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21 March 2001



International Day on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination,

Message of Mary Robinson
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Secretary General of the World Conference against Racism,
Racial Discrimination,
Xenophobia and Related Intolerance


Today, 21 March, marks the 41st anniversary of the Sharpeville massacres, a timely reminder of the historic struggle of the people of South Africa for justice and equality. I wish to pay special tribute to the Republic of South Africa - whose people suffered so egregiously under one of the most blatant and cruel forms of racism and who today are making valiant efforts to create a just society - for generously agreeing to host the Durban World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. Holding the Conference in South Africa will be a source of special inspiration and will, I believe, move us to strive ever more vigorously to free humanity from these terrible scourges.

While apartheid has been defeated, racism and intolerance are still common all over the world. To fail to recognize this fact is to obstruct the search for remedies; facing up to it is the first step towards taking positive action.

It is most appropriate that this summer in Durban - from 31 August to 7 September - the international community will focus on these issues. The preparatory process for the World Conference has provided opportunities for experts, NGOs 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 persist, including discrimination against migrants, Romas, 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 are among the main wellsprings of racism in the modern world. If we are to make the twenty-first century a century of human rights, grounded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the core human rights treaties, we must learn from the past and come to terms with humanity's long and tragic history of racism.

Many countries have revised national legislation and even drafted new constitutions to conform to internationally agreed human rights principles. The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the other core human rights treaties are vital instruments. But building inclusive societies, where diversity is seen as an asset and not as a threat, requires much greater effort and collective action by governments, NGOs, and the international community.

To succeed, the World Conference must be a process leading to constructive, practical, action-oriented strategies. That is why I have called on many sectors of society - spiritual leaders, women Heads of State and Government, parliamentarians, heads of labour and employer organisations - to add their voices to the movement to make the Durban Conference a success. Let us seize the moment and make this conference at the start of the new century a major force in bringing into being a culture of human rights for the decades that lie ahead.



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