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INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION COMMEMORATED AT UNOG WITH ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION
21 March 2001
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21 March 2001
Speakers Address 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 Mary Robinson, the High Commissioner for Human Rights; Leandro Despouy, Chairperson of the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on Human Rights; Michael Sherifis, Chairperson of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD); and Bawa Jain, Secretary-General of the Millennium World Peace Summit.
Mrs. Robinson noted that the International Day served as an icon for the issues that were very much on peoples minds as participants prepared for the World Conference against Racism in Durban, South Africa. The High Commissioner thanked South Africa for hosting the World Conference. Intolerance and racism continued to be present all over the world. Many countries had revised national legislation and even drafted new constitutions to conform to internationally agreed human rights principles. She said the international community needed to seize the moment and make the World Conference against Racism a major force in bringing into being a culture of human rights for the decades that lie ahead.
Mr. Despouy said that human rights were universal. Discrimination constituted a serious violation of human rights. Non-discrimination was the foundation on which human rights were built and particular effort was required to combat all forms of discrimination, racism and xenophobia.
Mr. Sherifis addressed the issues which needed to be raised at the World Conference. He said that while this period in history had witnessed the end of apartheid, new and subtle forms of racial discrimination had arisen. Effective means of preventing and opposing racial discrimination needed to be developed. Early warning mechanisms also needed further development.
Mr. Jain began his address with a request for a moment of prayer, particularly for the women and children who often bore the brunt of racism and xenophobia. He noted that women and children were often the victims of racism and xenophobia. Religious leaders needed to come together and declare racism a moral sin. They should create broad public awareness of this scourge. Tolerance was not sufficient.
Three youth participants pursuing graduate studies in Geneva also took the floor, saying that the youth of the world needed to be systematically encouraged to participate in the fight against racial discrimination. Individual countries which planned to attend the Durban Conference needed to be encouraged to assume their particular responsibilities. Ignorance had been the main ground for racism problems. Globalization added to tension as it encouraged migration. Discriminatory behaviours were being taught to children from the start of their basic education through curriculum which emphasised state or ethnically centric ideas of history. They concluded by noting that the youth of the world were prepared to share in the work of the Durban Conference in fighting against racial discrimination.
Statements
MARY ROBINSON, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, paid special tribute to the Republic of South Africa - whose people had suffered so egregiously under one of the most blatant and cruel forms of racism and who today had made valiant efforts to create a just society - for generously agreeing to host the Durban World Conference against Racism. While apartheid had been defeated, racism and intolerance were still common all over the world. To fail to recognize this fact was to obstruct the search for remedies; facing up to it was the first step toward taking positive action.
Mrs. Robinson said the preparatory process for the World Conference had provided opportunities for experts, non-governmental organizations and civil society as well as governments to highlight a wide range of issues and to bring to the fore the multiple forms of intolerance which persisted, including discrimination against migrants, Roma, Afrodescendents, indigenous peoples and women. Economic inequality, ignorance, irrational fear of difference, the inability to acknowledge and express regret for great wrongs inflicted in the past: these were among the main wellsprings of racism in the modern world. Many countries had revised national legislation and even drafted new constitutions to conform to internationally agreed human rights principles. But building inclusive societies, where diversity was seen as an asset and not as a threat, required much greater effort and collective action by governments, NGOs, and the international community.
To succeed, the World Conference needed to be a process that led to constructive, practical, action-oriented strategies. The international community needed to seize the moment and make the World Conference against Racism a major force in bringing into being a culture of human rights for the decades that lie ahead.
LEANDRO DESPOUY, Chairperson of the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on Human Rights, said that human rights were universal. Referring to the lesson to be learnt from the Second World War and Nazi Germany, he said that one of the perversions of Nazis was that for them certain categories of people did not deserve any rights to the point of their being deprived even of their right to life, whereas other categories of people enjoyed all the rights. The apartheid in South Africa was another example of discrimination.
Discrimination was a serious violation of human rights. Non-discrimination was the foundation on which human rights were built and particular effort was required to combat all forms of discrimination, racism and xenophobia. It was important to create awareness that these problems existed in every society and that every society was threatened. This was a great challenge for the international community.
