Zimbabwe chairman of UN developement commission?

[Skybird]

That is almost as good as Lybia being chairman of human right'S commission.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...482844,00.html

Originally Posted by Der Spiegel

Zimbabwe's environment minister, Francis Nhema, was elected the new chairman of the UN's sustainable development commission, a post that traditionally rotates among regions. It's Africa's turn to chair, and Nhema was the only candidate put forward. Many -- most vocally the EU and US -- are outraged that the UN's sustainable development policies should be led by a country that has come to symbolize corruption, economic decay and human rights violations.
Indeed, Zimbabwe's chairmanship exacerbates the rift between developing and industrialized countries on the commission. The EU and US openly refer to Mugabe as a dictator and refuse visas to his government officials. On the other hand, Mugabe largely blames Western economic sanctions for his country's destitution.
That rift plays well when it comes to climate change -- mainly through the question of burden sharing. Industrialized economies have created by far the majority of current greenhouse gases, and developing countries are reluctant to endure the economic cost of dealing with a problem brought on by the prosperity of others.