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Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was named a “goodwill ambassador” for the World Health Organization by the agency’s first African leader. The 93-year-old Mugabe, the world’s oldest head of state, has long been criticized at home for going overseas for medical treatment as Zimbabwe’s once-prosperous economy falls apart. Mugabe also faces United States sanctions over his government’s human rights abuses.
Ireland’s health minister, Simon Harris, called the appointment “offensive, bizarre.” ″Not the Onion,” tweeted the head of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, in a reference to the satirical news site. Two dozen organizations — including the World Heart Federation, Action Against Smoking and Cancer Research U.K. — released a statement slamming the appointment, saying health officials were “shocked and deeply concerned” and citing his “long track record of human rights violations.”
Mugabe has called for castrating gay men, calling them “worse than pigs and dogs,” and once demanded that Obama prove he’s not “the son of a whore.” Gay activists have reported being tortured in his jails.
I think almost everyone would agree this was a travesty.
Thankfully the UN is reconsidering.
The head of the World Health Organization has said he is rethinking his decision to name Zimbabwe’s president, Robert Mugabe, as a goodwill ambassador after the move provoked global outrage.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the UN health agency, had this week asked Zimbabwe’s 93-year-old authoritarian leader to serve in the role to help tackle non-communicable diseases such as heart attacks, strokes and asthma across Africa.
The decision triggered confusion and anger among WHO member states and activists who noted that Zimbabwe’s health care system, like many of its public services, has collapsed under Mugabe’s regime.
“I’m listening. I hear your concerns. Rethinking the approach in light of WHO values. I will issue a statement as soon as possible,” Tedros, a former Ethiopian health minister, tweeted on Saturday night.
Earlier in the day the UK government criticised the WHO’s decision as “surprising and disappointing”. A Downing Street spokesman said British diplomats had raised serious concerns with Tedros.
A UK government spokesman said the WHO decision was at odds with US and EU sanctions against Mugabe. “Although Mugabe will not have an executive role, his appointment risks overshadowing the work undertaken globally by the WHO on non-communicable diseases,” he said.
The US state department said: “This appointment clearly contradicts the United Nations ideals of respect for human rights and human dignity.”
And the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said he thought Mugabe’s appointment “was a bad April Fool’s joke”.
Mugabe was in Uruguay for the announcement by Tedros, the former Ethiopian health minister who was elected as the WHO’s first director general from Africa this year after defeating the British candidate, David Nabarro, in three close rounds of voting.
Tedros said he was “honoured” to announce that Mugabe had agreed to serve as a goodwill ambassador on non-communicable diseases for Africa. He hailed Zimbabwe as “a country that places universal health coverage and health promotion at the centre of its policies to provide healthcare to all”.
The choice of Mugabe for the role has also angered opposition parties in Zimbabwe and human rights campaigners who accuse the leader of violent repression, election rigging and presiding over the country’s economic ruin.
Shocking that this evil man would be named goodwill ambassador to anything.
Ireland’s health minister, Simon Harris, called the appointment “offensive, bizarre.” ″Not the Onion,” tweeted the head of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, in a reference to the satirical news site. Two dozen organizations — including the World Heart Federation, Action Against Smoking and Cancer Research U.K. — released a statement slamming the appointment, saying health officials were “shocked and deeply concerned” and citing his “long track record of human rights violations.”
Mugabe has called for castrating gay men, calling them “worse than pigs and dogs,” and once demanded that Obama prove he’s not “the son of a whore.” Gay activists have reported being tortured in his jails.
Code:
http://www.joemygod.com/2017/10/21/not-onion-anti-lgbt-zimbabwe-dictator-robert-mugabe-named-whos-goodwill-ambassador/Thankfully the UN is reconsidering.
The head of the World Health Organization has said he is rethinking his decision to name Zimbabwe’s president, Robert Mugabe, as a goodwill ambassador after the move provoked global outrage.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the UN health agency, had this week asked Zimbabwe’s 93-year-old authoritarian leader to serve in the role to help tackle non-communicable diseases such as heart attacks, strokes and asthma across Africa.
The decision triggered confusion and anger among WHO member states and activists who noted that Zimbabwe’s health care system, like many of its public services, has collapsed under Mugabe’s regime.
“I’m listening. I hear your concerns. Rethinking the approach in light of WHO values. I will issue a statement as soon as possible,” Tedros, a former Ethiopian health minister, tweeted on Saturday night.
Earlier in the day the UK government criticised the WHO’s decision as “surprising and disappointing”. A Downing Street spokesman said British diplomats had raised serious concerns with Tedros.
A UK government spokesman said the WHO decision was at odds with US and EU sanctions against Mugabe. “Although Mugabe will not have an executive role, his appointment risks overshadowing the work undertaken globally by the WHO on non-communicable diseases,” he said.
The US state department said: “This appointment clearly contradicts the United Nations ideals of respect for human rights and human dignity.”
And the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said he thought Mugabe’s appointment “was a bad April Fool’s joke”.
Mugabe was in Uruguay for the announcement by Tedros, the former Ethiopian health minister who was elected as the WHO’s first director general from Africa this year after defeating the British candidate, David Nabarro, in three close rounds of voting.
Tedros said he was “honoured” to announce that Mugabe had agreed to serve as a goodwill ambassador on non-communicable diseases for Africa. He hailed Zimbabwe as “a country that places universal health coverage and health promotion at the centre of its policies to provide healthcare to all”.
The choice of Mugabe for the role has also angered opposition parties in Zimbabwe and human rights campaigners who accuse the leader of violent repression, election rigging and presiding over the country’s economic ruin.
Code:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/21/un-lambasted-after-naming-mugabe-goodwill-ambassador
