RE-EMERGING NEO-FASCIST GROUPS TARGETING IMMIGRANTS, THIRD COMMITTEE TOLD

26 October 1998

Press Release
GA/SHC/3485

RE-EMERGING NEO-FASCIST GROUPS TARGETING IMMIGRANTS, THIRD COMMITTEE TOLD

19981026 Rise of Such Groups Not Isolated Phenomenon, Angola Says, As Committee Continues Discussion of Racism, Self-Determination

The re-emergence of neo-fascist and neo-Nazi groups that targeted ethnic minorities and, in particular, immigrants was highlighted in the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) this afternoon, as it continued its consideration of issues related to the elimination of racism and racial discrimination, and the right of peoples to self-determination.

The representative of Angola warned that reports of such groups could not be dismissed as isolated incidents. Rather, some political parties were including xenophobia and discrimination against ethnic and other minorities in their electoral programmes and a proliferation of new forms of racism were targeting mainly immigrants.

The representative of Algeria added that racism was being redeployed in new forms through racist and xenophobic ideologies, which drew on pseudo- scientific studies for their justification. As a result, racism was rampant and it targeted particularly migrant workers.

The representative of Turkey said more than 3 million Turkish citizens lived outside Turkey, contributing to the wealth of the countries in which they lived. In return, however, they often became scapegoats, subjected to violent racist attacks, which sometimes resulted in loss of life.

Another complex challenge to the elimination of racism was the internationalization of information superhighways, said the representative of Cuba. It was imperative to draft a code of conduct for Internet users and providers. The prohibition of disseminating ideas based on racial superiority and racial hate constituted a legitimate restriction of freedom of opinion and speech, perfectly compatible with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

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Statements were also made by the representatives of Brazil, Senegal, Ecuador and Argentina, as well as the observer for Palestine.

The Third Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. Tuesday, 27 October, to continue its consideration of elimination of racism and racial discrimination, and the right of peoples to self-determination.

Committee Work Programme

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met this afternoon to continue its consideration of issues related to the elimination of racism and racial discrimination, and the right of peoples to self- determination. (For background information on the documents before the Committee, see Press Release GA/SHC/3484 of 23 October.)

Statements

MARCELA MARIA NICODEMOS (Brazil) said the Brazilian Constitution prohibited unequal treatment and imposed on the State an obligation to promote equal opportunities through positive action. The Constitution also ensured the protection of the country's cultural heritage by the integration of the different ethnic groups into the national society. Forty-four per cent of Brazil's population was Afro-Brazilian and the country valued the important contribution of African culture to the national identity. The Constitution recognized the land rights of the rural communities that were descendants of the communities formed by Africans who had fled slavery.

Self-determination was also a basic value in human society and an inalienable right of peoples under colonial or other forms of foreign domination, she said. Her country had consistently supported the struggle of those peoples. The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action from the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights recognized the right of peoples to take legitimate action -- in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations -- to realize their right to self-determination. It also recognized that the right to self-determination did not authorize any action to dismember or impair the territorial integrity or political unity of sovereign and independent States that respected equal rights and self-determination of peoples. Democracy was the determining factor in the promotion of the right of people to self-determination.

IBRA DEGUENE KA (Senegal) said that, in a globalized interdependent Earth, people were born free and equal. Citing a "wise Senegalese man", he said man should be the remedy for man. That truth was, however, not understood by people imbued with hatred for others on the basis of race and other forms of discrimination. The underlying reasons for those attitudes were increasingly apparent in some countries, where foreigners were being attacked because they were said to be taking away jobs. But, economics was not the only reason for such attitudes, as they sometimes resulted from the forces of fascism, nazism, and narrow-minded nationalism.

Measures should be taken to deal with the use of the Internet in spreading hateful propaganda, he said. The Third International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination was an opportunity to intensify consciousness to address the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, as well as other instruments. His

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Government hoped the objectives of the Convention would be attained before the end of the Third Decade.