MICHAEL SHERIFIS, Chairperson of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), congratulated the High Commissioner on her initiative to have youth representatives present at the commemoration ceremony. The periodic reports submitted by the Governments which were State parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination showed that no country was immune from the presence of racial discrimination on its soil. While the end of apartheid was welcomed, it had coincided with the rise of xenophobia, racism and racial discrimination which had affected friendly and peaceful relations between States and constituted a basic denial of fundamental human rights. New and subtle forms of discrimination had appeared. The adoption of new ways to combat and eliminate racism needed to be an objective of the World Conference against Racism. An effective and result-oriented outcome needed to be reached.
The international community had developed numerous mechanisms to fight against racism, but the role of the Convention needed to be strengthened by universal ratification and the withdrawal of reservations. These recommendations constituted important steps forward in protecting, among others, indigenous people, the Roma, migrant workers, refugees and displaced persons. The World Conference against Racism needed to offer more than a hope for the future to these peoples. It needed to share their concerns and work to provide a solution for the problems that affected them. A series of specific proposals had been developed and submitted to the High Commissioner. In order to prevent ethnic- and racial-based conflict, early warning mechanisms needed to be further developed. Education was recognized as the best form of prevention.
BAWA JAIN, Secretary-General of the Millennium World Peace Summit, said that women and children were often the victims of racism and xenophobia. It was important that efforts to address racism should start at the individual level. What was needed was for each and every individual to ask himself or herself if they were racist. The religions of the world were the depositories of values and ancient traditions and could play a pivotal role in addressing racism, violence and xenophobia.
Religious leaders should not wait for governments and political leaders to take action to address racism. They should come together and declare racism a moral sin and create broad public awareness of this scourge. Tolerance was not sufficient. Everyone should have mutual respect for others. Religious leaders should join efforts with the United Nations in addressing racism and should put more emphasis on forgiveness and reconciliation. It was necessary that they take leadership and declare that the world must abolish slavery, discrimination and racism.
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Speakers Address 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 Mary Robinson, the High Commissioner for Human Rights; Leandro Despouy, Chairperson of the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on Human Rights; Michael Sherifis, Chairperson of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD); and Bawa Jain, Secretary-General of the Millennium World Peace Summit.
Mrs. Robinson noted that the International Day served as an icon for the issues that were very much on peoples minds as participants prepared for the World Conference against Racism in Durban, South Africa. The High Commissioner thanked South Africa for hosting the World Conference. Intolerance and racism continued to be present all over the world. Many countries had revised national legislation and even drafted new constitutions to conform to internationally agreed human rights principles. She said the international community needed to seize the moment and make the World Conference against Racism a major force in bringing into being a culture of human rights for the decades that lie ahead.
Mr. Despouy said that human rights were universal. Discrimination constituted a serious violation of human rights. Non-discrimination was the foundation on which human rights were built and particular effort was required to combat all forms of discrimination, racism and xenophobia.
Mr. Sherifis addressed the issues which needed to be raised at the World Conference. He said that while this period in history had witnessed the end of apartheid, new and subtle forms of racial discrimination had arisen. Effective means of preventing and opposing racial discrimination needed to be developed. Early warning mechanisms also needed further development.
Mr. Jain began his address with a request for a moment of prayer, particularly for the women and children who often bore the brunt of racism and xenophobia. He noted that women and children were often the victims of racism and xenophobia. Religious leaders needed to come together and declare racism a moral sin. They should create broad public awareness of this scourge. Tolerance was not sufficient.
Three youth participants pursuing graduate studies in Geneva also took the floor, saying that the youth of the world needed to be systematically encouraged to participate in the fight against racial discrimination. Individual countries which planned to attend the Durban Conference needed to be encouraged to assume their particular responsibilities. Ignorance had been the main ground for racism problems. Globalization added to tension as it encouraged migration. Discriminatory behaviours were being taught to children from the start of their basic education through curriculum which emphasised state or ethnically centric ideas of history. They concluded by noting that the youth of the world were prepared to share in the work of the Durban Conference in fighting against racial discrimination.
