COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS TAKES UP DISCUSSION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 24 March (UN Information Service) -- The Commission on Human Rights began this afternoon its annual discussion of racism and racial discrimination, hearing a number of requests from national delegations for more vigorous efforts to implement the Declaration and Programme of Action of the Durban World Conference against Racism and Racial Discrimination.

Several Arab and Muslim countries also called for steps to halt what they said were discriminatory practices, laws, and media portrayals of Muslims and Arabs in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001.

Doudou Diène, the Commission's Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, said, among other things, that among the factors responsible for racism were discriminatory mentalities, globalization which denied the right of people to be different, the strengthening of a culture of fear due to the war against terrorism, and the spreading of racism through new communications technologies, such as the Internet.

Peter Lesa Kasanda, Chairperson-Rapporteur of the recently established Working Group on People of African Descent, said a recurring theme of the group's findings was a link between discrimination and poverty -- exclusion driven by State polices had the effect not only of marginalizing people of African descent but of rendering them the poorest of the poor.  He added that, through invisibility, people of African descent were excluded from having their numbers and their political, social and economic status known and acted upon.

Juan Enrique Vega, Chairperson-Rapporteur of the new Working Group on the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, said that, after the consensus adoption of the Declaration, it had been thought that full cooperation would be extended by the States parties who had approved these instruments, but further cooperation in fact was needed from all quarters, including the Commission, in order for the Group to carry out its mandate.

A Representative of Algeria, in an opinion seconded by several other national delegations, said the reality of violence and excess committed against Muslim and Arab minorities following the events of 11 September revealed a polarization of an ideological, political and religious nature and amounted to widespread defamation -- that in fact, Islam was equated with violence, terrorism and social and cultural backwardness by figures who claimed to represent various Western circles.

Also speaking during the afternoon meeting were representatives of Pakistan (on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference), Bahrain, South Africa, Greece, Costa Rica (on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries), Sweden, the Syrian Arab Republic, China, the Russian Federation, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, and Sri Lanka.

Syria, Algeria, Armenia, India, Pakistan, Israel, and Azerbaijan spoke in exercise of the right of reply.

The Commission will reconvene at 10 a.m. Tuesday, 25 March, to continue its debate on racism and racial discrimination.

Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and All Forms of Discrimination

(Including "Comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action".)

Under this agenda item, the Commission has before it a series of documents.

      There is a report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on combating defamation of religions as a means to promote human rights, social harmony and religious and cultural diversity (document E/CN.4/2003/17).  The report makes a brief presentation of the activities carried out by United Nations intergovernmental bodies, human rights mechanisms, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and United Nations specialized agencies and programmes to support intercultural dialogue, respect and tolerance.  The report concludes that tolerance and respect are fundamental to the purposes of the
United Nations.  Cultural diversity is a source of exchange, innovation and creativity and reflects the uniqueness and plurality of the groups and societies making up humankind.  The Office of the High Commissioner acknowledges the decisive role of education in combating prejudices and in promoting a culture of respect, dialogue and tolerance.  Activities under the United Nations Human Rights Education Decade and activities for the implementation of the Durban and Programme of Action are directed at promoting tolerance and respect.  Human rights mechanism should be assisted in linking the universality of human rights and cultural specificities. 

There is report of the High Commissioner on comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (document E/CN.4/2003/18).  The report contains information on activities by States, human rights treaty bodies, special procedures and other mechanisms of the Commission on Human Rights, United Nations bodies and specialized agencies, international and regional organizations, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations to implement the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA).  The report complements, and should be read in conjunction with the report of the High Commissioner on the same topic which was submitted to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session. 

      There are two addenda to this report, one a Report of the
Latin America-Caribbean Regional Seminar of Experts on implementation of the Durban Programme of Action:  exchange of ideas on future action
(document E/CN.472003/18/Add.1).  The report contains conclusions and recommendations on national plans of action; specific groups of victims; administration of justice; human rights education and training; health, including HIV/AIDS; employment; gender; and international financial and development agencies.

