State Department calls Durban Declaration and Program of Action (DDPA) “unsalvageable”

Missoula, March 1 (Al-Masakin)–The U.S. State Department said in a press release on Friday that the United States will not participate in the upcoming Durban Review Conference to be held April  20-24 in Geneva calling it “unsalvageable” because the document of the organization singles out Israel and calls for reparations for slavery.

“The document being negotiated has gone from bad to worse, and the current text of the draft outcome document is not salvageable. As a result, the United States will not engage in further negotiations on this text, nor will we participate in a conference based on this text. A conference based on this text would be a missed opportunity to speak clearly about the persistent problem of racism,” Acting State Department Spokeman Robert Wood said in a press release Feb. 27.

“The U.S. believes any viable text for the Review Conference must be shortened and not reaffirm in toto the flawed 2001 Durban Declaration and Program of Action (DDPA). It must not single out any one country or conflict, nor embrace the troubling concept of “defamation of religion.” The U.S. also believes an acceptable document should not go further than the DDPA on the issue of reparations for slavery.”

 

The Durban Conference is a follow-up to the 2001 UN World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance (WCAR). The UNCHR is responsible for organizing and convening the event.

 

The statement to the press went on to say that the United States found the trajectory of UNHRC’s Universal Periodic Review “disturbing” and would therefore participate in the next round of UPRs May 4-15 as an observe only because of its criticism for Israel which the State Department finds “unbalanced.”

 

“We share the concerns of many that the Council’s trajectory is disturbing, that it needs fundamental change to do more to promote and protect the human rights of people around the world, and that it should end its repeated and unbalanced criticisms of Israel.”

 

EHC / EHC