UN anti-racism conference - Liberals urge FM to actively participate in drafting final document 

March 23, 2009 
The Budapest Times
Original Source: http://www.budapesttimes.hu/content/view/11447/159/ http://www.budapesttimes.hu/content/view/11447/159/

Budapest, March 23 (MTI) - Hungary's Liberal Free Democrats urged Foreign Minister Kinga Goncz on Monday to play an active role in the programme and the drafting of the final document of an anti-racism conference scheduled to be held in Geneva in April, so that it be in line with European and universal norms. 

    I request that you have the courage to initiate or support a joint European boycott against the conference if these endeavours should fail due to the resistance of other countries, Free Democrats MEP Istvan Szent-Ivanyi said in a letter. 

    In April, an international anti-racism conference is planned to be held in Geneva, Switzerland. 

    The first such conference in Durban, South Africa, in 2001, instead of becoming the celebration of universal collaboration against anti-racism, turned into a reflection of the one-sided interpretation of the Middle East conflict, openly questioning universal values, motivated by racist political interests, Szent-Ivanyi wrote.

    In 2001 the US and Israel left the conference, when the participating Arab countries put forward an amendment motion in which they compared Zionism to racism.

    The events of 2001 seem to repeat themselves in Geneva, too, Szent-Ivanyi said.

    Szentivanyi also said that in recent months several countries have signalled intention to boycott the conference, also called Durban II. Apart from Israel, the US, Canada, Australia and Italy will not attend the event over concerns about a possible repeat of the anti-Semitic outbursts that had marred the Durban conference.

    It is in Hungary's interest not to participate at a conference, which is anti-racist only in its name, in reality it just serves as a decor for racist and anti-Semite endeavours, he said.

    Lajos Szelestey, the spokesman for the Hungarian foreign ministry told MTI that Hungary will set its final position on the issue at the end of March, or in early April, after an EU agreement on it.

    Israel earlier called every country to boycott the Geneva conference, as in their view the programme is anti-Semitic and discriminating against Israel.

    The Geneva conference originally had a 60-page draft final document, which criticised Israel for the occupation of Palestinian territories. After the protest by the US and Israel, Russia prepared a new draft, on only 17 pages, and deleted Israel's criticism.

    However, Israel is still dissatisfied with the present draft.