March 18th, 2009 by NGO Monitor Staff | Category: Durban Review Conference

Criticism of Israel dropped from Durban II draft resolution, Haaretz, March 17, 2009

United Nations officials said Tuesday that Muslim-backed references to ‘defamation of religion’ and criticism of Israel have been dropped from a draft being prepared for next month’s world racism meeting.

Initial draft resolutions for the United Nations Durban II summit branded Israel as an occupying state that carries out racist policies.

The newest draft of the document contains no references to Israel or the “defamation of religion”. It does however “reaffirm[] the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) as it was adopted at the World Conference against Racism…in 2001″, which is contrary to the US position that the document “must…not reaffirm in toto the flawed 2001 Durban Declaration and Program of Action (DDPA).

See Revised Durban II Text Does Not Meet Conditions for U.S. Participation, Critics Say, CNSNews.com, March 18, 2009