US Boycott Durban II but engage Human Rights Council
The US announced Friday that it would not attend the Durban Review Conference in April in Geneva.
After sending a delegation to “try to change the direction in which the Review Conference [wa]s heading”, the US decided that “the current text of the draft outcome document is not salvageable” and “[a] conference based on this text would be a missed opportunity to speak clearly about the persistent problem of racism.”
Regarding the Human Rights Council however, the statement reversed US policy, saying, “we will participate in this month’s Human Rights Council session as an observer and will use the opportunity to strengthen old partnerships and forge new ones…we pledge to closely work with our partners in the international community to avoid politicization and to achieve our shared goals.”
See CNSNews article U.S. Returns to Human Rights Council As An Observer, For Now, March 2, 2009.
