Zimbabwe rejects UN economic status

By Violet Gonda
14 June 2006

The cash-strapped and crisis ridden Zimbabwean government has rejected a recommendation by a United Nations committee to be "downgraded" to the status of a least developed country (LDCs).

Although this status would have put the country among the poorest of the world's poor, observers say Zimbabwe would have benefited or enjoyed technical & donor assistance, including donor relief.

Ralph Black of the Association of Zimbabweans Based Abroad said the refusal is; “A sign that Robert Mugabe and Zanu Pf are not prepared to get any help and I believe that the rejection of the designation – because designation can’t be imposed on Zimbabwe – is a sign that Zimbabwe wants to continue it’s policy of genocide by proxy. They have approached the plight of the population with depraved indifference. They don’t care what happens to the people. In fact if the people die and are displaced … who in the world is going to punish them?”

The recommendation by the Committee for Development Policy (CDP), comprising 22 UN appointed experts, can only be implemented if the decision is acceptable to the country concerned. An African diplomat told the Inter Press Service (IPS) that some countries view LDC status - rightly or wrongly - as "both a political and economic stigma". "I am not surprised that Zimbabwe has rejected the recommendation," he added.

But Black believes the Mugabe regime rejected the status because it does not want to be held accountable. If it had accepted, it would have meant that civil society would have been empowered to engage in issues of development, forcing the Zimbabwean government to be held responsible. “ZANU PF is anti-help, doesn’t want to reform, wants to continue killing people and basically doesn’t want to be held accountable.”

It’s reported that the Zimbabwean government did not want the economic stigma attached to this UN economic grade as an LDC status is considered by some as an admission of failure of a country's economic policies.

Zimbabwe has the fastest shrinking economy in the world with inflation nearing 1200%. When asked why the Zimbabwean government is so reluctant to admit to its mistakes Ralph Black responded; “ An alcoholic first must recognise it is an alcoholic before he can get help. And the Zimbabwean government is at a stage where it knows it needs help but won’t make a public recognition.” He believes that if the government accepted it would mean that all criticism about mismanagement and corruption would sound true.

Currently there are 50 LDCs, of which 34 are in Africa. So far the only country that has graduated from an LDC to a "developing country" is Botswana. Besides Zimbabwe, the CDP has recommended that Papua New Guinea also be downgraded to the status of LDC. A response from the government of the Pacific Island nation is pending.

Despite the fact that the Mugabe regime has declined the UN recommendation, observers like Black say the UN initiative is significant in the sense that it means Zimbabwe is finally on the UN agenda. “We saw the Murambatsvina report by the special envoy and now the LDC designation is a clear indication that the world body is beginning to concentrate and becoming concerned about Zimbabwe. So it’s very significant that Zimbabwe is now on the lips of various councils and committees within the United Nations.”

This is widely seen as a cue for the opposition to now do something on their own to bolster this significant development by the world body.

We could not get a comment from the Zimbabwean Foreign Ministry.