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Last update - 09:59 16/04/2009
UN: Durban II won't be repeat of last conference
By Reuters
Tags: Durban II, Anti-Semitism 

Hate speech and ethnic insults will be barred at the United Nation's "Durban II" conference on fighting racism and intolerance next week, a UN spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

The world body will not permit a repetition of scenes around a similar 2001 UN gathering in Durban when activist groups staged openly anti-Semitic marches and protests, spokeswoman Marie Heuze said.

"Definitely we will not allow what happened in Durban to happen here," said Heuze, head of public information at the UN's European headquarters where the summit will be held.
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"While respecting freedom of speech, within the precincts of the United Nations we will be vigilant to prevent hate speech, verbal abuse and insults against people of different races and creeds," she said in an interview.

Many Jewish and pro-Israeli groups, largely from the United States, have called on Western governments, especially the U.S .administration of President Barack Obama, to boycott Durban II.

Canada and Israel have said for months they will stay away from Durban II, despite appeals from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay.

The United States and European countries have yet to decide whether to attend the gathering. UN officials say it will aim to get agreement on a plan to combat all racism that was agreed in 2001 but never implemented.

Western countries were fiercely opposed to parts of early drafts for a Durban II declaration that suggested Israel was driven by racism in its treatment of Palestinians, and included proposals to bar "defamation of religion".

But the latest version of the draft issued on Wednesday as negotiations moved to a close showed all references to Israel had been dropped as has the "defamation" bid, also by Islamic states.

"This is the positive outcome of insistence by Western countries that the wording some people wanted was just not acceptable to democracies," said the representative of one rights activist group who asked not to be named.

The U.S. Human Rights Network, a coalition of groups across the United States, said the changes to the draft should lead President Obama to send a team to Geneva to engage in dialogue "on methods and principles to end racism and xenophobia".

In the interview, Heuze noted the anti-Semitism at Durban I, which led the U.S. and Israeli delegations to leave, was voiced largely at and around a forum of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) outside the main conference.

In Geneva, NGO meetings in parallel with the main conference will be inside the headquarters where UN security has been increased and to which access will be through special passes.


Related articles:
  • Jewish Republicans slam Obama for unclear Durban II stance
  • U.S. reconsiders boycott of Durban II anti-racism summit
  • UN human rights chief: Jewish, Muslim lobbying may undermine 'Durban II'
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      1.   LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!! 22:17  |  Christopher 15/04/09
      2.   Bull! They Won`t Break-Up/Arrest Radical Anti-Semites! 22:29  |  Yosemite 15/04/09
      3.   NEVER AGAIN! - huh - WHERE HAVE I HEARD THAT BEFORE? 22:40  |  david 15/04/09
      4.   Maybe even Canada will join the US there... 23:13  |  BBSNews 15/04/09
      5.   "Trust us" say the Swiss and roll their eyes 23:38  |  Absolute Sweden 15/04/09
      6.   So be it....... Don·t bring hate to my city, 00:45  |  Stephen. 16/04/09
      7.   Looks like the only 3 "absentees" will be Israel...... 10:19  |  Swiss (Dino) 16/04/09
      8.   repeat 15:20  |  colin 16/04/09
      9.   OK, UN Spokeswomen Marie Heuze 15:25  |  Jeff Northridge 16/04/09
      10.   Durban 11 15:34  |  zoe 16/04/09
      11.   #7 Swiss...nice to know the some countries 15:36  |  Lynn 16/04/09
      12.   Swiss (dino) and repetition of history 15:46  |  Christopher 16/04/09
      13.   Durban Racist Conference 16:35  |  otto da fey 16/04/09
      14.   No repeat, it will be worse 18:07  |  Gee 16/04/09
      15.   yes israel is the victim and the palestinians are the bullies 18:39  |  mouaz 16/04/09
      16.   For the sake of viewers other than Swiss Dino, 20:17  |  Robert Haymond 16/04/09
      17.   ho 00:01  |  Paul 17/04/09
      18.   To Swiss Bigot (# 7). Re-check your scoring, bigot. 01:24  |  flyingdoc57 17/04/09
      19.   They just want to reaffirm Durban 1 &allow the NGO mobs 13:10  |  PETER SM 17/04/09
      20.   MUAZ For sheer racist filth & incitement to genocide you 13:17  |  PETER SM 17/04/09
      21.   BBS DOES Durban 2 condem OFFICIAL Hamas & other Islamic state 13:26  |  PETER SM 17/04/09
      22.   The Durban 2 should view WWll SOBIBOR to know true genocide and 22:16  |  ks 17/04/09
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