend ports from developing na-
comed as an important nomic development in their others, and the Amazon’s Wednesday’s meeting. tions, and said developed
step in countering climate countries while prevent- umbrella organization of In- The eight nations attending nations must make good
change, but without the ing the Amazon’s ongoing digenous groups celebrat- on Tuesday Bolivia, Brazil, on their pledges to provide
concrete commitments demise “from reaching a ed the inclusion of two of its Colombia, Ecuador, Guy- monetary support for forest
main demands. ana, Peru, Suriname and protection.
Joining the summit Wednes- Venezuela are members of The Amazon stretches
day were the presidents of the newly revived Amazon across an area twice the
the Republic of Congo and Cooperation Treaty Organi- size of India. Two-thirds of
the Democratic Republic zation, or ACTO, who hope it lies in Brazil, with seven
of Congo, an emissary from that a united front will give other countries and the
Indonesia’s president, and them a major voice in glob- territory of French Guiana
France’s ambassador to al environment talks ahead sharing the remaining third.
Brazil, representing the Am- of the COP 28 climate Governments have histori-
azonian territory of French conference in November. cally viewed it as an area
Guiana. An emissary of Nor- The summit reinforces Bra- to be colonized and ex-
way, the largest contributor zilian President Luiz Inácio ploited, with little regard for
to Brazil’s Amazon Fund for Lula da Silva’s strategy to sustainability or the rights of
sustainable development, leverage global concern its Indigenous peoples.
also attended. for the Amazon’s preserva- All the Amazon countries
The national representa- tion. Emboldened by a 42% have ratified the Paris cli-
Leaders of South American nations pose for a group photo tives on Wednesday signed drop in deforestation dur- mate accord, which re-
during the Amazon Summit, at the Hangar Convention Center in a similar, but much slimmer, ing his first seven months in quires signatories to set
Belem, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. agreement to that of their office, he has sought inter- targets for reducing green-
(AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
counterparts the prior day; national financial support house gas emissions. q