Th UN confirms its status as a perverse jokester

Analysis: Zimbabwe's rise in the U.N.

Published: May. 14, 2007 at 10:14 PM
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By WILLIAM M. REILLYUPI U.N. CorrespondentUNITED NATIONS May. 14 (UPI) -- Despite soaring inflation and its citizens fleeing by the thousands, Zimbabwe has been elected to chairmanship of the U.N. Commission for Sustainable Development.
The question remains: why?
The way it works in most of these unwelcome situations is there are regional groupings in the world organization that put up candidates, and nations in those grouping tend to stick with them. Some are pre-committed to support.
In the latest instance, it was Africa's turn to put up a candidate for the post and the group put up Harare's Francis Nhema, minister of environment and tourism of Zimbabwe. He was the candidate endorsed by the African States Group to serve as the chairman of the commission's 16th session next year.
Africa follows a rotation system for submitting candidates and it was Zimbabwe's turn. In a secret ballot late Friday night, Nhema was elected 26-21, with 3 abstentions.
Much behind-the-scene politicking, with many bloc members sticking together and states offering support in return for a future vote, went on. The 53-member commission allots Africa and the Western European and Others Group each 13 seats, Asia 11, Latin America and the Caribbean 10 and Eastern Europe six seats. WEOG includes Australia, Canada, Israel, New Zealand and the United States.
But not all U.N. panels see members of the bloc stick together or see blocs choosing a candidate in advance.
Last year there was the situation where Venezuela President Hugo Chavez decided he wanted his country to take a regional, elected seat on the U.N. Security Council, depriving Guatemala despite its long-standing bid. It was seen as an anti-U.S. Venezuela against a pro-U.S. candidate Guatemala, despite Guatemala's insistence on its independence.
Vote after tiring vote turned into a stalemate until Panama was offered as a compromise candidate for both and now serves on the panel of 15.
Last year the U.N. General Assembly, apparently ashamed of the Human Rights Commission's record, decided to abolish it, create a Human Rights Council and keep it under its wing, giving it a higher status.
Next week the assembly will elect new members, and Belarus, a country with one of the worst human rights records, was heading for membership until Bosnia stepped in and offered itself as a candidate. Time will tell if the tactic is successful.
Going back to the Commission on Sustainable Development, the election of Harare's candidate was not the only disappointment of Friday night. The panel could not agree on a final statement because it was unable to agree on policy decisions on practical measures to advance long-term energy solutions that can fuel economic and social development while reducing air pollution and the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change.
After the Zimbabwe vote, the representatives of Germany, on behalf of the European Union, and Canada, on behalf of Australia and New Zealand, expressed their displeasure over Nhema's election to the post.
While the representatives of Pakistan, on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, the United States, Mexico and Canada made statements in favor of the 21-page draft outcome document on the session's four main themes, the representatives of Germany, on behalf of the European Union and Switzerland, said they were not ready to adopt it.
After the Zimbabwe election, representatives of Germany, on behalf of the European Union, and Canada, on behalf of Australia and New Zealand, expressed their displeasure over Nhema's election to the post.
The commission elected Vice-Chairmen Juan Mario Dary of Guatemala, from the Latin American and Caribbean States group; Javad Amin Mansour of Iran, from the Asian States Group; and Daniel Carmon of Israel, from WEOG.
But the commission decided to postpone the election of a vice chairman from the Eastern European Group, because no candidate from the group had been proposed.