World Conference against Racism
The World Conference against Racism (English: World Conference against Racism, international abbreviation: WCAR ) are international conferences of the United Nations, the political measures in the global fight against racism should foster. So far, three world conferences were held in 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland as well as the follow-up conference to the World Conference of Durban.
Previous conferences
The conferences of 1978 and 1983
The first World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination was held by UNESCO in Geneva in 1978. A major theme was apartheid in South Africa, where racial segregation and discrimination were discussed. The second World Conference in 1983, also held in Geneva.
Third World Conference 2001 in Durban
The Third World Conference under the title " World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance " was held from 31 August to 7 September 2001 under the leadership of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson. The conference venue Durban in South Africa was chosen to honor the struggle against apartheid symbolic. The conference ended with a final declaration, which is connected with an action program in which all governments to adopt their own national action plans will be prompted.
The United Nations General Assembly had determined five main points in the run, which went beyond the focus of apartheid of the first two World Conferences. These were:
The concern especially African countries to deal with contemporary forms of racism, found expression in the extended title of the World Conference, the " xenophobia and related intolerance " with included. The action program encourages States to undertake science-based inventories and to analyze forms of institutional discrimination and to examine the legislation. The World Conference in Durban was accompanied by a NGO Conference with 10,000 sufferers from around the world. This large mobilization was supported by the state of South Africa.
The black civil society groups had used up front for a change of perspective towards the victims of racism. Although the final declaration recognized the slavery and the slave trade ( across the Atlantic, the Sahara and the Indian Ocean ) as a crime against humanity and recognized that colonialism leads to racism. African states and non-governmental organizations of blacks did not succeed to bring in an apology for past, legitimized racism crimes in the final text, and certainly not have been reparations for this crime and its consequences agreed. The group reached only a call for debt of African countries, to help against AIDS, for remittance of illegally transferred funds earlier African dictators by Western accounts and to end human trafficking. In the Action Plan a moral obligation was recorded for stronger partnership with the African continent.
A significant point of contention was how to treat the Palestinians by Israel dar. In the final declaration, the Palestinians were indeed mentioned as victims of racism, the demands of the NGO conference that the cause of Israeli policy towards the Palestinians would be an institutionalized form of racism and apartheid, was not considered by the Conference. The NGO Conference also calls for the reinstatement of the UN Resolution 3379 of 1975, referred to Zionism as a form of racism and imperialism. Due to this criticism attracted Israel and the United States withdrew their delegations. Although the final text of the resolution avoided the mention of Israel, but recognized the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and criticized the foreign occupation of Palestinian territories.
The results of the Third World Conference against Racism was through the airplane attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11 - soon pushed into the background - three days after the conclusion of the conference.
Durban Review Conference in Geneva in 2009
From 20 to 24 April 2009, the United Nations in Geneva organized the " Durban Review Conference ". The follow-up conference was used to assess the implementation of the 2001 Final Declaration adopted in Durban and the associated action program.
Against this conference raised parts of the West criticism with a view to both of them perceived as hostile to Israel predecessor conference as well as the aspirations of Islamic countries, criticism of religions as "defamation " and " insult" to commit an offense, respectively. to outlaw.
The French author Pascal Bruckner and many Western intellectuals, including from Germany Ralph Giordano, Kelek or Peter Schneider, called for a boycott of the follow-up conference in July 2008. On 19 April 2009, the countries Australia, Germany, Israel, Italy, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, the Czech Republic and the United States canceled their participation.
For a scandal made at the beginning of the Conference of the appearance of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who used a speech during the opening ceremony to the attack with Iran warring state of Israel. So he threw Israel pretends to be the " most cruel and racist regime." Zionism is the " personalized racism." Also, " Zionists and their allies" the war in Iraq had planned. Delegates of the European states left at the beginning of the anti -Israeli statements Ahmadinejad protest the hall; However, Norway's representative opposed the Iranian President in plenary. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki -moon criticized the speech Ahmadinejad as " the opposite of what they want to achieve this conference ." Such a " destructive action of a UN member ," he had " never seen ". The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, the States had called several times to participate in the conference, Ahmadinejad's statements also refused. French President Nicolas Sarkozy spoke of a " hate speech", to which the European Union must respond with " utmost determination ".
For a more commotion caused the Libyan chairman of the main committee of the conference, Najjat al - Hajjaji by, several times interrupted the Palestinian doctor Ashraf Al Hajuj, who spoke on behalf of the organization UN Watch and he eventually withdrew the right to speak. Hajuj, who had been together with five Bulgarian nurses in Libya wrongly held for eight years imprisoned and ill-treated in detention (see also HIV trial in Libya) wanted his fate recite the plenary present and obtain a condemnation of Libya. Al- Hajjaji justified its decision by saying that the case put forward have nothing to do with the themes of the conference.
In the media coverage before and during the World Conference was hardly noticed that many experts the summit differentiated and assessed as positive the above publicists. The Director of the German Institute for Human Rights, Heiner Bielefeldt had advised against a boycott. The Institute welcomed the Final Declaration of the Geneva Conference successor as " excellent base " for the Further Implementation of the Durban decisions. A condemnation of Israel is in Geneva final document incidentally contain as little as one the desire of Islamic states corresponding outlawing of defamation of religion, but a warning against the Holocaust. The federal government later explained that they carry the Geneva final document.
National Action Plans
In the Action Programme of the World Conference on Racism in Durban, it was noted that governments should develop national action plans, involving civil society to implement the recommendations contained in the Programme of Action. In October 2007, fifteen states had adopted national action plans against racism.
Of the German-speaking countries Liechtenstein in 2003 and Germany in 2008 created such a plan. In Germany, the Federal Cabinet adopted the National Action Plan on 8 October 2008. The plan has been criticized by human rights organizations as insubstantial. Since 2001 there had been controversial clashes between the Lead Federal Interior Ministry and civil society organizations. Some of the comments were transmitted together by the federal government with the action plan of the United Nations.