11 September 2001
The World Conference Against Racism ended in Durban this weekend with delegates finally adopting a declaration and action plan to combat racism and xenophobia.
The conference had to be extended until Saturday as disagreements over two of the most contentious issues, the Middle East and slavery, kept delegates in Durban a day longer than scheduled.
Canada, Australia, Syria and Iran were among those countries which were unhappy over the final text relating to the Middle East conflict.
The declaration finally called for the end of violence and the swift resumption of peace negotiations; respect for international human rights and humanitarian law; and respect for the principle of self-determination and the end of all suffering, thus allowing Israel and the Palestinians to resume the peace process, and to develop and prosper in security and freedom.
On the question of slavery, the delegates agreed on text that acknowledges and profoundly regrets the massive human sufferings and the tragic plight of millions of men, women and children as a result of slavery, slave trade, transatlantic slave trade, apartheid, colonialism and genocide.
Acknowledging that these were appalling tragedies in the history of humanity, the conference further acknowledged that slavery and the slave trade were a crime against humanity and should always have been so - especially the transatlantic slave trade.
For more details: http://www.un.org/WCAR/
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