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21 March 2000
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21 March 2000
Speakers Address Theme of Upcoming World Conference against Racism
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was observed today at the United Nations Office at Geneva with a round table discussion featuring statements by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan (read out by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson); Sipho George Nene, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations Office at Geneva, the nation that will host the 2001 Third World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance; Absa Claude Diallo, Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations Office at Geneva; Michael E. Sherifis, Chairman of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD); and Gay McDougall, CERD member and Executive Director of the International Human Rights Law Group.
The theme of the round table was the upcoming World Conference against Racism.
The Secretary-General said in his statement that the World Conference should be action-oriented and should focus, among other things, on new forms of racial discrimination. Many conflicts now had ethnic dimensions, he noted; increasingly, civil populations were targeted purely because of their ethnic identity; and increases in global migration had led to increases in discrimination against immigrants, migrant workers, refugees, asylum-seekers, and displaced persons. High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, who read out the statement, said the Secretary-General had concluded by noting that eliminating racism and overcoming obstacles to equality would not be easy, but with perseverance, faith and commitment, it could be done. He hoped that the World Conference would mark a big step forward.
Ambassador Nene centred his remarks on the situation in Africa, noting that the International Day had originated following the Shareville massacre carried out against peaceful demonstrators by South Africa's apartheid regime forty years ago. While South Africa had faced a particularly virulent form of racism and had had a long struggle to free itself, problems of discrimination continued in Africa, as evidenced by the appalling ethnic conflicts that had killed so many in recent years, Mr. Nene said. It was vital that the World Conference have a practical and positive outcome.
Ambassador Diallo said racism was dangerous in its obvious, most obscene forms, but also in its subtle forms, where it slowly dug away at societies, causing despair and perverting attitudes. The Third World Conference would provide a good opportunity to survey the situation as it existed today, and allow the crafting of new solutions to emerging problems, such as the spreading of ideas of racism and intolerance through new information technologies.
Mr. Sherifis reviewed CERD activities in preparation for the World Conference, saying among other things that the Committee had recommended that the Conference consider how the international community could prevent or mitigate mass and flagrant violations of the human rights of persons belonging to ethnic and racial groups and minorities, bearing in mind that failure to respond effectively to such crises in recent years had resulted in genocide, ethnic cleansing, and massive movements of refugees and displaced persons.
And Ms. McDougall told the meeting of the results of a January gathering of 30 experts in Bellagio, Italy, to develop proposals for discussion for the World Conference. Among the suggestions of the Bellagio Consultation were that the Secretary-General convene a pre-Conference meeting of the Presidents of all the multilateral and regional development banks with a view towards, among other things, issuing a joint statement to be read at the opening of the World Conference which spoke to the economic costs of racial discrimination; and that a global on-line school audience and network for a multi-cultural and anti-racism curriculum be set up to extend the benefits of information technology and use the Internet to promote tolerance and combat racism.
Statements
MARY ROBINSON, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, read a statement by Secretary-General KOFI ANNAN:
Today was the new century's first International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Mr. Annan remarked; it was a moment to look forward and to reflect on the kind of society everyone wanted his children to live in. The 2001 World Conference would provide a historic opportunity to move closer to a more just and more tolerant society for all. The World Conference would be action-oriented, because as long as people were denied opportunities for employment, education, and health because of race or ethnic background, as along as people of particular races found themselves disproportionately represented in the prisons, in the ranks of the socially and culturally excluded, and in the slums and favelas of the world's great conurbations, there was work to do. As long as they were disproportionately victims of health problems such as AIDS and did not have equal access to medical care and treatment, and as long as ethnic conflict and genocide continued, there was work to do.
The current age had brought new forms of racial discrimination, Mr. Annan pointed out in his message -- many conflicts now had ethnic dimensions; increasingly, civil populations were targeted purely because of their ethnic identity; and increases in global migration had led to increases in discrimination against immigrants, migrant workers, refugees, asylum-seekers, and displaced persons. On the other hand, the Secretary-General's statement noted, advances had been made -- many States now had anti-discrimination laws; international and regional texts banned racial discrimination; and tolerance and multiculturalism flourished in many communities. Eliminating racism would not be easy, but with perseverance, faith, and commitment, it could be done.
Mrs. Robinson noted that on Monday, the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination had adopted an important general recommendation on gender-related matters involving racism and racial discrimination.
