Britain will consider witholding aid from countries that
do not recognise gay rights, Prime Minister David Cameron
said, after the Commonwealth leaders failed to adopt
reforms on the issue.
"Britain is now one of the premier aid givers in the world.
We want to see countries that receive our aid adhering to
proper human rights, and that includes how people treat
gay and lesbian people," Cameron told the BBC.
He added: "British aid should have more strings attached,
in terms of do you persecute people for their faith or their
Christianity, or do you persecute people for their sexuality.
We don't think that's acceptable."
Cameron was speaking at the end of a Commonwealth leaders'
summit on Sunday, in Perth, western Australia, which failed
to adopt a recommendation to call for an end to homophobic
laws in 41 member nations.
He insisted the issue of gay rights had been discussed at the
Summit and he had personally raised it with "a number of the
African countries that I've been speaking with," although he
would not say which ones.
"We've been raising the issue consistently, we've been raising
it here at this Commonwealth heads of Government (Summit)," he
said.
However, Cameron said change would not happen overnight, saying:
"They are in a different place from us on this issue. I think
these countries are all on a journey and it's up to us to try
and help them along on that journey."
But in response to the Cameron's position, a group of social
activists involved with protecting the rights of Lesbians,
Gays, Bisexuals, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) people on
the African continet under the aegis of the African Men for
Sexual Health (AMSHeR) have expressed their concerns about
the use of aid conditionality as an incentive for increasing
the protection of the rights of LGBTI on the continent.
In a joint statement issued by the group and signed by AMSHeR
Coordinator, Joel Gustave Nana and other members, the group
highlighted ways in which the British Government's
decision should be reviewed.
The group noted that while the intention of the British
Government may well be to protect the rights of LGBTI
people on the continent, the decision to cut aid disregards
the role of the LGBTI and broader social justice movement
on the continent creates the real risk of a serious backlash
against LGBTI people.
They noted that a vibrant social justice movement within
African civil society is working to ensure the visibility
of - and enjoyment of rights by - LGBTI people.
This movement is made up of people from all walks of life,
both identifying and non-identifying as part of the LGBTI
community and are working together to entrench LGBTI issues
into broader civil society issues.
According to group, the imposition of donor sanctions may be
one way of seeking to improve the human rights situation
in a country but does not, in and of itself, result in the
improved protection of the rights of LGBTI people.
"Donor sanctions are by their nature coercive and reinforce
the disproportionate power dynamics between donor countries
and recipients. They are often based on assumptions about
African sexualities and the needs of African LGBTI people.
They disregard the agency of African civil society movements
and political leadership. They also tend, as has been
evidenced in Malawi,to exacerbate the environment of
intolerance in which political leadership scapegoat LGBTI
people for donor sanctions in an attempt to retain and
reinforce national state sovereignty.
Further, the sanctions sustain the divide between the LGBTI
and the broader civil society movement. In a context of general
human rights violations, where women are almost are vulnerable,
or where health and food security are not guaranteed for anyone,
singling out LGBTI issues emphasizes the idea that LGBTI
rights are special rights and hierarchically more important
than other rights.
It also supports the commonly held notion that homosexuality is
‘unAfrican’ and a western-sponsored ‘idea’ and that countries
like the UK will only act when ‘their interests’ have been
threatened."
The group noted that an effective response to the violations
of the rights of LBGTI people has to be more nuanced than the
mere imposition of donor sanctions. "The history of colonialism
and sexuality cannot be overlooked when seeking solutions to
this issue.
The colonial legacy of the British Empire in the form of laws
that criminalize same-sex sex continues to serve as the legal
foundation for the persecution of LGBTI people throughout the
Commonwealth.
In seeking solutions to the multi-faceted violations facing
LGBTI people across Africa, old approaches and ways of engaging
our continent have to be stopped. New ways of engaging that
have the protection of human rights at their core have to
recognize the importance of consulting the affected.
Furthermore, aid cuts also affect LGBTI people. Aid received
from donor countries is often used to fund education, health
and broader development. LGBTI people are part of the social
fabric, and thus part of the population that benefit from the
funding.
A cut in aid will have an impact on everyone, and more so on
the populations that are already vulnerable and whose access
to health and other services are already limited, such as LGBTI
people."
To adequately address the human rights of LGBTI people in Africa,
the social justice activists call on the British government to:
- Review its decision to cut aid to countries that do not
protect LGBTI rights
- Expand its aid to community based and lead LGBTI programmes
aimed at fostering dialogue and tolerance.
- Support national and regional human rights mechanisms to
ensure the inclusiveness of LGBTI issues in their protective
and promotional mandates
- Support the entrenchment of LGBTI issues into broader social
justice issues through the financing of community lead and
nationally owned projects
Over 60% of people living with HIV are living in Commonwealth
countries. In 41 of the 54 Commonwealth countries, homosexuality
is a criminal offence; people who use drugs face the death
penalty and criminal laws are applied with severe penalties
for sex work.
Sources : AFP & AMSHeR Press Release