The second addendum is a Report of the Seminar of Experts for the African Region on the Implementation of the Durban Programme of Action:  an exchange of ideas on steps to move forward (document E/CN.4/2003/18/Add.2).  The seminar recommends a variety of activities for national actions plans; implementation of the provisions of the Durban Programme of Action relating to health, including HIV/AIDS; the need for capacity-building, including strengthening the administration of justice and the rule of law; the role of African national and regional human rights institutions in implementing the Durban Programme of Action; implementation of the Programme of Action relating to human rights training and education; achieving full and effective equality through the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and development policies; implementation of provisions of the Programme of Action relating to specific victims and groups; provisions relating to the gender dimensions of racial discrimination and, more broadly, multiple discrimination; and the implementation of the provisions of the Programme of Action relating to environmental concerns.

There is a report of the High Commissioner on the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (document E/CN.4/2003/19).  The report contains information regarding the extent of implementation of the revised Programme of Action for the Third Decade.  The results of the activities undertaken during the Third Decade provide a global and up-to-date picture of racism, as well as possible ways and means of combating it.  The report notes that one of the most important events during the Third Decade was the World Conference against Racism that took place in Durban, South Africa, in September 2003.  The report accounts for action taken at the international level; the national and regional levels; coordination, reporting and regular system wide consultations; and research, studies and publications.  There is also a section on activities requested by the revised programme of action for the Third Decade and had not yet been implemented.

There is an addendum to this document which contains the report of the joint OHCHR/UNESCO workshop to develop a publication to combat racism and foster tolerance (document E/CN.4/2003/19/Add.1).  The report contains the introduction of background papers and discussions on racism and racial discrimination as relates to education; health; HIV/AIDS; contemporary forms of slavery; employment; migration; administration of justice; new information technologies; and gender; as well as one paper on the international framework to combat racism, with specific emphasis on the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.   

There is a report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent on its first and second sessions (E/CN.4/2003/21).  The report states, among other things, that the people of African descent living in the diaspora are the historical and continuing victims of the transatlantic, Mediterranean and Indian Ocean slave trades and of slavery, recalling that the United Nations has recognized this group as one whose human rights must be promoted and protected, and which requires support and a representative voice at the international level.  The report notes that people of African descent are largely invisible because they are often absent or excluded with respect to domestic data collection, statistical analysis and programming, as well as from national public life and depictions in the media.  The report calls for the elaboration of short-, medium- and long-term proposals for the elimination of racial discrimination against people of African descent, including proposals for a mechanism to monitor and promote all their human rights.

There is a report by Doudou Diène, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, on the Situation of Muslim and Arab peoples in various parts of the world in the aftermath of the events of 11 September 2001 (E/CN.4/2002/23).  The report examines different acts of discrimination against people of the Muslim faith and/or Arab origin and finds that there has been a resurgence in attacks and assaults on such people, their property and their places of worship in several parts of the world, particularly in the United States and in Europe.  The report also highlights the negative impact on Muslims and/or Arabs of legislation adopted in several countries to strengthen national security and combat terrorism.  The report notes that in several non-Muslim countries there is an ideological dimension associated with anti-Muslim and/or anti-Arab violence, in the form of the explicit and public defamation of Islam and the equation of Islam with violence, terrorism and cultural and social backwardness by intellectual, political and media figures.

There is another report by Mr. Diène, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance (E/CN.4/2003/24).  The report describes serious allegations of racial discrimination and xenophobia, with particular reference to Côte d'Ivoire and Guyana.  It also draws attention to racial discrimination against Roma/Sinti travelers, to measures taken at the European level to counter such discrimination, and to manifestations of anti-Semitism.  The report also examines allegations of racial discrimination and xenophobia in Germany, Spain, the Russian Federation, Greece, Guyana and the United Kingdom.

There is a report by the World Health Organization on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and all forms of discrimination, the right to development, economic, social and cultural rights, integration of the human rights of women and a gender perspective, rights of the child, specific groups and individuals, indigenous issues, promotion and protection of human rights and effective functioning of human rights mechanism (E/CN.4/2003/122).  The report outlines the relationship between health and human rights and contains examples of activities by the World Health Organization with relevance to the Commission's agenda.