SIPHO GEORGE NENE, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said Africa had politically emancipated itself, but the struggle against racism there and elsewhere continued. The brutal massacre carried out by the apartheid regime forty years ago in Sharpeville, South Africa, had led to the creation of the International Day. South Africa's struggle had been longer and more extreme than most, as the country had faced the extremely virulent form of racism called apartheid. Africa still had very serious problems of racism, as illustrated by the appalling ethnic struggles that had killed so many on the continent in recent years.
South Africa shared the general belief that the upcoming World Conference should result in practical, action-oriented solutions to problems of racism. The people of Africa had great aspirations for full democracy, full respect for human rights, and full freedom and equality regardless of race or ethnicity, Mr. Nene said.
ABSA CLAUDE DIALLO, Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said the International Day was a result of the monstrous crimes committed by the apartheid regime, especially when it had sought to crush the Sharpeville demonstration in South Africa forty years ago. Yet racism continued around the world; it was dangerous in its obvious, most obscene forms, but also in its subtle forms, where it slowly dug away at societies, causing despair and perverting attitudes. The Third World Conference would provide a good opportunity to survey the situation as it existed today, and allow the crafting of new solutions to emerging problems, such as the spreading of ideas of racism and intolerance through new information technologies.
More emphasis must be placed on States to combat racial discrimination, Ms. Diallo said; merely outlawing racism was not sufficient; laws had to be enforced and positive efforts made by States to enhance tolerance and respect for ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity. Scientists, researchers, social specialists, university students, NGOs, media experts, clergy, and women needed to be enlisted in the cause. The upcoming World Conference should not just produce documents but should liberate minds and attitudes; it should have positive, practical effects.
MICHAEL E. SHERIFIS, Chairman of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), said CERD was the oldest of the treaty-monitoring bodies within the UN human-rights system, and had been hard at work preparing for the Third World Conference against Racism ever since the General Assembly had decided in 1998 to stage the Conference. Individual members of CERD already had prepared eight studies for use by the Preparatory Committee and by the Conference itself; the group also had cooperated in the course of its work with other treaty bodies, including the Subcommission for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, among other things through the preparation of a joint working paper on education and through decisions to prepare studies on the rights of non-citizens and on globalization in the context of increases in racism.
Some initial suggestions had been formulated by CERD for the World Conference, Mr. Sherifis said; they included placing on the agenda such topics as current realities in the aftermath of slavery and colonialism; the impact of globalization on racial equality; and transnational migratory processes and the treatment of migrants. The Committee had since made other suggestions for consideration by the Conference, including the tragic consequences of conflicts with an ethnic dimension which urgently required the development of better instruments of preventive diplomacy and ways of institutionalizing peace-keeping operations by the United Nations and by regional organizations. CERD also had proposed that the World Conference ponder how the international community could prevent or mitigate mass and flagrant violations of the human rights of persons belonging to ethnic and racial groups and minorities, bearing in mind that failure to respond effectively to such crises in recent years had resulted in genocide, ethnic cleansing, and massive movements of refugees and displaced persons.
GAY S. McDOUGALL, member of CERD and Executive Director of the International Human Rights Law Group, said that in January, thirty experts from all regions of the world had met in Bellagio, Italy, to consider issues related to the upcoming World Conference. The Bellagio Consultation had suggested the following core themes which could be considered at the World Conference and be topics for activities of working groups at the Conference: (1) forms and manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance, which would include a discussion of sources and causes and the many and varied manifestations of racism in contemporary societies around the world; (2) victims of racism, which would examine special issues related to indigenous peoples, ethnic, national, religious and linguistic minorities, and other excluded minorities; (3) remedies, recourse, redress, and compensatory measures, which would examine ways to address persistent patterns and individual violations, including legislative, judicial, and political mechanisms for recourse and remedies; and (4) strategies to achieve full and effective equality and accountability, which would focus on measures aimed at prevention, promotion, and protection, and a consideration of underlying causes.
The Bellagio Consultation also came up with 20 ideas for activities for the World Conference, Ms. McDougall said. Two of them were that the Secretary-General of the United Nations convene a pre-Conference meeting of the Presidents of all the multilateral and regional development banks with a view towards, among other things, issuing a joint statement to be read at the opening of the World Conference, which spoke to the economic costs of racial discrimination; and that a global on-line school audience and network for a multi-cultural and anti-racism curriculum be set up to extend the benefits of information technology and use the Internet to promote tolerance and combat racism. The Bellagio Consultation further felt that the World Conference should include participation of and promote the interests of those most affected, excluded, and marginalized by racism, and that there be special meetings for actors and sectors of society which did not traditionally participate in World Conferences.
