UN still struggling to define racism 10 years after Durban

Ten years after the dramatic exit of several nations from the World Conference Against Racism in 2001, the world is still divided on what constitutes racism.

The commemoration of the conference in New York on Thursday was marred by a boycott by 14 nations objecting to Israel being labeled as practicing racist policies against non-Jewish people — especially Palestinians, who currently live under Israeli occupation.

The boycotting nations included the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Australia and Israel.

Addressing the high-level meeting of the 66th UN General Assembly, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said unity among nations in efforts against racism remained weak, divided and mired in old ways.

“It is therefore a matter of regret that some member states have decided to disassociate themselves from today’s commemoration, even when we still observe that despite decades of advocacy, despite the efforts of many groups and many nations, despite ample evidence of racism’s terrible toll, racism still persists.”

The conference was organized by UNESCO to create a constructive environment for the struggle against racist ideologies and behaviors. It was founded after World War II in the wake of the Holocaust as a dependent body of the UN.

The first conference was 1978 in Geneva and focused on South African apartheid policies of racial segregation and discrimination.

The next conference was in 1983, also in Switzerland.

The 2001 conference was held in Durban, South Africa, and produced the Durban Declaration and Programs of Action. In Durban, nations clashed over Israel and its allegedly racist policies, and also over the legacy of slavery. African countries — led by Nigeria and Zimbabwe — and African-American NGO’s wanted individual apologies from each of the countries responsible for slavery and recognition of it as a crime against humanity as well as reparations.

Canada, the US and Israel, walked out midway through the 2001 conference over a draft resolution that singled out Israel for criticism and likened Zionism to racism.

The European Union also refused to accept demands by Arab states to criticize Israel for “racist practices”.

The Europeans pulled together behind the UK, and the best the Africans could get was a call for support for the New African Initiative, debt relief, funds to combat AIDS, the recovery of stolen government funds transferred to the West by former dictators and their cohorts and an end to human trafficking.

An attempt to bridge differences came in 2009, but did not succeed.

At the high-level meeting, South African President Jacob Zuma said racism posed the same challenges it did in 2001 when his country hosted the conference. He called on UN members not to get distracted in the noble struggle against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other related intolerances.

“We should continue with the same resolve and determination that led to the end of slavery, colonialism and apartheid,” he said.

Marty shared the view that UN members must be resolute and mobilize the political will to effectively implement the Durban Declaration and Program of Action.