via UN watchdog urges international boycott of ‘disgraceful’ Zim meeting | SW Radio Africa. Posted by Alex Bell on Monday, August 12, 2013
An international non-governmental organisation that monitors the performance of the United Nations (UN) has called for a boycott of the upcoming UN tourism meeting being hosted by Zimbabwe this month.
The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly begins on 26th August in Victoria Falls, with Zimbabwe and Zambia co-hosting the globally significant event. Over 500 diplomats and dignitaries from 150 countries will be participating in the event, which critics have said is a “disgraceful show of support for a corrupt regime.”
Among these critics is the UN Watch monitoring group which has called for a high level boycott of the meeting. The group’s Executive Director, Hillel Neuer, told SW Radio Africa that UN is “legitimizing” the Robert Mugabe regime and the just ended, deeply flawed elections that saw Mugabe re-elected as President.
“We cannot understand how a major UN body would decide to legitimise that government. The government is also using this (the meeting) for propaganda reasons and we think this is the wrong place and the wrong time,” Neuer said.
He added that the decision to allow Zimbabwe to host the conference, despite the Mugabe government’s history of human rights abuses and the current electoral crisis, “brings discredit to UN.”
“These kinds of decision only bring harm to the reputation of the UN. We see how much Mugabe’s government is trying to use this international summit and good name of the UN to legitimise massive abuses of human rights that contravene universal declarations of human rights and key UN declarations. So how is someone who is acting against core UN principles, how can that person be regarded as a leader who should be host to the world on tourism?” Neuer asked.
He called on UNWTO members to follow in the footsteps of Canada, which last year formally withdrew from the conference on the basis that the meeting “legitimised Mugabe.” The UK is also not participating this year, although the country has not clarified if this decision is linked to the electoral process in Zimbabwe, which it expressed concern about.
“We are calling on other countries to stay away,” Neuer said, adding: “If the UN were living up to its own ideals, Zimbabwe would be the last destination for this meeting.”
COMMENTS
““We cannot understand how a major UN body would decide to legitimise that government. The government is also using this (the meeting) for propaganda reasons and we think this is the wrong place and the wrong time,” Neuer said”.
Ask Mr. Neuer the same question about the fake elections of President Obama and rest of the EU countries! Why don’t you? May be because all the frills and good time benefits they bestow upon you and your ilks? Look in the mirror and ask yourself a simple question: Which country in Africa or in any part of the world (with the exception of Iran) has endured the illegal economic boycott and sanctions by the criminal West? Which country on planet earth has such peaceful and non-violent people like Zimbabwe despite all the hardship they are enduring because of illegal and inhumane sanctions by the “civilized” West? Or perhaps these questions don’t accommodate your personal agenda? It is the money and the secret deals you have made with your handlers? If not, what is preventing you from acknowledging the fact that Zimbabwean people on each and every street are trying with calm and dignity to go by and do the best they can while the West and its lapdogs are barking at the President who has performed miracle by keeping Zimbabwe safe and sound and without any crimes or vilnce. Can you campare it with Johanesberg? Would you walk after dark on the streets of Chicgo, Detroit, Miami, Los Angles, London etc? Try it if you are what you claim to be! I like to see anyone from the West to walk the street of the above named cities and more after 9 PM. In contrast, I challenge anyone to walk the streets of Harare or any other cities of Zimbabwe and experience any violence or crime! So as the saying goes in the West, put your money where you mouth is before you start spilling your biased nonsense to rest of the world. Go ahead and file what you want with the UN but then be prepare to face the music of the West and its dirty hands in their phoney elections as well!
The UN, being the super corrupt institution that it is, is the perfect body to hold this event. All the UN reps will certainly receive freebies from ZANU, per diem from their own tax payers, justification for their own corruption from our election results, and the undying gratitude of our dear beloved president. What an attraction. Full house expected.
UN watchdog urges international boycott of ‘disgraceful’ Zim meeting
An international boycott would work wonders.
So is this to say they should take part in all the meetings and other scheduled activities including the closing ceremony (after boycotting the opening ceremony in Zim) to be held in Zambia? Seems preposterous to me.
What are police doing at Freedom Square grounds and at the MDC T offices. Total repression. Yes one day the world will hear and understand these true calls for normalcy against tyrany which is charecterised by murder and threats of murder insults shameless vote rigging and other all evils.