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Speakers Address Theme of Upcoming World Conference against Racism
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was observed today at the United Nations Office at Geneva with a round table discussion featuring statements by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan (read out by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson); Sipho George Nene, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations Office at Geneva, the nation that will host the 2001 Third World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance; Absa Claude Diallo, Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations Office at Geneva; Michael E. Sherifis, Chairman of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD); and Gay McDougall, CERD member and Executive Director of the International Human Rights Law Group.
The theme of the round table was the upcoming World Conference against Racism.
The Secretary-General said in his statement that the World Conference should be action-oriented and should focus, among other things, on new forms of racial discrimination. Many conflicts now had ethnic dimensions, he noted; increasingly, civil populations were targeted purely because of their ethnic identity; and increases in global migration had led to increases in discrimination against immigrants, migrant workers, refugees, asylum-seekers, and displaced persons. High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, who read out the statement, said the Secretary-General had concluded by noting that eliminating racism and overcoming obstacles to equality would not be easy, but with perseverance, faith and commitment, it could be done. He hoped that the World Conference would mark a big step forward.
Ambassador Nene centred his remarks on the situation in Africa, noting that the International Day had originated following the Shareville massacre carried out against peaceful demonstrators by South Africa's apartheid regime forty years ago. While South Africa had faced a particularly virulent form of racism and had had a long struggle to free itself, problems of discrimination continued in Africa, as evidenced by the appalling ethnic conflicts that had killed so many in recent years, Mr. Nene said. It was vital that the World Conference have a practical and positive outcome.
Ambassador Diallo said racism was dangerous in its obvious, most obscene forms, but also in its subtle forms, where it slowly dug away at societies, causing despair and perverting attitudes. The Third World Conference would provide a good opportunity to survey the situation as it existed today, and allow the crafting of new solutions to emerging problems, such as the spreading of ideas of racism and intolerance through new information technologies.
Mr. Sherifis reviewed CERD activities in preparation for the World Conference, saying among other things that the Committee had recommended that the Conference consider how the international community could prevent or mitigate mass and flagrant violations of the human rights of persons belonging to ethnic and racial groups and minorities, bearing in mind that failure to respond effectively to such crises in recent years had resulted in genocide, ethnic cleansing, and massive movements of refugees and displaced persons.
And Ms. McDougall told the meeting of the results of a January gathering of 30 experts in Bellagio, Italy, to develop proposals for discussion for the World Conference. Among the suggestions of the Bellagio Consultation were that the Secretary-General convene a pre-Conference meeting of the Presidents of all the multilateral and regional development banks with a view towards, among other things, issuing a joint statement to be read at the opening of the World Conference which spoke to the economic costs of racial discrimination; and that a global on-line school audience and network for a multi-cultural and anti-racism curriculum be set up to extend the benefits of information technology and use the Internet to promote tolerance and combat racism.
Statements
MARY ROBINSON, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, read a statement by Secretary-General KOFI ANNAN:
Today was the new century's first International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Mr. Annan remarked; it was a moment to look forward and to reflect on the kind of society everyone wanted his children to live in. The 2001 World Conference would provide a historic opportunity to move closer to a more just and more tolerant society for all. The World Conference would be action-oriented, because as long as people were denied opportunities for employment, education, and health because of race or ethnic background, as along as people of particular races found themselves disproportionately represented in the prisons, in the ranks of the socially and culturally excluded, and in the slums and favelas of the world's great conurbations, there was work to do. As long as they were disproportionately victims of health problems such as AIDS and did not have equal access to medical care and treatment, and as long as ethnic conflict and genocide continued, there was work to do.
The current age had brought new forms of racial discrimination, Mr. Annan pointed out in his message -- many conflicts now had ethnic dimensions; increasingly, civil populations were targeted purely because of their ethnic identity; and increases in global migration had led to increases in discrimination against immigrants, migrant workers, refugees, asylum-seekers, and displaced persons. On the other hand, the Secretary-General's statement noted, advances had been made -- many States now had anti-discrimination laws; international and regional texts banned racial discrimination; and tolerance and multiculturalism flourished in many communities. Eliminating racism would not be easy, but with perseverance, faith, and commitment, it could be done.
Mrs. Robinson noted that on Monday, the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination had adopted an important general recommendation on gender-related matters involving racism and racial discrimination.
