The five-day Durban Review Conference on racism is due to open in Geneva on Monday, but several countries, among them Sweden and the United States, have decided not to attend. U.S. state department officials explain the American boycott with differences over Israel and the right to free speech.
According to the BBC, EU diplomats are still debating whether to attend or not, whereas the Canadians and the Israelis have decided not to.
While U.S. concerns are related to the Durban II text singling out Israel, as well as continued limitations in the freedom of expression, the Swedes have reasons of their own:
[...] In the last week, the negotiations have led to the drafting of a document that has been seen by the conference as a success, according to [Sweden's Integration Minister Nyamko] Sabuni. But nevertheless, Sweden refuses to participate in a meeting where individuals such as the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has taken controversial stances on many of the issues, will be present. This is due to worry that it will be a repeat of the last conference on racism – which was chaotic – eight years ago.
Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Jonas Gahr Støre, on the other hand, is attending, as are Danish officials.
The American stance goes to show how the U.S. authorities’ hands are tied by the simple fact that a substantial share of American voters subscribe to Judaism, which of course explains U.S. military, political and financial support of Israel, too.
But the question remains: Is the conference any use without the participation of important countries, such as the USA, Canada, Australia – and Israel itself?
Of course not. On the other hand, the rest can’t afford not to attend, lest they’d appear unwilling to move forward on the matter.
Read also: Freedom of speech – within “reason” – 12 March 2009
Late edit: It became clear Sunday afternoon that the Netherlands have withdrawn from the conference as well. It should be specified, though, that Sweden will attend, but not on a ministerial level.
Scandinavian news on the matter:
- USA boikotter FNs rasismekonferanse – db.no
- Svenskt nej till FN-konferens – svd.se
- Sverige bojkottar FN-konferens om rasism – dn.se
- USA boykotter racismekonference – politiken.dk
- Nära fiasko för FN-möte om rasism – svd.se
- Västvärlden splittrad om FN-möte i Genève – dn.se
- EU er splittet om racismekonference – politiken.dk
- Västvärlden splittrad om FN-möte – svd.se
- Västvärlden splittrad om FN-möte i Genève – dn.se
- Pia K.: Jeg er dybt skuffet over regeringen – politiken.dk
- FN-konferensen om rasism öppnar i hetluft – dn.se
Photo: People protest against racism in the Kensington community of Calgary, Alberta. Photographer: Robert Thivierge/Wikimedia Commons
I think its good that sweden withdrew. Nations must protect the few but strong principles that define them.
I am not surprised, however, that Norway is attending. They have more than once demonstrated that democratic principles are not so important when it comes to please their voter-segments. They’re a bunch of weak ass bitches all of them.
Dear Mutha,
You will forgive me for refraining from making assumptions as to your last name, but my mentioning of Norway in particular pertains to this blog’s Norwegian origin, of course. After all, Norway’s participation is by no means remarkable:
According to the UN itself, as of Friday morning, nearly 4000 people had registered to participate in the gathering, including more than 100 heads of delegation from Member States and over 2500 representatives from non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Including, to my knowledge, Denmark, known for facilitating and championing blasphemous newspaper cartoons.
That said, an attempt at passing a bill forbidding blasphemous conduct, in words or in action, stirred much collective anger hereabouts, among politicians, the media and, not least, bloggers.
Needless to say, the proposed bill was quickly turned down, out of respect for just the freedom of expression.
In fact, those liberties have lead to quite an “interesting” situation.
Who is the western world trying to fool again? Shirking the conference on racism is yet another mischievous attempt to evade charges of untold criminal atrocities committed by the western countries against other countries around the globe, notably African nation-states. The reason given by some treacherous european boycott advocates like Maxime Verhagen, the dutch foreign minister, is distinctly deficient of any rational course of argument, and thus it is clearly an outlandish perversion of the truth.
Racism as encouraged, and sponsored by Europe, Australia, the US, and Canada is a horrific evil that the global community must unite against, denounce, and eradicate. I am profoundly astounded to notice that these are ironically the same countries that are quick to hypocritically challenge the moral faults of others. Yet, they seem to have such a resolute opposition to this very necessary conference to salvage humanity! Inventing such a downright spurious excuse is simply not an adequate explanation for the western countries to suggest an annulment of the conference.
In retrospect, at the first global conference on racism in Durban, South Africa in 2001, these same western countries categorically refused to acknowledge slavery. Regrettably, only a handful of western delegates like the former German foreign minister Jöschgen Fisher, spoke in favour of slavery. Curiously, the US, and most european delegates at that summit seemed to suggest that Zionism and the holocaust were more malicious crimes than the all-pervasive combination of slavery, colonialism, and racism. Hence they utterly challenged any African indemnation advocacy.
Personally, i consider slavery as the most extensively vicious crime ever committed against humanity, and i wish that the world will unite against western machinations, and intrigues, and force the western countries to apologise and hence pay due reparations to Africa.
For some western countries like Holland, Sweden, Australia, and the US, to unscrupulously premise their argument on the baseless assumption that Ahmedinejad and others of his ilk, might divert the original intentions of the conference is simply empty balderdash. The conference ought to hold, and racism must be addressed and condemned, just as the horrendous tribulation of the Jews, as well as the unjustified acrimony against the good people of Israel has been properly denounced.
Nobody should be allowed to stop this meeting, not even the parochial, and brainwashed Nyamko Sabuni who seems to be so tirelessly keen at dancing at the tune of her masters rather than fight for the valuable cause of her people. Her ideas have been shamelessly perverted to serve the fictitious Swedish agenda, against her better judgment.
As the Swedish minister of integration with her roots in Africa, Nyamko ought to be the principal advocate for scrupulous fairness towards her continent of origin. Sadly though, it is quite absurd that she doesn’t even seem to feel treacherous to her own race. By romancing with the notion that she is european, she shamelessly embraces the chorus of western leaders, and ministers who have resorted to sloganeering, and empty rhetoric against the valuable conference on racism that would probably benefit Africa and its victimized people.
Nobody, not even Nyamko Sabuni should be allowed to extinguish the burning torch against racism by striving for an annulment of the conference. Again, it’s about time Nyamko be discarded!
Jan Eliasson, före detta ordförande i FN:s generalförsamling, kritiserar EU-delegaternas uttåg i en intervju med Second Opinion. “Jag har aldrig varit med om en sådan sak under min tid på FN,” säger han och kritiserar att medierna inte problematiserat frågan mer. Läs artikeln på http://www.second-opinion.se, lyft den gärna och skriv egna inlägg.
MVH Second Opinions redaktion
Takk for tipset, Second Opinion. Det er forresten en interessant blogg+ dere har der. Den er bokmerket!