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April 22, 2009

UN Racism Conference Passes Declaration
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In Geneva, delegates at the UN Conference on Racism adopted a final
declaration on Tuesday without the support of the United States. The US
and several other Western nations have boycotted the conference over
concerns it would include criticism of the Israeli government. The
conference president, Amos Wako, criticized the boycott.

Amos Wako: “What we have decided shows the outcome when you remain
engaged in the process. It shows that boycotts do not assist. It shows
that one can remain constructively engaged and reach a consensus.”

Bowing to US-Israeli concerns, the declaration avoids any references to
Zionism. Instead, it reaffirms a conference text from 2001 that
recognizes the Palestinian right to self-determination and calls for a
Palestinian state alongside Israel. The text also urges signatories to
fight all forms of racism, in particular naming anti-Semitism, anti-Arab
racism and Islamophobia.



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