Zimbabwe is chosen to chair UN environment body

Can you believe this? Zimbabwe is chosen to chair UN environment body

Zimbabwe has been elected as head of the Commission on Sustainable Development, the main UN inter-governmental body on the environment, despite objections from western nations. The 53-nation commission has voted Zimbabwe's Environment and Tourism Minister, Francis Nheme, as chairman.

The post rotates among regions, and Africa nominated Mr Nheme as chairman of the commission. The chairmanship was previously held by oil-producer Qatar. Both the US and the EU have imposed targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe for human rights abuses under the regime of President Robert Mugabe.

Defending the decision, Zimbabwe's UN ambassador Boniface Chidyausiku asked the BBC: "What has sustainable development to do with human rights?"

Zimbabwe is suffering inflation at 2,000 per cent, and Mr Mugabe, the country's sole ruler since independence, denies mismanaging the economy and blames Western sanctions for the state of Zimbabwe's economy.

:eek: What the...!
Do they not understand the purpose of the UN?
Makes one wonder.

how on earth did they get the vote of the commission??

OMG, but that country is nearly falling apart as we speak. Are they sleeping in the UN or what?....

just makes you wonder what the real purpose of the UN is these days ... looks like it is more to do with economic growth than human rights or peace issues

More detail here:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world...078488,00.html

Sounds as if the region may have been asserting its right to choose whoever it wanted :rolleyes:

The African region certainly has a right to choose whomever it wants to chair, but in a way this shows me how Africa has been silent on the Darfur ongoing slaughter. It is THEIR area and they will do as they want.

the un is a bunch of bullshit

Quote:

---

eve

... the US ... have imposed targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe for human rights abuses...

---

Mr Pot, say hello to Mr Kettle.

I'm not American, but there's a helluva difference between Zimbabwe and the US.

Indeed. The US has historically kept the fact that it sets up genocidal regimes as much a secret as possible.

The US has no business taking the high ground. Nor has the UK (who are a part of the UN) as they gave Mugabe the keys to the country knowing full well what he was capable of.