HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS TO ADDRESS GLOBAL AUDIENCE OVER INTERNET IN LEAD-UP TO WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM

HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS TO ADDRESS GLOBAL AUDIENCE OVER INTERNET

IN LEAD-UP TO WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM

GENEVA, 8 August (UN Information Service) -- The World Conference against Racism will top the agenda on 9 August as people from around the globe get a chance to talk directly to United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson via the Internet.

Mrs. Robinson, who is also the Secretary-General of the World Conference, will take part in an Internet "chat" hosted by the news Web site MSNBC.com starting at 5 p.m. C.E.T.

"It is very exciting to harness the power of the World Wide Web to bring people together and communicate a message of respect for difference and of cherishing diversity", Mrs. Robinson said.  "This is especially important as we need to counter the use of the Internet to spread hate."

The High Commissioner recalled that the World Conference itself will be broadcast live over the Internet.

"The World Conference has led to the emergence of a global alliance that will continue to fight racism after Durban", Mrs. Robinson added.  "The use of technology in ever more imaginative ways will be one of the essential tools in this struggle."

The chat will be carried on www.msnbc.com/chat/default.asp.  For more information on the World Conference, please contact Jose Diaz,

tel: +41 22 917 9242, e-mail: jdiaz.hchr@unog.ch; Teferra Shiawl-Kidanekal,

+41 22 917 9127, tshiawl.hchr@unog.ch, or Myriam Dessables, tel: +41 22 917 7225, e-mail: dessables@un.org.

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