SIPHO GEORGE NENE, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said Africa had politically emancipated itself, but the struggle against racism there and elsewhere continued. The brutal massacre carried out by the apartheid regime forty years ago in Sharpeville, South Africa, had led to the creation of the International Day. South Africa's struggle had been longer and more extreme than most, as the country had faced the extremely virulent form of racism called apartheid. Africa still had very serious problems of racism, as illustrated by the appalling ethnic struggles that had killed so many on the continent in recent years.
South Africa shared the general belief that the upcoming World Conference should result in practical, action-oriented solutions to problems of racism. The people of Africa had great aspirations for full democracy, full respect for human rights, and full freedom and equality regardless of race or ethnicity, Mr. Nene said.
ABSA CLAUDE DIALLO, Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said the International Day was a result of the monstrous crimes committed by the apartheid regime, especially when it had sought to crush the Sharpeville demonstration in South Africa forty years ago. Yet racism continued around the world; it was dangerous in its obvious, most obscene forms, but also in its subtle forms, where it slowly dug away at societies, causing despair and perverting attitudes. The Third World Conference would provide a good opportunity to survey the situation as it existed today, and allow the crafting of new solutions to emerging problems, such as the spreading of ideas of racism and intolerance through new information technologies.
More emphasis must be placed on States to combat racial discrimination, Ms. Diallo said; merely outlawing racism was not sufficient; laws had to be enforced and positive efforts made by States to enhance tolerance and respect for ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity. Scientists, researchers, social specialists, university students, NGOs, media experts, clergy, and women needed to be enlisted in the cause. The upcoming World Conference should not just produce documents but should liberate minds and attitudes; it should have positive, practical effects.
MICHAEL E. SHERIFIS, Chairman of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), said CERD was the oldest of the treaty-monitoring bodies within the UN human-rights system, and had been hard at work preparing for the Third World Conference against Racism ever since the General Assembly had decided in 1998 to stage the Conference. Individual members of CERD already had prepared eight studies for use by the Preparatory Committee and by the Conference itself; the group also had cooperated in the course of its work with other treaty bodies, including the Subcommission for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, among other things through the preparation of a joint working paper on education and through decisions to prepare studies on the rights of non-citizens and on globalization in the context of increases in racism.
Some initial suggestions had been formulated by CERD for the World Conference, Mr. Sherifis said; they included placing on the agenda such topics as current realities in the aftermath of slavery and colonialism; the impact of globalization on racial equality; and transnational migratory processes and the treatment of migrants. The Committee had since made other suggestions for consideration by the Conference, including the tragic consequences of conflicts with an ethnic dimension which urgently required the development of better instruments of preventive diplomacy and ways of institutionalizing peace-keeping operations by the United Nations and by regional organizations. CERD also had proposed that the World Conference ponder how the international community could prevent or mitigate mass and flagrant violations of the human rights of persons belonging to ethnic and racial groups and minorities, bearing in mind that failure to respond effectively to such crises in recent years had resulted in genocide, ethnic cleansing, and massive movements of refugees and displaced persons.
GAY S. McDOUGALL, member of CERD and Executive Director of the International Human Rights Law Group, said that in January, thirty experts from all regions of the world had met in Bellagio, Italy, to consider issues related to the upcoming World Conference. The Bellagio Consultation had suggested the following core themes which could be considered at the World Conference and be topics for activities of working groups at the Conference: (1) forms and manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance, which would include a discussion of sources and causes and the many and varied manifestations of racism in contemporary societies around the world; (2) victims of racism, which would examine special issues related to indigenous peoples, ethnic, national, religious and linguistic minorities, and other excluded minorities; (3) remedies, recourse, redress, and compensatory measures, which would examine ways to address persistent patterns and individual violations, including legislative, judicial, and political mechanisms for recourse and remedies; and (4) strategies to achieve full and effective equality and accountability, which would focus on measures aimed at prevention, promotion, and protection, and a consideration of underlying causes.
The Bellagio Consultation also came up with 20 ideas for activities for the World Conference, Ms. McDougall said. Two of them were that the Secretary-General of the United Nations convene a pre-Conference meeting of the Presidents of all the multilateral and regional development banks with a view towards, among other things, issuing a joint statement to be read at the opening of the World Conference, which spoke to the economic costs of racial discrimination; and that a global on-line school audience and network for a multi-cultural and anti-racism curriculum be set up to extend the benefits of information technology and use the Internet to promote tolerance and combat racism. The Bellagio Consultation further felt that the World Conference should include participation of and promote the interests of those most affected, excluded, and marginalized by racism, and that there be special meetings for actors and sectors of society which did not traditionally participate in World Conferences.
* *** *