DURBAN REVIEW CONFERENCE TO BE HELD AT PALAIS DES NATIONS IN GENEVA FROM 20 TO 24 APRIL

Durban Review Conference
BACKGROUND RELEASE

16 April 2009



The Durban Review Conference, which will review progress and assess implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, will be held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 20 to 24 April 2009.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, who is the Secretary-General of the Durban Review Conference, will open the Conference, which will begin at 10 a.m. in the General Assembly Hall. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will participate in the opening. Both the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner will also participate in a high-level panel preceding the Conference’s official opening, which will take place at 9 a.m. also in the General Assembly Hall.

The World Conference against Racism, held in 2001 in Durban, South Africa, adopted the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, which provided an important new framework for guiding governments, non-governmental organizations and other institutions in their efforts to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action encompasses far-reaching measures to combat racism in all its manifestations, including strengthening education, fighting poverty, securing development, improving the remedies and resources available to victims of racism, and bolstering respect for the rule of law and for human rights.

The Durban Review Conference will hold a high-level segment on 20 April in the afternoon and all day on 21 April. It will then hold a general debate on issues arising from the objectives of the Conference on 22 and 23 April. On 24 April, the Conference will present the report of the Drafting Committee to the Main Committee, and will conclude with the adoption of the final document and the report of the Conference.

At its first meeting, the Conference will elect a President and other officers and adopt its rules of procedure, the agenda and organization of work. A credentials committee will also be appointed and after it examines the credentials of representatives, it will report to the Review Conference.

According to the agenda, the Conference will spend two days – 22 and 23 April - to discuss issues arising from the objectives of the Conference, including (a) To review progress and assess implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action by all stakeholders at the national, regional and international levels, including assessing contemporary manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, through an inclusive, transparent and collaborative process and identify concrete measures and initiatives for combating and eliminating all manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in order to foster the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action; (b) To assess the effectiveness of the existing Durban follow-up mechanisms and other relevant United Nations mechanisms dealing with the issue of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in order to enhance them;(c) To promote the universal ratification and implementation of the International
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and proper consideration of the recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; and (d) To identify and share good practices achieved in the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

Draft Provisional Programme of Work



Monday, 20 April 2009
10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Opening of the Conference
Opening statement by the Secretary-General
Address by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Statement by a guest of honour
Item 2: Election of the President of the Review Conference
Item 4: Adoption of the rules of procedure
Item 5: Election of other officers of the Conference
Item 6: Establishment of the Credentials Committee
Item 7: Adoption of the agenda
Item 8: Organization of work: establishment of the Main Committee and the Drafting Committee
3-6 p.m.
Item 3: High-level segment / General segment
Tuesday, 21 April 2009**
10 a.m.-1 p.m.
High-level segment / General segment (continued)
3-6 p.m.
High-level segment / General segment (continued)
Wednesday, 22 April 2009**
10 a.m.-1 p.m.***
General debate on item 9 (“Issues arising from the objectives of the Conference”)
3-6 p.m.***
General debate on item 9 (“Issues arising from the objectives of the Conference”) (continued)
Thursday, 23 April 2009**
10 a.m.-1 p.m.***
General debate on item 9 (“Issues arising from the objectives of the Conference”) (continued)
3-6 p.m.***
General debate on item 9 (“Issues arising from the objectives of the Conference”) (continued and concluded)
Preparation of the report by the Secretariat
Friday, 24 April 2009
10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Presentation of the report of the Drafting Committee to the Main Committee
3-6 p.m.
Closing session
Item 10: Adoption of the final document and the report of the Durban Review Conference
Closing ceremony

For further details, please visit the Review Conference home page: http://www.un.org/durbanreview2009/

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* Subject to change.
** Drafting Committee meetings, as may be needed, will be held in parallel to the plenary.
*** High-level segment/General segment will be continued in the plenary, as may be needed, depending on the number of dignitaries and other speakers.
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For use of information media; not an official record