COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS DISCUSSES FOLLOW-UP MEASURES TO WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM

CESCR
27th session
23 November 2001
Afternoon





The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this afternoon discussed follow-up measures to the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance with a representative of the Secretariat of the Conference.

Daniel Atchebro, a member of the Secretariat of the World Conference against Racism, told the Committee that the issues debated at Durban had been painful because they had never been discussed before at the international level. Finally, a compromise had been reached and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action had been adopted. It was to be recalled that Israel and United States had left the Conference because they were not satisfied with how the Palestinian-Israeli issue was being discussed. The Conference had been attended by 160 States and 15,000 representatives of non-governmental organizations. Unfortunately, the media coverage of the Conference had been unsatisfactory and not objective.

Mr. Atchebro said that the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, among other issues, had dealt with the economic aspect of marginalized persons and minorities. It had also included the issue of people of African descent who had been taken to the Americas, which had never been a topic of discussion in the past. The rights of the indigenous people had also been discussed. The Committee could play an important role in enhancing the values of the Durban Declaration over the course of its consideration of reports from States parties.

Mr. Atchebro further said that a paragraph on the practice of slavery and compensation for past wrongs, and the issue of an apology had not been included in the Final Declaration because of opposition from some Western countries. However, the Durban Conference had recognized the practice of slavery as a crime and it had provided a forum through which the voice of the victims were heard. On the issue of migrants, States parties had been invited to increase public awareness of the situation of migrants in their respective territories.

The representative of the World Conference also said that as a follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the High Commissioner for Human Rights was setting up an anti-discrimination unit with the aim of filing an annual progress report on measures taken by States parties to combat discrimination. The report would be submitted to the General Assembly for its consideration; and the Committee was invited to subscribe to the report. The unit would also issue periodic publications reflecting the advancement of the rights of victims of discrimination around the world.

Committee Chairperson Virginia Bonoan-Dandan said that the Committee stressed the role of education in combatting racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

The Committee was also briefed on a draft statement on human rights and intellectual property issues, a question taken up by article 15.1(c) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The statement was aimed at encouraging and facilitating the integration of human rights into the development and interpretation of intellectual property regimes. The article stipulates that "States parties to the Covenant recognize the right of everyone to benefit from the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author".

When the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Monday, 26 November, it will devote the whole day to follow-up on its day of General Discussion - held in November 2000 - on article 15.1(c) of the Covenant concerning human rights and intellectual property issues.




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