Notes:
The following article is reproduced at DurbanReview.Org with permission from UN Watch. The original was published February 18, 2009.
Since the original pubication of this piece, the US concluded that engagement with the conference was a fruitless task and there was litle hope of salvaging the conference. As a result they withdrew.
Despite U.S. engagement, U.N.'s Durban II racism conference says no way to gay rights
By UN Watch, February 18, 2009
Despite America's decision this week to join the negotiations and extend an outretched hand to the U.N. planners of the Durban II conference on racism, their response so far to President Obama is continued intolerance, underscored today by their shooting down a provision on discrimination against gays, in a stormy debate.
The original proposal by Western states in the draft text (par. 69) was to condemn "all forms of discrimination and all other human rights violations based on sexual orientation". Not so controversial, one would think, for a conference ostensibly about discrimination and intolerance.
The Czech Republic on behalf of the E.U., with the support of New Zealand, the United States, Colombia, Chili on behalf of the South American states, the Netherlands, Argentina and a few others, took the floor in support.
In face of resistance from the U.N. majority, however, the United Kingdom proposed alternative wording: "Recognizes that experiences of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance are aggravated and intersect with discrimination on grounds including sexual orientation and gender identity, and condemns all forms of discrimination and all other human rights violations based on these grounds."
Still, the inclusion of the words "discrimination on grounds including sexual orientation" made the paragraph unadoptable and unacceptable for countries that reflect the majority of member states at the U.N. who oppose any form of gay rights: South Africa on behalf of the African Group, China, Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Botswana, Iran, Algeria, and Syria.
South Africa on behalf of the African Group, a key organizer of the Durban II conference, said: "Sexual orientation and discrimination. . . we feel it goes beyond the framework of the (2001) Durban Declaration."
Some other voices, not from the Durban II architects, also resisted. The Holy See said that "sexual orientation" should refer only to an inner condition, explaining that it finds the paragraph unacceptable because it refers to a form of conduct, not a condition.
The E.U., however, was adamant that the language of sexual orientation needed to be included. Denmark made a substantive statement explaining that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation has been condemned with the support of 66 nations in the General Assembly, in the EU human rights system, in various UN reports, and by national and international NGOs - implying that it is legitimate and necessary to also be addressed in the Durban declaration.
The Czech Republic on behalf of the E.U. then requested an addition of a subheading titled Anti-Semitism to be included with the cluster of paragraphs relating to groups facing discrimination.
In response, Iran proposed the addition of the subheading titled Islamophobia, and South Africa on behalf of the African Group, in support of Iran, expressed that "we do not feel we should be selective here". The text is already replete with references to Islam and Muslims as the primary victims of racism in the world. See our report, Shattering the Red Lines.
© UN Watch 2009
Other articles on Durban Review 2009
For related articles, visit the Durban Review 2009 section of Durban Review or select from the articles below. Other anti-racism themes, conference details, and news are available from the Durban Review home page.
- Questions and Answers
A series of questions and answers about the 2009 Durban Review Conference. - Walkout at UN Conference in response to Ahmadinejad's speech
From our news section where the breaking news is being reported. - Ahmadinejad's racist speech
An English translation of the Iranian President's address to the Durban Review Conference, as well as comments in response from various officials. - Official Outcome Document
This is the official outcome document from the Duban Review Conference. - Official Draft Outcome Document
This document was agreed to be the official draft at the end of the final meeting before the conference began. It was then aproved (without ammendment) as the final declaration on the second day of the conference (see copy above). - Aproval of NGOs for participation at the Durban Review Conference
Explains the process and issues with aproval of NGOs for participation. - Criteria for participation
A break down of key concerns and how they stacked up as at March 24th 2009 - Will there be an NGO Forum?
An NGO forum is a point of contention as the 2001 NGO Forum saw some of the worst racism at the Durban conference, so soem wish to avoid any chance of a repetition, yet some want a new forum at the Durban Review Conference. - Despite U.S. engagement, U.N.'s Durban II racism conference says no way to gay rights, UN Watch, February 18, 2009
- Shattering the red lines: The Durban II Draft Declaration, UN Watch, October 2008(external link)
This document contains selected provisions of the United Nations draft published at the Second Preparatory Session in October 2008. - Alexander Lambsdorff, Don't go there, International Herald Tribune, March 8, 2009 (external link)
