Durban Watch

Durban II

EYEontheUN ALERT - November 20, 2007

Tomorrow the Third Committee is expected to vote on a resolution (reproduced below) intended to give Durban II preparations the General Assembly's stamp of approval.

The resolution is not expected to be adopted by consensus - let's hope not!

The resolution will welcome "the Report of the Preparatory Committee [PrepCom] ... including its annexes and appendices, in particular the decisions adopted by the organizational session of the Preparatory Committee." (Third Committee votes are rubber-stamped by the plenary of the General Assembly in a few weeks, since the "committee" is already composed of all 192 UN member states.)

Here is a refresher on what the General Assembly is expected to approve:
  • To schedule the next meeting of the PrepCom for a UN global conference on racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance so that it coincides with almost all of the 2008 Jewish Passover
  • To take note of the 10.25 million dollars spent on the 2001racist anti-racism Durban conference, and encourage states and foundations to "revitalize" their coffers for Durban II
  • To allow every NGO involved in Durban I, regardless of their extremist and racist behavior the first time around, to participate in Durban II.
  • The subject matter of Durban II will include anything the Organization of the Islamic Conference declares are "contemporary manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance" - meaning a witchhunt for alleged Western Islamaphobia.
  • The only UN human rights investigators specifically invited to provide Durban II with recommendations are two specialists - one on Islamophobia and other forms of racism, and one on freedom of religion.
  • Questions sent to states about their records of protecting their own people from racial discrimination will be subject to the approval of the PrepCom Bureau - meaning the likes of Iran, Libya, Cuba and Pakistan. Answers will be reviewed by a body controlled by the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
  • A brand new UN body will be created to increase mass hysteria over allegations of global Islamophobia perpetrated by those fighting terrorism or publishing cartoons in an obscure Danish paper. Or as Egypt put the African Group's greatest concern, the "aftermath" of 9/11 "saw a new and dangerous phenomenon in incitement to racial and religious hatred...[T]he highly defamatory cartoons published by a Danish newspaper...deeply hurt over a billion Muslims around the world, and threatened social harmony and peace, both nationally and internationally."
  • The "rules" of procedure to govern Durban II are so long and so flexible, that no one in their right mind will read them, let alone make the slightest effort to prevent the Organization of the Islamic Conference from playing with its UN-toy any way it wants.

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A/C.3/62/L.66


Angola:* draft resolution

Report of the Human Rights Council on the preparations for the Durban Review Conference

 The General Assembly,

Taking note of its resolution 61/149 of 19 December 2006 and Human Rights Council resolution 3/2 of 8 December 2006,

Recalling Human Rights Council decision 6/105 of 28 September 2007, in which the Council invited the Preparatory Committee for the Durban Review Conference to submit its reports to the General Assembly,

Bearing in mind that the modalities of the Review Conference have yet to be finalized,

1. Welcomes the Report of the Preparatory Committee on its first session,[1] including its annexes and appendices, in particular the decisions adopted by the organizational session of the Preparatory Committee;[2]

2. Endorses the decisions adopted by the organizational session of the Preparatory Committee.

* On behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Group of African States.
[1] A/62/375.
[2] Ibid., annex I.