No political parties could be constituted on the basis of race, he added. Moreover, the civilization of the universal -- a joining of all kinds of inputs from everywhere -- should be built. Further, while the right to self-determination was a sacred right, a right that had contributed to decolonization and sovereignty and that, in fact, enriched the world, all forms of separatism and disintegration must be combated, he said.

AFONSO VAN DUNEM "MBINDA" (Angola), spoke on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which includes Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. He said that, at the end of the millennium as well as the end of the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, many of the fundamental objectives of the Decade were still far from being achieved. Their implementation required adequate funds. The SADC supported the decision of the Economic and Social Council to invite the General Assembly to consider providing more funding.

He hoped States that had not yet done so would join the 150 States that had acceded to or ratified the International Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. There was a growing concern among some States that adequate legislation be adopted to protect minorities against racism and racial discrimination. He was concerned with the proliferation of new forms of racism that targeted mainly immigrants, namely segregation based on ethnic factors and xenophobia.

He said the re-emergence of neo-fascist and neo-Nazi groups should not be seen as isolated or spontaneous movements, as recently reported. Some political parties had included xenophobia and discrimination against ethnic and other minorities in their electoral programmes. The report of the Special Rapporteur provided hard evidence that foreign minorities, particularly migrant workers and their families, continued to be the main targets of discrimination. He added that the Special Rapporteur's mandate should be continued, with the allocation of adequate resources.

LUIS VALENCIA RODRIGUEZ (Ecuador) said many countries were facing new forms of racism and racial discrimination, many of which were hidden. Several signs of racism had emerged that at first seemed isolated, yet they resulted in gross violations of human rights. The international community needed to address such problems as ethnic cleansing and efforts to redraw political boundaries along racial lines.

States could best contribute to the elimination of racial discrimination by addressing the problems within their own borders, he said. It must also be recognized that racist ideas did not arise spontaneously. Rather, they had to be encouraged. In the battle against racism, the effective participation of

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civil society was also essential, in particular that of organizations whose primary role was to promote and defend human rights. Also, the rights of ethnic minorities must be recognized and highlighted. Members of indigenous populations should also be free and have equal rights and States should be guided by that ideal in their internal policies.

ABDALLAH BAALI (Algeria) said racism and racial discrimination were among the most serious violations of human rights. The dismantling of apartheid had been possible due to the heroic struggle of the people of South Africa, with support of the international community. Racism was now being redeployed in new forms through racist and xenophobic ideologies, which drew on pseudo-scientific studies for their justification. As a result, racism was rampant and it particularly targeted migrant workers.

As described by the Special Rapporteur, he said there had been a proliferation of neo-nazism, neo-fascism and the rise of extremist parties espousing the hatred of foreigners, which were again targeting migrant workers and refugees. More disquieting was that those forces were using the Internet to spread their idea of superiority. Combating those would require reinforcing legislation and education programmes, which stressed respect for human rights and for tolerance, as well as the drafting of codes of conduct.

The Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination had adopted an ambitious programme of activities, he said. Paradoxically, few resources had been allocated. More support was needed from the international community to address those issues. The proposed conference on racism -- in the year 2001 -- offered the international community a new opportunity to tackle all the issues, particularly new forms of racism and xenophobia. Measures were needed to consider prevention, education and protection.

Self-determination had become an immutable principle and there was still work to be done as long as people were being denied that right, he said, citing the cases of the Palestinian people and Western Sahara. Efforts on Western Sahara were back on track because of the agreement reached in Houston, but the Security Council would have to be vigilant in scrupulously applying the principle of self-determination there.

SOMAIA BARGHOUTI, observer for Palestine, said the right of peoples to self-determination was an inalienable right of all peoples, as well as a basic human right. Peoples must be able to freely choose their destinies and their economic, social and political systems. The denial of that fundamental right contravened international law. The challenge of the full realization of peoples' human rights, including the right to self-determination, remained a critical issue. The implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international instruments was crucial.

