United States boycotts Durban Review Conference, will seek election to Human Rights Council.

AuthorCrook, John R.

In February 2009, the U.S. Department of State announced that, absent significant changes in the draft conference document, the United States would not participate in the April 2009 UN conference to review implementation of decisions adopted at the 2001 Durban World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. The United States opposed provisions in the draft review conference document criticizing Israel, urging restrictions on defamation of religion and supporting reparations for slavery. (1) (The United States withdrew from the 2001 Durban conference, citing similar concerns.) Prior to the February announcement, the United States sent a delegation, including leading human rights experts, to Geneva to consult with other governments and the UN high commissioner for human rights regarding prospects for the review conference. (2)

Excerpts from the State Department's February press statement regarding U.S. participation in the conference follow:

This Administration is committed to diplomacy and to active and effective engagement with international institutions, which can play a vital role in addressing the challenges we face.... The Administration is also strongly committed to fighting racism and discrimination. Consistent with that commitment, and with the goal of trying to achieve a positive constructive result in the Durban Review Conference, the United States recently sent a distinguished delegation to attend the ongoing negotiations on the draft outcome document. Our delegates met with over 30 delegations, the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, and other interested parties. In addition, the Department consulted with many governments in capitals .... Sadly, however, the document being negotiated has gone from bad to worse, and the current text of the draft outcome document is not salvageable. As a result, the United States will not engage in further negotiations on this text, nor will we participate in a conference based on this text. A conference based on this text would be a missed opportunity to speak clearly about the persistent problem of racism. The United States remains open to a positive result in Geneva based on a document that takes a constructive approach to tackling the challenges of racism and discrimination. The U.S. believes any viable text for the Review Conference must be shortened and not reaffirm in toto the flawed 2001 Durban Declaration and Program of Action (DDPA). It must...

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