There is a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) (E/CN.4/2003/127).  The report contains a summary of ILO activities to promote non-discrimination, the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples, and migrant workers, as well as a follow-up to the World Conference against Racism.

Statements

DOUDOU DIENE, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, introducing his report (E/CN.4/2003/24) to the Commission, said he shared the view contained in the Declaration of the World Conference against racism according to which the scourge of racism persisted and continued to cause violations of human rights, suffering, inequalities and violence which must be combated with all available and appropriate means in cooperation with the affected groups and populations.  Among the factors responsible for racism were discriminatory mentalities, globalization which denied the right of people to be different, the strengthening of a culture of fear due to the war against terrorism, and the spreading of racism through new communications technologies such as the Internet.  There should be a linkage between thoughts and actions in the fight against racism.  A double approach must be adopted, which would focus on the need to strengthen legal strategies and to launch an intellectual strategy geared to studying and understanding the cultural, mental and ethical roots of racism. 

The Special Rapporteur drew the attention of the Commission to the risk of clashes between cultures and civilizations that could arise from the treatment of Arab and Muslim populations in various regions of the world following the tragic events of 11 September.  He called for a closer link to be established between the fight against racism and the strengthening of dialogue between different cultures, civilizations and religions.

JUAN ENRIQUE VEGA, Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, introduced his report (E/CN.4/2003/20), saying that the Group had carried out its work in difficult circumstances.  After the consensus adoption of the Declaration, it had been thought that full cooperation would be extended by the States parties that had approved it.  But further cooperation was needed from all quarters, including the Commission, in order for the Working Group to carry out its mandate.

PETER LESA KASANDA, Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on People of African Descent, introducing his report to the Commission (E/CN.4/2003/21), said that such persons shared the same forms of racial discrimination:  their human rights were largely denied or violated.  Racial discrimination ensured that people of African descent remained at the bottom of the social ladder in society.  In fact, the vast majority of people of African origin lived in conditions that lacked access to basic services such as running water and electricity.  In addition, criminal justice systems impacted negatively on Afro-descendants, with prison populations often disproportionately consisting of such persons.  A recurring theme was the link between discrimination and poverty.  Exclusion driven by State polices had the effect not only of marginalizing people of African descent but of rendering them the poorest of the poor.

Through invisibility, people of African descent were excluded from having their numbers and their political, social and economic status known and acted upon.  The Working Group recognized the urgent need to preserve the memory of slavery and the slave trade through building memorial sites and through teaching the history of slavery and the slave trade.  To effectively fight racism, political will on the part of governments and other stakeholders was absolutely necessary.  Brazil was an example of such political will.  The authorities there had recognized that racism existed and had existed for many years as a legacy of slavery, and the Government had taken measures to improve the human rights of people of African descent.

Interactive Dialogue with Special Rapporteur Diène

      In a question-and-answer session, a Representative of Norway asked about issues related to African States implementing particular paragraphs of the
Durban Declaration and the role of the Commission in the follow-up to the same paragraphs. 

A Representative of Switzerland asked about separate recommendations in the report of the Special Rapporteur on human rights education and the promotion of cultural diversity and tolerance and whether these were not indeed two sides of the same coin.  He further stressed that linguistic pluralism was as important as cultural and ethnic pluralism.

Was discrimination based on religion and culture part of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, a Representative of Canada asked?  The Special Rapporteur was also asked to elaborate on what were "non responses" to such discrimination. 

A Representative of Greece, speaking on behalf of the European Union, asked about the national implementation of the Durban Plan of Action; whether gender issues were to be part of the Special Rapporteur’s work in the future; asked Mr. Diène to elaborate on new, insidious forms of racism; and asked whether globalization could contribute to the eradication of racism. 

A Representative of the Syria said he had hoped for a reference to the weak participation that had been apparent in the Working Group on Persons of African Descent.

The importance of referring to political parties with racist platforms was cited by a Representative of Brazil.  Such political parties were currently part of national governments in some countries, the Representative said, and they were a source of major concern. 

