Information and Resources
Contents
The 2001 World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) in Durban
The 2009 Durban Review Conference
Palestinian civil society preparations for the Durban Review Conference
Objectives of the 2009 Israel Review Conference
Additional Documents and Resources
The 2001 World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) in Durban
UN world conferences against racism in 1978 and 1983 served as mechanisms for raising awareness of the criminal character of the Apartheid regime in South Africa. They helped build political will for the isolation of Apartheid - through international boycotts, divestments and sanctions – and consensus regarding the right of victims to remedies and reparations.
With Apartheid defeated in South Africa, the latter served as host of the 2001 World Conference Against Racism (WCAR). The 2001 WCAR in Durban aimed to create momentum and commitment to the elimination of racism and racial discrimination in the new millennium.
The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA) adopted by the 2001 WCAR identifies a number of explicitly named vulnerable groups and victims of racism and racial discrimination, including the Palestinian people.
The DDPA, however, remained largely silent regarding the causes and sources of the plight of the Palestinian people; no new recommendations were made on how to respond and no relevant Durban follow-up mechanism was established; see:
http://www.badil.org/e-library/Government_Declaration.pdf
At the 2001 WCAR in Durban, a large
NGO Forum deliberated and adopted recommendations on a variety of issues, including – for the first time – "Israel's brand of apartheid" against the Palestinian people. The NGO Declaration and Program of Action recommended that the apartheid framework be applied and a campaign of isolation be launched to end Israel's oppressive regime.
For the NGO DDPA from the 2001 WCAR see:
http://www.badil.org/e-library/WCAR NGO Forum Declaration 2001.pdf
For excerpts relevant to Palestine see:
http://www.badil.org/e-library/NGO-excerpts.htm
For the declaration from the 2001 WCAR Youth Forum see:
http://www.badil.org/e-library/Youth_Declaration.pdf
http://www.badil.org/e-library/Youth-excerpts.htm
The content of the NGO DDPA confirms that the forum accomplished exactly what it was designed to be - a platform for the victims of racism to get their issues on the agenda, whether they be Africans and African descendants, indigenous peoples, semitic peoples (including Jews and Arabs), Asians and Asian descendants, Dalits (victims of caste discrimination in India), Palestinians, Tibetans, Bhutanese, Kurds and many others. In practice, the forum embodied the conference slogan, “United to Combat Racism: Equality, Justice and Dignity”; a kind of south-south exchange with the potential of developing into a new global solidarity movement. On the last evening of the NGO forum, after a long day of lobbying and final amendments, NGOs representing 44 regional and interest-based caucuses adopted their Declaration and Program of Action, an inclusive document, grounded in international law, which boldly names the perpetrators of racism and sets out a clear program of action to combat racism. In addition to actions concerning specific victims of racism, the program called for measures to strengthen international law, including expanded procedures for individual complaints to UN human rights bodies and enforceable sanctions against states violating international law. The NGO Forum was falsely accused of anti-semitism because it called for application of the apartheid framework to Israel and for an international campaign for its isolation.
For a summary of major debates and conclusions from the perspective of Palestinian NGOs, see, for example:
BADIL Occasional Bulletin No. 7, September 2001
http://www.badil.org/Publications/Bulletins/Bulletin-07.htm
The 2009 Durban Review Conference
Since the 2001 WCAR, recognition has increased of the need to address root causes of and build accountability for Israeli violations of international law. UN human rights mechanisms and independent experts have issued new analysis and findings which confirm that Israel is discriminating and oppressing Palestinians (in the 1967 Occupied Palestinian Territory, in Israel and in the exile) in a gross and systematic manner; they have recommended principled action in order to end such institutionalized racial discrimination or apartheid.
Israel and the United States have boycotted earlier world conferences against racism in 1978 and 1983. Both withdrew from the 2001 WCAR in Durban in protest against criticism of Israel and demands for the reparation of victims of slavery. Both have decided to abstain from participation in the 2009 Durban Review Conference.
For official information regarding preparation and implementation of the 2009 Durban Review Conference, including NGO participation, see: http://www.un.org/durbanreview2009/
To see the drafts of the official outcome document of the Durban Review Conference at the current stage of drafting go to the OHCHR portal:
http://portal.ohchr.org
username: hrc durban
password: ohchr123
In a climate where principled debate about Israel's policies and practices of racial discrimination are silenced at the UN, preparations of an NGO Forum at the 2009 Durban Review Conference have been undermined and delayed. Although a Civil Society Forum for the Durban Review Conference was approved in October 2008, time and financial support have been too short for effective facilitation of broad NGO participation.
For more information about the Civil Society Forum contact: info@genevaforum2009.org
or see: www.genevaforum2009.org (under construction)
Palestinian civil society preparations for the Durban Review Conference
The Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC) decided to use the opportunity of the 2009 Durban Review Conference for civil society consensus-building and public awareness-raising. For this purpose, the BNC prepared a Palestinian Civil Society Strategic Position Paper which was endorsed by hundreds of civil society organizations and publicly launched on 29 November 2008. The BNC paper includes a note on the ongoing false allegations of antisemitism (at the end of part-II).
See: www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/222
The analysis of Israel's regime over the Palestinian people as one that combines apartheid, colonialism and occupation was adopted by the Bilbao Initiative in October/November 2008. Since then, the BNC has worked with international networks (ICNP, ECCP, IJAN, a.o.) for the achievement of the objectives of the Bilbao Declaration.
See: http://bdsmovement.net/?q=node/213
Objectives of the 2009 Israel Review Conference
General:
Build respect for and reaffirm the fundamental human rights of the Palestinian people; develop mechanisms for making Israel accountable to international law.
Specific:
Strengthen a rights-based approach to issues relating to Israel and the Palestinian people in the UN Durban Review preparatory process and during the UN Durban Review Conference, in particular with regard to civil society participation and reference to international law in documents;
Build consensus on the applicability of the crime of racial discrimination and apartheid to Israel's regime (system of laws, institutions, policies and practices) over the Palestinian people and develop effective strategies for advocacy and campaigning;
Build support for Palestinian civil society campaigns, in particular the strategic campaigns adopted by the Bilbao Initiative (BDS outreach, including Israel Apartheid Week; suspending EU-Israel association; corporate responsibility, e.g. Veolia and JNF);
Additional Documents and Resources
UN General Assembly BDS-Resolution against Israel (A/ES-9/1 of 5 February1982). The resolution was passed by the 9th Emergency Special Session based on Uniting for Peace and in response to Israel's annexation of the Syrian Golan Heights.
Go to:
http://www.un.org/ga/sessions/emergency.shtml
(select 9th Emergency Special Session/Resolutions)
On the Jewish National Fund (JNF) Campaign, see:
The Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (Toronto) Resource Page on the JNF Campaign
The call for an international campaign against the Jewish National Fund
If your organization would like to be involved in the JNF Campaign, please click here, fill out the attached form and mail to jnf.campaign@gmail.com
On Israeli Apartheid, Colonialism, and Occupation:
John Dugard on Apartheid and Occupation under International Law
Sharabi Memorial Lecture, Palestine Center - 30 March 2009
Film: Universal Jurisdiction
"Universal Jurisdiction" interviews three United States attorneys, who explain how they and others are using American courts on behalf of Palestinian claimants to seek justice for alleged rights violations committed by Israeli officials in Palestine.
Featuring interviews with: Maria LaHood of the Center for Constitutional Rights; Jamil Dakwar, cooperating human rights attorney; and Abdeen Jabara, civil rights lawyer and activist.
Click here to watch the film