UN expresses regret over Israel's decision to avoid Conference

New York, Nov 20 (PTI) The United Nations has expressed
regret over Israel's decision not take part in the Durban
Review Conference next year, which will examine the progress
made worldwide since the 2001 global anti-racism summit.

"Given the critical importance of the issues under
discussion at the Conference, broad participation is
essential," said Rupert Colville, a spokesperson for the
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

"These issues of racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia and related intolerance are issues which affect all
countries and millions of individuals around the world on a
daily basis."

Israel has often complained that it is targeted at such
conferences which do not take into account its viewpoint.

The review conference will be held in Geneva in late
April next year to monitor the implementation of the Durban
Declaration and Programme of Action, which was agreed to by
consensus at the summit in 2001.

The spokesperson said the Declaration and Programme of
Action were extremely valuable and contained "important and
innovative recommendations for tackling racism in all its
manifestations."

Israel and the US had also pulled out of the 2001
conference, citing concerns they had that the forum was being
used by some Member States to push an anti-Israel agenda. PTI
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