The Special Rapporteur said among other things there were three or four main parameters for these questions.  In his report he had referred to the great complexities of issues of racism and racial discrimination.  His mandate required the support of the Committee on the Eradication of Racial Discrimination, as well as of the Commission on Human Rights.  There must be a concept of an intellectual strategy.  This meant that countries that had experiences with xenophobia must tackle issues related to culture -- the deep root of discrimination.  Pluralism was a key concept in the eradication of discrimination.  With regard to pluralism, it was true that linguistic pluralism was important.  With regard to the Working Group on persons of African descent, it was also true that it had not had the time to take positions on some complex issues.  These questions required great depth, which was why he currently was cooperating with the Working Group.  Mr. Diène appealed to the Commission to ensure that legal strategies for eradicating discrimination were accompanied by intellectual strategies. 

General Debate on Racism and Racial Discrimination

SHAUKAT UMER (Pakistan), speaking on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, said Islamic countries were seriously concerned at the slow pace follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.  They believed that the reports on the process of the Working Group entrusted with the follow-up needed to be widely and regularly disseminated.  Also important were the appointment of the independent Eminent Experts called for and the establishment of the Anti-Discrimination Unit in the Office of the Commission on Human Rights, as envisaged in the Programme of Action of the Durban Conference.  The significant increase in incidents of violence, insults and physical assaults against Muslims and people of Arab descent following the events of 11 September 2001, and the institutional targeting of Muslim minorities in various countries, was extremely disturbing for the Islamic world. 

      The Organization of the Islamic Conference also deeply regretted the unjust and arbitrary regulations imposed by many countries as a part of their
anti-terrorism measures and which specifically targeted Muslims and people of Arab descent.  The Organization therefore urged the Commission to take effective measures for implementing the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur and to encourage all States, especially those directly concerned by the situation, to take preventive measures to guarantee the full and unfettered exercise of Muslims' and Arabs' cultural and religious rights and the protection of their places of worship, as well as to guarantee the protection of their fundamental rights, including their right to equality before the law.  The dissemination of the views of self-proclaimed experts on Islam with their misleading and often blasphemous interpretations of Islam had become a rampant practice in certain media.  This virulent propaganda signified a dangerous trend.  If it were not stopped effectively, this would create more disharmony within and across societies.  It was incumbent upon the international media to act in a responsible manner, particularly on sensitive issues involving religion. 

SAEED MOHAMED AL-FAIHANI (Bahrain) said the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action contained elements that could enable the fight against discrimination to succeed.  At present, discrimination had become a commonplace; in particular there had been a campaign by certain media against the Islamic faith.  Muslims had been subject to intolerance in various parts of the world.  However, Islam itself was a tolerant religion.

In Bahrain, any form of discrimination was prohibited and perpetrators of such acts were punished by law.  The Government, in cooperation with
non-governmental organizations, had been working to promote harmony among the different racial components of society.  In the society of Bahrain, racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance had no place.  The Government would continue to implement effectively the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.

SIPHO GEORGE NENE (South Africa), speaking on behalf of the African Group, said the Western Group, through its uncooperative attitude, had prevented the General Assembly from adopting a substantive resolution to guide the effective implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.  The negative position of the Western Group had brought into question the renewed political commitment pronounced at Durban.  Thus, General Assembly resolution 56/266 failed to address the fundamental issues, such as emphasizing future actions by the international community to propel the global drive towards the total eradication of racism.

The growing trend of boycotting the initiatives of the developing countries by the developed countries was seriously undermining the mandate of the Commission.  The African Group strongly believed that it was the responsibility of States to implement the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action at the national level.  The Durban outcome document provided for measures, strategies and remedies to guide all States in their anti-racism programmes.  However, States also had the responsibility to account for their actions in this regard to the international community. 

