For Immediate Release: January 22, 2009 Geneva | Contact: Anne Bayefsky info@EYEontheUN.org |
Iran and Syria Dominate Day 2 of Durban II Planning |
Iran and Syria dominated the second day of the planning meeting for Durban II which is now taking place in Geneva. On day 2 of the week-long session, January 20th, Iran took the floor more often than any other single state. Iran's attempt to dominate Durban II planning, " says Anne Bayefsky, Editor of EYEontheUN, "is not surprising. They are a Vice-chair of the Durban Preparatory Committee and have long understood Durban II as the playing field of Islamic and Arab states." Both countries are actively shaping the outcome document of the Durban Review Conference, hailed by its supporters as an important international effort to address racism. "Today's meeting, dominated by these two rights-abhorring, terrorism-supporting countries, resulted in a circus that is a slap in the face to anyone serious about human rights and racism" said Bayefsky. By the end of day two the meeting had completed 9 out of 37 pages. The strategy of all those states who seek to bolster support for Durban II - particularly Arab and Islamic states and various African states such as South Africa - is to bury the real agenda under a mountain of UN verbiage and avoid getting to any issue of real importance. European governments admit (albeit behind-the-scenes) that the goal is to make it harder for them to walk out, since superficially there does not appear to be anything objectionable. What they're not saying is that efforts to keep a short-term lid on the Durban II hate-mongering until the conference itself, suits them just fine. The EU then avoids any pressure back home and the diplomats life is made a lot easier. As a consequence of Iran and Syria's participation (with the help of Algeria, Nigeria, South Africa, Pakistan, and Egypt in particular) the following ensued on day 2:
In the hallways, European Union representatives admit that they do not expect this will be the end of the provisions adopted on Israel. They even defend such an outcome. Their argument is that language on the "Middle East" [a euphemism for criticizing Israel] will be included because the precedent was set at Durban I. Commented Professor Bayefsky, "in their minds evidently, two wrongs do make a right." Sprinkled throughout the day was the following UN "anti-racism" conversation:
… Brazil: We support the delegation of Syria. … Norway: I never opposed the proposal of Syria… … Nigeria: Iran … is making deep and incisive contributions here… … Iran: We are fully satisfied with this. … Chairperson: Can we add the amendment of Iran? … Nigeria: …we want the paragraph as it is, or as proposed by Iran. … European Union: we can get along with the Iranian proposal in the fight against racism. The half-hour allotted at the end of the day for NGO contributions included the following two interventions:
Palestinians have been subjected to an unlawful collective punishment , torture, economic blockade, severe restriction of movement and arbitrary closure to their territories. …the draft declaration is silent as to … sanctions in the context of the Palestinian people. Palestinian people were omitted from the list of victims of racial discrimination. … in line with atrocities taking place in Gaza. Tupaj Amaru …western country should apologize to victims of racism, including the Palestinian people … the World Conference on Racism should … recognize the right to just compensation to indigenous peoples, Palestinian peoples and all of the other victims of colonialism and neo-colonialism for the immeasurable damage caused by wars of aggression and colonialism of Africa, America and Asia. Nigeria requested the meeting adjourn at 5pm so that delegations could watch the inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States. Said Professor Bayefsky, "hopefully this flattery will not blind Obama to the sheer hypocrisy of the Durban process, where the racists are running an "anti-racism" conference." |
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