The crisis in Zimbabwe is emerging as a crucial test of the United Nations secretariat's resolve to tackle human rights violations, when regional powers and the Security Council prove unwilling to act.

Anna Tibaijuka, head of UN-Habitat, is expected to meet Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's president, tomorrow or Monday, to discuss an urban clean-up programme that critics say has left hundreds of thousands destitute, but which the government claims has slashed crime and improved hygiene.