      TASSOS KRIEKOUKIS (Greece), speaking on behalf of the European Union, said the reality was that today, all over the world, equality and dignity and rights were being denied to a large number of victims of racism and intolerance.  Discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, descent, and national or ethnic origin was still prevalent.  The eradication of racism, racial discrimination and intolerance was a multi-dimensional and complex enterprise.  Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, together with democracy, the rule of law and good governance were essential prerequisites for success.  Action was needed at all levels -- international, regional and national.  It was necessary to have the adoption of legislative and administrative measures, as well as preventive strategies.  The European Union reiterated the great importance it attached to the fight against anti-Semitism and “Islamophobia” and welcomed the call of the
Durban Conference to take concrete action against these and other manifestations of racism. 

Universal adherence to and full implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination were of paramount importance for promoting equality and non-discrimination in the world.  The importance of the adoption of national legislative and administrative measures to combat racism and discrimination could not be overemphasized.  In order to be effective, the steps must be supported by parallel preventive action and strategies aimed at promoting behavioural change.  Education and training were vital in this respect.  The European Union also stressed the need to take into account the problem of multiple discrimination and the need to integrate a gender perspective into all measures and policies against racism. 

MANUEL A. GONZÁLEZ-SANZ (Costa Rica), speaking on behalf of GRULAC, said the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action represented a substantial contribution to the principles and instruments of human rights and international law.  It also constituted an indispensable reference for the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.  Now the international community had to give attention to follow-up through continuing implementation of the Durban Declaration.  The relevant resolution of the General Assembly had recognized the central role of the Commission in monitoring the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.  The GRULAC had stressed its will to implement the Declaration and the Programme of Action.  The GRULAC agreed with the High Commissioner on the necessity of having a consensus on the concrete actions to be taken in the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

The GRULAC affirmed its support of the functioning of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, particularly the studies carried out on the issue.  The GRULAC also supported the Intergovernmental Working Group on the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.

      HANS YTTERBERG (Sweden) said the last decades had seen worldwide positive developments in terms of recognition of every individual's freedom to enjoy his or her human rights without discrimination, including on grounds of sexual orientation.  For all practical purposes this meant the right to equal treatment regardless of whether a human being was homosexual or heterosexual.  The
United Nations had been one important actor in this field.  Furthermore, the committees against torture, on violence against women, on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions, on human rights defenders and on the independence of judges and lawyers, respectively, had all in a commendable way raised the issue of human rights violations on grounds of sexual orientation around the globe.  Countries in different parts of the world, for example, South Africa, Ecuador, Fiji and Switzerland, now provided Constitutional protection against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation.

      Notwithstanding these positive developments, there were still numerous countries that found themselves in breach of the human rights of homosexual or bisexual persons.  Sweden appealed to these States to urgently initiate the necessary process of reform to bring their legislation and their practices into line with international human rights law in this respect.  It was also noted that in spite of the important role that the United Nations had played in this area, the organization itself did not fully live up to the principles of
non-discrimination.  This had been shown by the fact that the United Nations had failed to respect the civil status of those of its own employees who had entered into civil unions with persons of their own sex, in accordance with the laws of the countries of which these employees were citizens.  This had been the case in spite of the fact that United Nations staff regulations were supposed to take into account the civil status legislation of its member States when deciding on employment benefits for staff members and their families.  Sweden urged the
United Nations Secretariat to make sure that this discriminatory practice was not allowed to continue.

FAYSAL KHABBAZ-HAMOUI(Syria) said the phenomenon of racism has not yet been resolved.  Uncontrolled globalization strengthened the effect of this phenomenon.  Racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia were all phenomena which were contrary to the principles of human rights.  People of many countries continued to suffer from these phenomena.  Colonialism continued to exist and was on the increase.  Palestinians and the inhabitants of the Syrian Golan suffered the worst form of racial discrimination perpetrated by the Israeli forces.  Those who claimed to be victims of racism today in fact perpetrated the worst forms of racism against the Palestinians and the inhabitants of the Golan and southern Lebanon, in flagrant violation of all United Nations resolutions.  The increase in racism was proof that measures taken so far by governments were not sufficient.

Some sick minds were trying to deform Islam, which was a religion of peace.  Indeed, Islam was one of the first religions to pass laws against racial discrimination.  Joint efforts were essential to achieving the objectives of the Durban Conference.  The roots of racism must be addressed, the victims compensated and the perpetrators punished. 

