Non sarebbe male prendere in considerazione l'idea di lavorare ad una ns. possibile partecipazione a questo evento, che si svolgera' in Sud Africa

dal 31 Agosto al 7 Settembre del 2001.

Per maggiori informazioni visitare il sito: www.un.org/rights/racism

Equality, justice, dignity

WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED INTOLERANCE - South Africa 31 August -7 September, 2001

"Bigotry, hatred, prejudice - these are the ugly symptoms of a sickness humanity has always and everywhere suffered. Racism can, will and must be defeated."

-Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General

During the last fifty years since the adoption in 1948 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the international community has made some important advances in the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. National and international laws have been enacted and numerous international human rights instruments, particularly a treaty to ban racial discrimination, have been adopted. Progress has been made - witness the defeat of apartheid in South Africa. Yet, the dream of a world free of racial hatred and bias remains only half fulfilled.

As technology brings the peoples of the world closer together and political barriers tumble, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance continue to ravage our societies. Horrors such as "ethnic cleansing" have emerged in recent years, while ideas of racial superiority have spread to new media like the internet. Even globalization carries risks that can lead to exclusion and increased inequality, very often along racial and ethnic lines.

As racial discrimination and ethnic violence grow in complexity, they become more of a challenge for the international community. As a result, new tools to deal with racism are called for. "This World Conference has the potential to be among the most significant gatherings at the start of this century," the Secretary-General of the Conference and High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, stated. "It can be more: it can shape and embody the spirit of the new century, based on the shared conviction that we are all members of one human family."

Meeting the challenge at the millennium

In 1997, the General Assembly decided, in resolution 52/111, to hold the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. The World Conference which will be held in South Africa 31 August to 7 September 2001, will be a landmark in the struggle to eradicate all forms of racism "requiring a strong follow-up mechanism to examine whether Governments have delivered on their promises made," according to the High Commissioner. She promised "to make it a conference of actions not just words." The World Conference is a unique opportunity to create a new world vision for the fight against racism in the twenty-first century.

The Preparatory Committee

The UN Commission on Human Rights is acting as the Preparatory Committee for the World Conference. The purpose of the preparatory process is to raise public awareness of racism and racial discrimination globally and to focus on the action needed to fight it. Prior to the Conference, two preparatory meetings are planned. The first was held from 1 to 5 May 2000 in Geneva and the second will be in May/June 2001, also in Geneva. At the first Preparatory Committee meeting, a number of organizational decisions were taken, including adoption of the provisional agenda for the Conference and its draft rules of procedure. A voluntary fund has been established to provide additional resources for the preparatory process and the World Conference itself.

The Provisional Agenda

The elements of the provisional agenda are to be grouped under the following themes:

Theme 1: Sources, cause, forms and contemporary manifestations of racism, racial discrimination and related intolerance;

Theme 2: Victims of racism, racial discrimination and related intolerance;

Theme 3: Measures of prevention, education and protection aimed at the eradication of racism, racial discrimination and related intolerance at the national, regional and international levels;

Theme 4: Provision for effective remedies, recourses, redress, (compensatory) and other measures at the national, regional and international levels;

Theme 5: Strategies to achieve full and effective equality, including international co-operation and enhancement of the United Nations and other international mechanisms in combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia.

The bracket in theme 4 indicates that a consensus could not be reached on the word "compensatory".

Upcoming Meetings 2000:

5-7 July European regional expert seminar, Warsaw, Poland

5-7 September Asian regional expert seminar, Bangkok, Thailand

4-6 October African regional expert seminar, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

11-13 October European Conference against Racism (Council of Europe), Strasbourg, France

25-27 October Latin American regional expert seminar, Santiago, Chile

Date to be decided African regional preparatory meeting, Dakar, Senegal

Date to be decided Regional preparatory meeting for the Americas, venue to be decided

Date to be decided Asian regional preparatory meeting, Teheran, Iran

2001:

15-19 January Intersessional Open-Ended Working Group, Geneva, Switzerland

May/June Second Session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Conference, Geneva, Switzerland

31 August-7 September World Conference against Racism, South Africa

Participation in the World Conference against Racism

The World Conference, as well as the sessions of its Preparatory Committee, are open to participation by:

* All Member States of the United Nations;

* All regional organizations and commissions involved in the preparation of regional meetings;

* Representatives of organizations which have received a standing invitation from the General Assembly to participate as observers;

* UN specialized agencies, regional commissions, bodies and programmes;

* Representatives of UN mechanisms in the field of human rights;

* Interested non-governmental organizations to be represented by observers, in accordance with UN Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31; and

* Other interested governmental organizations, to be represented as observers.

Global Action against Racism

Since its creation, the United Nations has struggled to find measures to combat racial discrimination and ethnic violence. This commitment to human dignity and equality is reflected in its adoption of a number of Resolutions, Conventions and Declarations, including:

1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide

1963 Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

1966 21 March designated International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

1973 International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid.

1978 First World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, Geneva.

1983 Second World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, also in Geneva.

1973-1982 First Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination

l983-l992 Second Decade for Action to Combat Racial Discrimination

1994-2003 Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination

2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and

Related Intolerance.

The International Year

In 1998, the General Assembly decided to proclaim 2001 as the International Year of Mobilization against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. This observance will help to draw world attention to the objectives of the Conference and to provide a momentum for further political commitment to the elimination of racism and racial discrimination.

Further Information

Information and documentation about the World Conference can be obtained from the web site of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, www.unhchr.ch.

In addition, information and documentation can be obtained from the United Nations Department of Public Information in New York and Geneva, as well as its United Nations Information Centres located throughout the world.

For specific inquiries, please contact:

World Conference Secretariat, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations, Palais Wilson, 52 rue de Paquis, CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: (41-22) 917-9290 Fax: (41-22) 917-9022 E-mail: husbands@un.org

Or

Department of Public Information

Public Affairs Division

United Nations, Room S-1040, New York, NY 10017, U.S.A. Tel.: (212) 963-3771 Fax: (212) 963-1186 E-mail: vasic@un.org

Inquiries from NGOs may be addressed to:

Dr. Laurie Wiseberg, NGO Liaison Officer for the World Conference, OHCHR, Palais Wilson, Room 4-025, 52 rue de Paquis, CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland Tel:(41-22) 917-9393, Fax: (41-22) 917-9050) E-mail: lwiseberg.hchr@unog.ch

or

Ms. Sandra Aragon, NGO Liaison Officer for the World Conference, OHCHR Palais Wilson, Room RS-181, 52 rue de Paquis, CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland. Tel: (41-22) 917-9129; fax: (41-22) 917-9050; e-mail: saragon.hchr@unog.ch.

Tag Line: Published by the United Nations Department of Public Information

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