Fury at Zimbabwe UN Role

A major environmental group of the United Nations, in a secret ballot, has chosen Zimbabwe as its leading member. The post typically rotates among nations, and developing countries rejected concerns from the West by choosing the environment and tourism minister of the troubled African nation to lead the Commission on Sustainable Economic Development. One commission goal is to integrate social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development in policymaking at all levels of government. Amid many pressing global issues, ranging from agriculture to water shortages, many critics question the choice. Zimbabwe – rich in mineral and natural resources – is in economic and political crisis, the target of world criticism for mismanagement, flawed elections, corruption and human-rights abuses. The new commission chair, Francis Nhema, is member of a controlling party, long in power, that denies responsibility for Zimbabwe’s many problems. Few expect serious progress on the environmental front from Zimbabwe leadership on the global environmental front if the nation cannot manage its own natural resources or feed its own citizens. – YaleGlobal