SHEN YONGXIANG(China) said racism, which constituted a gross violation of human rights, was one of the root causes of discrimination, poverty and armed conflicts.  The United Nations had so far held three world conferences against racism and had launched three decades to fight against it.  Although the old forms of racism had become notorious today, such phenomena as neo-Nazism, neo-Fascism, xenophobia and discrimination against migrants had become increasingly rampant.  The international community was therefore still faced with the arduous task of combating racism.  The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action represented the platform document for guiding the new century in combating racism.  To ensure the implementation of that important document, the Commission on Human Rights had adopted last year its resolution 2002/68. 

Thanks to the concerted efforts of the developing countries and the support of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, two working groups had started functioning prior to this session.  To combat racism called for the joint efforts of the international community.  Given the historical root causes and current situation, the Western countries had an unshrinkable responsibility to combat racism.  Regrettably, they had adopted a passive and boycotting approach towards the establishment of the two working groups.

      P.A. POMAHOBA(Russian Federation) said it was a source of regret that racism continued to be widespread in the world, since racism had the ability to trigger violence and conflict.  This was why the international community must implement the recommendations contained in the Durban Declaration of Action.  For the Russian Federation one priority was the creation of harmony in inter-ethnic relations.  In Russia, there was a legislative base which provided a base for the respect of economic, social, political and civil rights irrespective of a person's ethnic origin.  In this context, the Commission was informed about the establishment of regions of ethnic and cultural autonomy in the
Russian Federation.  However, no situation was perfect and problems persisted.  This was why the Government had enacted a law in 2002 which punished the incitement of ethnic discrimination.

In talking of discrimination, it was important to stress the worrisome situation of people of Russian origin in Estonia and Latvia.  These people were more often than not refused citizenship and according to independent monitoring bodies, naturalization in those countries was taking place at a disproportionately slow pace for people of Russian origin.  A large category of these people were being deprived of their right to naturalization for political and discriminatory reasons.  These people of Russian origin were severely discriminated against in Latvia and Estonia, and this was an unacceptable situation in countries claiming to uphold human rights.

AMINA C. MOHAMED (Kenya) said the World Conference against racism was a historic event.  For the first time, the international community declared slavery and the slave trade to be crimes against humanity.  It also recognized that today’s poverty, underdevelopment, marginalization, social exclusion, economic disparities, instability and insecurity could be traced back to these racial practices.  While the negotiations in Durban had culminated in the adoption of a comprehensive and action-oriented programme, Kenya was disappointed at the pace of its implementation.  Indeed it had taken a whole year after the conference for the General Assembly to come up with a concrete resolution on the implementation of the Durban Declaration.

It was unfortunate that some regions or groups were reluctant to participate in the work of the Working Group on the Implementation and Follow-up to the
Durban World Conference against Racism and the one on People of African Descent.  It was hoped that the Commission would adopt, by consensus, a bold and forward-looking resolution which built upon the progress made to date in implementing the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.

ABDULWAHAB ABDULSALAM ATTAR(Saudi Arabia) said the Saudi Government attached special importance to the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.  That was in keeping with the percepts of the Islamic Sharia -- the source of legislation in the Kingdom -- and with the relevant provisions of the Basic Law, particularly the provisions on justice, consultation and equality.  Through the Kingdom's national policies and regulatory and administrative structures, those principles were put into practical effect.  These policies also ensured that all the promulgated laws, regulations and directives and all the actions of the authorities and public institutions were consistent with those principles.  Pursuant to its consistent policy of cooperation with the international community for the achievement of a better life for all persons guaranteeing respect for their legitimate rights and freedoms without any discrimination, the Kingdom was diligently endeavouring to intensify its cooperation by all means. 

