More laughs from the U.N.

The United Nations has been beyond parody for years, but that doesn’t mean it has stopped trying. The U.N.’s latest effort at self-parody finds it awarding to Zimbabwe the chairmanship of the U.N. body charged with promoting economic progress and environmental protection.
Zimbabwe, once a relatively prosperous land, now is one of the world’s worst performing economies. According to the Washington Times (see link above), it has the world’s highest inflation rate, unemployment of something like 80 percent, and severe food shortages. Just this week, the government announced daily power cuts of up to 20 hours for households throughout the country. And, of course, Zimbabwe possesses an atrocious human rights record.
But the modern U.N. is not a judgmental outfit. If I recall correctly, at various times such countries as Iran, Libya, and Saddam Hussein’s Iraq have had lead roles with U.N. agencies that the deal with issues like human rights and non-proliferation.
May the trend continue. If the U.S. is going to belong to a power hungry world body, it’s best that this body be one that can’t be taken seriously.
UPDATE: In 2003, the United Nations elected Libya as the chairman of its Commission on Human Rights. In January of that same year, it selected Iran and pre-invasion Iraq to co-chair the U.N. Disarmament Conference.
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