Originally published on the CGS blog on June 18, 2014.
Uganda’s Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa has been elected President of the UN General Assembly. While this is primarily a ceremonial position, Kutesa’s election comes with much protest, with opponents citing his string of corruption charges as well as Uganda’s own questionable laws and actions.
The most horrendous of these laws, and the main cause of concern, is Uganda’s anti-homosexuality law, which sentences violators to life imprisonment for “attempting to commit homosexuality,” along with other acts. The law also punishes businesses and owners “found guilty of the promotion of homosexuality.” Since the passage of the law, there have been many reports of violence, arrests, and other acts of discrimination, giving rise to a “culture of extreme and violent homophobia.” Many countries and organizations have responded to this by cutting aid to Uganda, with the World Bank suspending a $90 million loan directed to improve health services.
Uganda was also found liable by the International Court of Justice in 2005 for war crimes in the Congo, for which it was ordered to pay $10 billion in reparations. This debt has yet to be paid.
Despite these atrocities, little has been done by high-ranking officials. The Obama administration has maintained that it plans to reevaluate its relationship with Kutesa, but no action has been taken. Secretary of State John Kerry has also done little on the issue; his meeting with Kutesa last week was limited and focused on a broad range of issues, though Spokesperson Jen Psaki noted in her press briefing that the State Department has been “clear about our views on Uganda’s anti-homosexuality act” and that if this anti-gay agenda were to progess it “would be greatly concerning.” She went on to say that the US had little power over Kutesa’s election.
There has also been no objection from officials within the UN, with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon supporting the election of Kutesa despite urging the repeal of the law.
Although he has a history of alleged corruption and defended his country’s anti-gay law, Kutesa maintains that he is not homophobic or corrupt. In his acceptance speech last week, Kutesa said that the UN should work to reduce poverty, fight climate change, and advance gender equality, arguing:
The scale and reach of most of the challenges we face, coupled with the limited capacity of many of those worst affected, requires that we address them collectively…The UN exists to find solutions through our combined efforts.
The election of Sam Kutesa presents an interesting question about international cooperation: should the UN ignore basic human rights violations in the face of welcomed collaboration? As many (myself included) would argue, the UN must not compromise the principles it was founded on, namely the UN Declaration of Human Rights. Moreover, how can a man or a country with this track record – particularly regarding LGBT rights – be trusted to collaborate on such issues as gender equality? Even if Kutesa’s claims of innocence are true, he is still guilty of inaction.
It’s true, Kutesa’s position is mostly symbolic, and comes with little influence. But in a world where symbolic power is arguably as important as physical power, are these the hands we should be placing it in?