      There were some movements that had spared no effort to exploit the events of 11 September in order to mar relations between Muslims and the West and to prevent the achievement of justice and an equitable balance in the international order.  Regrettably, those movements had succeeded in intensifying anti-Islamic and
anti-Muslim extremism to an unprecedented extent.  It was sufficient to note that more than 20 books discussing the dangers of Islam, promoting Islamophobia and designating the Muslims as an enemy to be fought had been published in the course of a single year.  That type of pressure to which Islam and the Muslims were being subjected was conducive to a situation in which arbitrariness would prevail over right and justice and in which such biased acts would engender discrimination, rancor and hatred among the members of the international community.

PRASAD KARIYAWASAM(Sri Lanka) said from time immemorial the fear of “the other”, as well as the desire to dominate and exploit “others” had engendered racism and intolerance.  The evil of racism and related intolerance eroded the core values required to enjoy all human rights.  Some norms such as pluralism and tolerance sustained democratic societies and were at the heart of efforts to obtain universal respect for all human rights.  The Declaration and Programme of Action adopted at the World Conference against Racism provided the international community with a firm foundation to build upon to tackle sources of racism and related issues comprehensively and on a global scale.  Having studied the report of the Special Rapporteur on racism, Sri Lanka agreed that in order to combat racism in a holistic manner, one must address not only legal and political responses but also racism's ideological, cultural and psychological foundations.  In this context, the Special Rapporteur had correctly identified pluralism as a fundamental value for combating racial discrimination. 

Sri Lanka believed that the promotion and protection of diversity and a pluralist character in society were an essential basis for socio-political harmony in a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society.  For this purpose, the promotion of stable and harmonious ethnic relations, integrating all ethnic communities into a multi-ethnic, pluralistic mosaic was of paramount importance.  The Commission was urged to continue to address these complex issues effectively since a globalizing world required respect for diversity and needed the promotion racial and ethnic harmony in order to consolidate peace and human security. 

LAZHAR SOUALEM(Algeria) said the reality of violence and excess committed against Muslim and Arab minorities following the events of 11 September revealed a polarization of an ideological, political and religious nature and reflected a phenomenon of defamation.  In fact, Islam was equated with violence, terrorism and social and cultural backwardness by figures who claimed to represent various Western circles.  Added to this was the ambiguous attitude of some political authorities, who, on the one hand, condemned attacks against Muslims and Arabs, yet on the other hand strengthened discriminatory legislation and security measures against them.  As pointed out by the Special Rapporteur, the arbitrariness that Muslims were subjected to contained the ingredients of a clash of civilizations.  This included the singling out of victims on the basis of religion, culture and ethnic origin and the elaboration of ideology to justify and legitimize violence and aggression, hate speech and demonization.

This climate of suspicion, which continued to victimize Arab and Muslim communities, who were often socially and economically vulnerable, was aggravated by unjustified arrests and detentions and racial profiling.  People of African descent, meanwhile, remained invisible.  Their chances were reduced in terms of education and social and economic equality and they were inadequately represented at the political level.

Rights of Reply

A Representative of Syria, speaking in right of reply in response to a statement made by Israel last Friday about the events of 1948, said the Israeli Representative had distorted history.  The Representative of Israel wanted the Commission to discuss the past, but refused to discuss the present and Israel’s human rights violations.  There was an Arab peace initiative calling for Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories and reaffirming Palestinians’ right to self-determination, a right that Israel claimed to support but in actual fact rejected.  Israel would bear the responsibility not only for the Palestinian victims who died daily as a result of the Israeli aggression, but also for the Israelis who had died since Israel had rejected peace. 

      A Representative of Algeria, speaking in right of reply to a statement made by the representative of Morocco, said the right to self-determination was a human right and this was not up for discussion, something the representative of Morocco had not realized when discussing the situation in Western Sahara.  One could not make a people happy, nor respect their human rights by denying the right to
self-determination.

A Representative of Armenia, responding to a statement made by Azerbaijan, said the peaceful settlement of the conflict between the two countries concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh region was taking place in a different forum.  It was useless to enter into a debate here that would produce nothing.

