Deeply Concerned by Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, Secretary-General Calls on Government to Respect Its International Human Rights Obligations

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the promulgation of the Anti-Homosexuality Act (2023) in Uganda.  The law foresees the application of the death penalty and long prison sentences for consensual acts between adults.  This law raises the risk of worsening the violence and persecution already faced by lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Uganda.

He calls on Uganda to fully respect its international human rights obligations, in particular the principle of non-discrimination and the respect for personal privacy, irrespective of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Secretary-General renews his call to all Member States to abide by their obligations under international human rights law and to end the criminalization of consensual same-sex relations.