Statements
MARY ROBINSON, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, paid special tribute to the Republic of South Africa - whose people had suffered so egregiously under one of the most blatant and cruel forms of racism and who today had made valiant efforts to create a just society - for generously agreeing to host the Durban World Conference against Racism. While apartheid had been defeated, racism and intolerance were still common all over the world. To fail to recognize this fact was to obstruct the search for remedies; facing up to it was the first step toward taking positive action.
Mrs. Robinson said the preparatory process for the World Conference had provided opportunities for experts, non-governmental organizations and civil society as well as governments to highlight a wide range of issues and to bring to the fore the multiple forms of intolerance which persisted, including discrimination against migrants, Roma, Afrodescendents, indigenous peoples and women. Economic inequality, ignorance, irrational fear of difference, the inability to acknowledge and express regret for great wrongs inflicted in the past: these were among the main wellsprings of racism in the modern world. Many countries had revised national legislation and even drafted new constitutions to conform to internationally agreed human rights principles. But building inclusive societies, where diversity was seen as an asset and not as a threat, required much greater effort and collective action by governments, NGOs, and the international community.
To succeed, the World Conference needed to be a process that led to constructive, practical, action-oriented strategies. The international community needed to seize the moment and make the World Conference against Racism a major force in bringing into being a culture of human rights for the decades that lie ahead.
LEANDRO DESPOUY, Chairperson of the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on Human Rights, said that human rights were universal. Referring to the lesson to be learnt from the Second World War and Nazi Germany, he said that one of the perversions of Nazis was that for them certain categories of people did not deserve any rights to the point of their being deprived even of their right to life, whereas other categories of people enjoyed all the rights. The apartheid in South Africa was another example of discrimination.
Discrimination was a serious violation of human rights. Non-discrimination was the foundation on which human rights were built and particular effort was required to combat all forms of discrimination, racism and xenophobia. It was important to create awareness that these problems existed in every society and that every society was threatened. This was a great challenge for the international community.
MICHAEL SHERIFIS, Chairperson of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), congratulated the High Commissioner on her initiative to have youth representatives present at the commemoration ceremony. The periodic reports submitted by the Governments which were State parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination showed that no country was immune from the presence of racial discrimination on its soil. While the end of apartheid was welcomed, it had coincided with the rise of xenophobia, racism and racial discrimination which had affected friendly and peaceful relations between States and constituted a basic denial of fundamental human rights. New and subtle forms of discrimination had appeared. The adoption of new ways to combat and eliminate racism needed to be an objective of the World Conference against Racism. An effective and result-oriented outcome needed to be reached.
The international community had developed numerous mechanisms to fight against racism, but the role of the Convention needed to be strengthened by universal ratification and the withdrawal of reservations. These recommendations constituted important steps forward in protecting, among others, indigenous people, the Roma, migrant workers, refugees and displaced persons. The World Conference against Racism needed to offer more than a hope for the future to these peoples. It needed to share their concerns and work to provide a solution for the problems that affected them. A series of specific proposals had been developed and submitted to the High Commissioner. In order to prevent ethnic- and racial-based conflict, early warning mechanisms needed to be further developed. Education was recognized as the best form of prevention.
BAWA JAIN, Secretary-General of the Millennium World Peace Summit, said that women and children were often the victims of racism and xenophobia. It was important that efforts to address racism should start at the individual level. What was needed was for each and every individual to ask himself or herself if they were racist. The religions of the world were the depositories of values and ancient traditions and could play a pivotal role in addressing racism, violence and xenophobia.
Religious leaders should not wait for governments and political leaders to take action to address racism. They should come together and declare racism a moral sin and create broad public awareness of this scourge. Tolerance was not sufficient. Everyone should have mutual respect for others. Religious leaders should join efforts with the United Nations in addressing racism and should put more emphasis on forgiveness and reconciliation. It was necessary that they take leadership and declare that the world must abolish slavery, discrimination and racism.
* *** *