UNITED
NATIONS
A
 General Assembly Distr.
Distr. \* MERGEFORMAT LIMITED
Symbol \* MERGEFORMAT A/HRC/6/L.9
Date \* MERGEFORMAT 21 September 2007
Original:  Orig. Lang. \* MERGEFORMAT ENGLISH

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Sixth session 
Agenda item 9
RACISM, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, XENOPHOBIA AND RELATED 
FORMS OF INTOLERANCE:  FOLLOW-UP AND IMPLEMENTATION 
 OF THE DURBAN DECLARATION AND PROGRAMME OF ACTION
Egypt (on behalf of the African Group):  draft resolution
6/…	From rhetoric to reality:  a global call for concrete action against 
racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
	The Human Rights Council,
	Recalling its resolution 3/103 of 8 December 2006,
	Welcoming General Assembly resolution 61/149 of 19 December 2006 by which it decided to convene a review conference in 2009 to review the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, to take further action and initiatives and to address the current manifestations of racism, incitement to racial and religious hatred,
	Deploring the surge and sharp increases in xenophobic and racial tendencies in certain regions of the world, particularly towards those categories of victims already identified in the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action such as migrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, people of African descent, people of Asian descent and national and ethnic minorities,
	Regretting the lack of political will to take decisive steps to combat racism in all its forms and manifestations and to concretely move away from denials about the persistence of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, 
	Underlining, in the above context, the imperative need to end posturing about racism and calling on all States to resolutely end impunity for acts of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and to face the everyday realities and challenges of these scourges,
	Noting also, in the above context, the half-hearted attempts by certain countries to apologize for the historical tragedies of slavery, slave trade and colonialism and that for reasons of lack of political will, these attempts have not translated into concrete action,
	Noting the efforts of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action since its inception in 2002, by upholding and promoting the spirit of Durban, and registering some progress in spite of the obvious challenges,
	Noting the recent conclusion of the dialogue on complementary standards to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination within the context of the Intergovernmental Working Group and the commencement of the actual process of the elaboration of the complementary standards by the Ad Hoc Committee at its inaugural session in February 2008,
	1.	Decides that the future agenda of the Intergovernmental Working Group will focus on the following paramount issues:
	(a)	Effective implementation and compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, including issues such as (i) reservations which defeat the object and purpose of the Convention; (ii) declaration in terms of article 14 of the Convention recognizing the competence of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to receive individual complaints from the jurisdictions of States parties; and (iii) the universal ratification of the Convention by 2005 as envisaged in paragraph 75 of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action;
	(b)	Implementation of paragraphs 157 and 158 of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action;
	(c)	Heeding the provisions of paragraphs 98 to 106 of the Durban Declaration relating to the recognition and apology for slavery, slave trade and colonialism, which are necessary for the healing and closure of the tragic legacies of these darkest chapters in human history; 
	(d)	Closer collaboration between the Intergovernmental Working Group and the independent eminent experts on ways and means of achieving enhanced political will and commitment to combating all the contemporary manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance;
	(e)	Providing written input to the substantive sessions of the Preparatory Committee of the Durban Review Conference; and
	(f)	Re-aligning the work and name of the Anti-Discrimination Unit in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights consistent with its mandate, and that henceforth, this Unit shall be known as “The Anti-Racial Discrimination Unit”, and that its operational activities shall focus exclusively on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Durban Declaration;
	2.	Decides also that the Intergovernmental Working Group shall continue to meet annually in sessions of 10 working days each to give adequate attention to the above-listed issues and others which will be extrapolated from the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action in the future;
	3.	Decides further to remain seized of this important issue.
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