A Representative of India, speaking in right of reply to a statement made by Pakistan, said Pakistan’s support of terrorism was not questioned by anyone. Pakistan was responsible for terrorist actions in Jammu and Kashmir and in India itself.  Pakistan was called upon to give up its aggression on Jammu and Kashmir and to stop the campaign of terror that it had unleashed upon the people of that region

       A Representative of Pakistan, in a right of reply, said he wished to put the record straight.  The Indian delegation was talking a lot about terrorism in order to distract attention from its own State-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, which had been perpetrated without any shame for too long.  The country's draconian security law gave the Indian Security Forces impunity to act without any consequences.  In the eyes of the Indian Security Forces, being a Muslim was synonymous with being a terrorist.

A Representative of Israel, speaking in right of reply, said he would like to read out the names of some major terrorist organizations, five of which were also on the European Union list of terrorist organizations, and their leaders, the headquarters of which were in Damascus.  He named the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine; the Palestinian Liberation Front; the Palestinian Struggle Front; the Vanguards of the Liberation War; Fatah-Intifada; the Islamic Resistance Movement; the Palestinian Islamic Jihad; and the Communist Revolutionary Party.  Rather than making speeches and defying others to respond, the Syrian Government should finally take steps to close those offices which conducted and perpetrated terrorism, and to arrest the heads of the organizations named, whose exact location was known to everyone in authority in Damascus. 

A Representative of Azerbaijan said Armenia was impeding peoples' right to self-determination.  Nagorno-Karabakh belonged to Azerbaijan.  It was illegal to take power in circumstances that were not admissible.  The referendum envisaged in that region could not justify the illegality of its seizure by Armenia.

A Representative of Syria, in a second right of reply, said that the Israeli delegate should try to ask why there were Palestinians in Damascus.  They were there because they had been driven out of their country.  Many people had been accused of being terrorists, among whom some became heads of State because they fought for the right of their people to self-determination.  Syria asked again why Israel did not respond to the peace initiative proposed by Arab countries calling for mutual recognition.  

A Representative of Israel, in a second right of reply, said the fact that Arab countries made a proposal did not mean that Israel had to accept the proposal as a fait accompli.  The terrorist organizations Israel had referred to claims that they undertook “information activities”.  In fact, these organizations had killed civilians and had undertaken suicide bombings targeting Israeli civilians.  They had, among other things, killed women and children.  Those were the kinds of information activities those terrorist organizations were involved with.

A Representative of Latvia, speaking in right of reply in response to a statement made by the Russian Federation, said that judging from the statement, the Russian Representative had not paid attention when the Latvian Minister of Social Integration had spoken and had provided information on the situation in Latvia.  Latvia was currently trying to overcome the legacy of 50 years of Soviet occupation.  Concerning the language requirements for naturalization, it had to be stressed that 95 per cent of those attempting to pass the test passed at the first attempt.  The requirements for the language test were not excessive.

Corrigendum

The first paragraph of the statement of Jose Antonio Moreno Ruffinelli, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay, which appeared on page 4 of Press Release HR/CN/03/05 of 17 March 2003, should read as follows:

JOSE ANTONIO MORENO RUFFINELLI, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay, said Paraguay was committed to the promotion and protection of human rights and had made major efforts in the field over the past decade.  This was the first time that Paraguay was participating as a full member of the Commission.  In conformity with its foreign policy of cooperation and openness with human rights mechanisms, Paraguay was issuing an open and permanent invitation to all Special Rapporteurs, Representatives, Experts and other human rights mechanisms to visit Paraguay in accordance with their respective mandates.  Paraguay promised the full cooperation

and support of the Government to these Experts.  This decision reflected Paraguay's commitment to human rights protection.  Today’s world was a complex one, marked by the threat of conflict in different regions that posed a risk to international peace and security.  Paraguay called for the peaceful resolution of conflicts and for respect for international law and human rights.  Terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime and corruption violated human rights and undermined democratic societies.  Other threats to democratic stability, good governance and development which required greater coordination between States were the steady increase in extreme poverty, lack of social justice, intolerance, discrimination and protectionism.  These called for greater attention, resources and efforts on the part of States and international financial institutions.

(Please consult www.unog.ch and select ‘United Nations News from Geneva’.)

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