Why the United Nations is a farce
By Michael J.W. Stickings
I'm not anti-U.N., and I do think it serves a useful purpose in bringing the world's sovereign states together under one roof and in supporting important relief and outreach efforts around the world, but one needn't be on the American right, where neocons and other America-first nationalists mock its very existence, to find much of what it does to be a farce.
With membership based solely on sovereignty, the U.N. is an institution whose members include any number of undemocratic and illiberal regimes, granting them not just a prominent voice on the international stage but also legitimacy in the international community, as well as the opportunity to influence how the U.N. operates. Consider, for example, that the current membership of the U.N. Human Rights Council includes China, Cuba, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.
And now there's this:
Zimbabwe was nominated by other African nations and supported by various developing nations, which apparently "respected the decision of the African group to nominate the country for the post in the first place" and "have shown they cannot be pushed around". "Zimbabwe's Environment Minister Francis Nheme will now become chairman of the CSD," but "Nheme is the subject of European Union travel ban because he is a member of President Robert Mugabe's government".
And there's the root of the problem. Zimbabwe's president is Robert Mugabe, a tyrant. He's been in power since 1980. In fact, he's the only president independent Zimbabwe has ever had. And his idea of democratic governance includes beating opponents and dissenters to a pulp, arresting them, and then blaming them for being beaten to a pulp. He is one of Africa's, and one of the world's, most despicable leaders.
And now his country -- his autocratic regime -- will head the U.N.'s CSD? Truly, a farce.
For more on the horrible situation in Zimbabwe, see here.
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Update: CNN has more.
I'm not anti-U.N., and I do think it serves a useful purpose in bringing the world's sovereign states together under one roof and in supporting important relief and outreach efforts around the world, but one needn't be on the American right, where neocons and other America-first nationalists mock its very existence, to find much of what it does to be a farce.
With membership based solely on sovereignty, the U.N. is an institution whose members include any number of undemocratic and illiberal regimes, granting them not just a prominent voice on the international stage but also legitimacy in the international community, as well as the opportunity to influence how the U.N. operates. Consider, for example, that the current membership of the U.N. Human Rights Council includes China, Cuba, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.
And now there's this:
Zimbabwe has been elected to head the UN's commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) despite strong objections from Western diplomats.
They had said Zimbabwe was unsuitable because of its human rights record and economic problems. It is suffering food shortages and rampant inflation.
Zimbabwe was nominated by other African nations and supported by various developing nations, which apparently "respected the decision of the African group to nominate the country for the post in the first place" and "have shown they cannot be pushed around". "Zimbabwe's Environment Minister Francis Nheme will now become chairman of the CSD," but "Nheme is the subject of European Union travel ban because he is a member of President Robert Mugabe's government".
And there's the root of the problem. Zimbabwe's president is Robert Mugabe, a tyrant. He's been in power since 1980. In fact, he's the only president independent Zimbabwe has ever had. And his idea of democratic governance includes beating opponents and dissenters to a pulp, arresting them, and then blaming them for being beaten to a pulp. He is one of Africa's, and one of the world's, most despicable leaders.
And now his country -- his autocratic regime -- will head the U.N.'s CSD? Truly, a farce.
For more on the horrible situation in Zimbabwe, see here.
**********
Update: CNN has more.
Labels: Africa, development, human rights, United Nations
posted by Michael J.W. Stickings at
4:13 PM
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