Durban Review Summary: September 10, 2008
“UN to review Israel’s human rights track“
September 8, 2008, The Jerusalem Post, Tovah Lazaroff
On September 8, the United Nations announced that Israel’s human rights record will be evaluated this coming December by Nigeria, South Korea and Azerbaijan, as part of the Universal Periodic Review process. Israel has accepted this decision, in hopes that it will receive a fair treatment.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Ambassador, on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, said that the Durban Review Conference “should not turn into an exercise in anti-Semitism and that doing so would be a clear violation of the Durban declaration and program of action.” Israel’s ambassador to Geneva, Roni Leshno Yaar, said “he was struck by the positive-sounding statement” and “hope[d] we will find that the OCI member states will stick to that commitment.” However, until a concrete change is made in the Durban Review Conference’s agenda and procedures, Israel remains determined to boycott the April Conference.
“New UN human rights chief calls for racism debate”
September 8, 2008, Reuters Africa, Laura MacInnis
In her first address to the United Nation’s Human Rights Council, the recently installed High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, “said it was one of her priorities to ensure full and thorough participation at the April 2009 conference, known as ‘Durban-2′,” thus promoting “an open debate about racism and religious intolerance.” Following Nelson Mandela’s strategy, Pillay seeks to encourage the participation of all countries in the Durban Review Conference, despite disagreements on the premise and content of the meeting. According to UN Watch’s Executive Director, Hillel Neuer, “The threat of Western non-participation remains the only force with the slightest chance of preventing the conference (Durban-2) from degenerating into an out-and-out fiasco.”
“UN Rights Chief Knocks West for Threatening Walk-Out of ‘Durban II Racism’ Conference, Wins Praise from Islamic States”
September 8, 2008, UN Watch
While lauding the new High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, for her “inspiring life example as an anti-apartheid advocate,” UN Watch criticized her opening speech to the Human Rights Council. In that speech, she praised the recent preparations for the Durban Review Conference, including last month’s African Regional Preparatory meeting, and asked states that have boycotted the Conference to reconsider their position. She elaborated on her stance, asserting “I do not believe that ‘all or nothing’ is the right approach to affirm one’s principles or to win an argument [...] Should differences be allowed to become pretexts for inaction, the hopes and aspirations of the many victims of intolerance would be dashed irreparably.” UN Watch responded that the declaration produced by the African Regional Meeting “explicitly attacked free speech and singled out Israel - exactly what the UN’s highest officials promised Durban II wouldn’t do. The high commissioner ought to be taking on the hijackers of the anti-racism conference, instead of the few that seek to resist them.”
