UN is proving to be a bit of a joke

twoblues

New member
Apr 25, 2006
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North Vancouver
I've been following Zimbabwe news for a long time now (especially Robert Mugabe method of leading the country into ruin). This just seems like a joke though, why Africa would even nominate Zimbabwe as it's candidate is a mystery, unless they are trying to put some faith in that country?

UNITED NATIONS - Zimbabwe is likely to win approval to head a key U.N. body charged with promoting economic progress and environmental protection despite protests from some Western countries and human rights organizations.

The 53-member Commission on Sustainable Development is scheduled to vote Friday on its new chair, U.N. officials said. The chair traditionally rotates among regions of the world, and it is Africa's choice this year. The continent has chosen Zimbabwe as its candidate, and the government has nominated Francis Nhema, the minister of environment and tourism for the post.

"For Zimbabwe to lead any U.N. body is preposterous," said Jennifer Windsor, executive director of Freedom House, an independent nongovernmental organization that has monitored political rights and civil liberties in Zimbabwe since 1980.

She said President Robert Mugabe's government "clearly has nothing but scorn for the U.N.'s founding principles of human rights, security and international law."

Freedom House called on other members of the commission to block Zimbabwe's selection, but that appeared unlikely because of widespread support for the rotation system.

Several European nations have called Zimbabwe's candidacy inappropriate, and the United States said Zimbabwe would not be an effective leader of the commission.

"Zimbabwe is hardly a model of good governance or sustainable development or even responsible leadership," said Benjamin Chang, deputy spokesman for the U.S. Mission to the
United Nations.

"Our concern is that it's potential chairmanship would undermine the commission's credibility," he said. "The commission is to address themes such as sustainable agriculture and rural development at a time when Zimbabwe's government has turned the country from the breadbasket of southern African to the country with the highest rate of inflation and a decimated agriculture sector."

The commission was established by the General Assembly in December 1992 to ensure effective follow-up of the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in June that year and implementation of key environmental and development agreements.

The commission meets annually in New York, and its current session that opened Wednesday is focusing on energy for sustainable development, industrial development, air pollution and climate change.

Mugabe, an 83-year-old former anti-colonial rebel who has ruled Zimbabwe since it gained independence from Britain in 1980, has acknowledged that police used violent methods against opposition supporters and killed at least one activist. He has warned alleged perpetrators of unrest that they would be "bashed" again if violence continued.

Zimbabwe's ruling party has endorsed Mugabe as its candidate in next year's presidential election. Victory would allow him to stay in power until 2013, when he would be nearly 90.

On Friday, the Pan African Parliament, a body of the African Union, voted to send a mission to Zimbabwe to investigate alleged human rights abuses "relating to the arrests and detention, assault and murder of political activists and members of the media."
 
Ashley Madison
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