The people of Palestine, however, continued to live under Israeli occupation, where they suffered oppression and injustice and their right to

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self-determination had been denied, she continued. A greater effort by the international community was necessary for the fulfilment of the right of the Palestinian people for self-determination. The Palestinian people, who numbered about 7 million, had a great history, civilization and national identity. Recognition of their right to self-determination and creation of an independent State was essential to the future of peace in the region.

The Palestinian people were frustrated and humiliated as a result of Israeli policies and practices, she said. Israel continued to increase illegal colonial settlements and to restrict the freedom of movement of the Palestinian people. She hoped that self-determination would soon be achieved. She called on the international community to support the peace process and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital. She reiterated the call by President Arafat for the international community to stand by the Palestinian people, especially during the five-year transitional period provided for in the Palestinian-Israeli agreements that would end on 4 May 1999, as they awaited the establishment of their independent State.

MARIANO SIMON PADROS (Argentina) said his Government looked forward to the conference on racism to review the implementation of the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination. His country had ratified the International Convention to Combat All Forms of Racial Discrimination and hoped those countries that had not yet ratified it, would do so before the conference. His country provided full rights to all, and that was enshrined in its founding instruments. The spirit of openness towards foreigners was also enshrined in its Constitution in 1853. A national institute had been created in 1995 to combat discrimination, xenophobia and racism.

His Government had complied with the United Nations Charter, the basis of which was the dignity and equality inherent to all human beings, he said. His Government was convinced that racism was a cultural problem, which fed on prejudice passed down on a daily basis and it was up to the Government to break that trend of racism and discrimination. Education campaigns were needed to promote tolerance and respect. Discrimination was the main obstacle to the enjoyment of human rights and recognizing and overcoming it was necessary for building a just and democratic society.

MARIA DE LOS ANGELES FLOREZ PRIDA (Cuba) said the internationalization of information superhighways had added yet another complex challenge to the goal of doing away with racism and racial discrimination. Such world wide networks as the Internet were used to arouse racial hate with more than 200 websites spreading racist propaganda. It was imperative to draft a code of conduct for Internet users and providers. The prohibition of disseminating ideas based on racial superiority and racial hate constituted a legitimate restriction of freedom of opinion and speech, perfectly compatible with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

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Universal ratification of that Convention still seemed distant, she continued. Yet, the greatest concern had to do with the unjustified delays and failure to comply with the timetable for submitting reports of some States parties. It was amazing that a prominent and powerful Member of the Organization should try to avoid international scrutiny by failing to submit its corresponding reports to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Her country -- a developing country facing countless difficulties and challenges -- had just submitted its last periodic report to the Committee.

The right to self-determination had become more complex in the modern world, she said. The challenge of preserving peace lay in respecting nations -- their territorial integrity, cultural diversity and political plurality. Cuba continued to call for the return of the territory illegally usurped by the United States -- Guantanamo Naval Base. Cuba would never renounce its right to exercise sovereignty over the whole national territory, up to the last square metre of the archipelago, including its airspace and territorial waters, she said.

AHMET ARDA (Turkey) said that more than 3 million Turkish citizens lived outside Turkey, proudly contributing to the wealth of the countries in which they were living and working. In return, they often became scapegoats, subject to violent racist attacks that sometimes resulted in loss of life. The increase in xenophobic attacks on Turkish citizens, as well as on other foreigners settled outside their home country, was the reason his Government thought the issue of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance should be on the agenda of the United Nations. The Special Rapporteur's work to bring world attention to the problem was highly appreciated.

The World Conference against Racism and Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance must be a milestone in the common effort to provide a better place for human beings to live, he said. It must be action- oriented with a clear perspective and should not repeat what had already been found unsatisfactory in addressing the current trends. It must also distinguish between racial discrimination, which was a policy -- planned, intentional and directed towards a target -- and racism or xenophobia, where there was no real cause, the very existence of the victim being enough to provoke violence.

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