Durban II conference preparatory activities contested at the UN
The NGO Forum of the 2001 conference (“Durban Conference”) was used to promote virulent anti-Israel demonization. The 2009 conference is intended to focus on implementation of the 2001 resolution, which provided the blue print for the NGO "Durban Strategy."
The UN watchdog organization Eye on the UN has posted an update (Nov. 20, 2007) on Durban II preparatory activities. According to the update, on Nov. 20, 2007 "the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which pushes Durban II forward and gives the conference and planning to date the General Assembly’s stamp of approval. (The committee vote in turn will be rubber-stamped by the plenary in December.)…However, there was a clear signal that Durban II will not be allowed to claim consensus and its credibility will be challenged throughout the build up to another global assault on Israel, Jews, Americans and a host of democratic rights and freedoms" (emphasis added).
The basis of this observation is the public denunciation of the result of this vote by both the United States and Israel. The report notes that that "the United States called for the vote on L.66 [reproduced here]…The vote was 169 in favour to 2 against (Israel and United States), with 4 abstentions (Australia, Cambodia, Canada and Fiji)." The US and Israel gave speeches rejecting the motion and condemning the "Durban Declaration and Programme of Action." The Israeli representative stated that "As the activities and resolutions since Durban continue to ignore the inherent problems of the conference, my delegation cannot consciously support measures that attempt to build off its momentum. Israel will therefore vote against the resolution." The US delegate added in explaining the US’s vote that "The United States has well-known, principled objections to the overall direction and procedures leading up to the planned Durban Review Conference…"
Over the next two years, NGO Monitor will examine and expose NGO involvement with the 2009 Conference and will provide periodic updates on this activity. To view the NGO Monitor Durban 2009 essentials page, click here.