Original Source: http://www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov/press_releases/20071222_388.html

USUN PRESS RELEASE #   388(07)
December 22, 2007 

AS DELIVERED	

Office of Press and Public Diplomacy 
United States Mission to the United Nations 
140 East 45th Street 
New York, N.Y. 10017


Explanation of Vote by Ambassador Grover Joseph Rees, Acting United States Representative to United Nations Economic and Social Council, on the Draft Resolution entitled: Global efforts for the total elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, in the General Assembly, December 22, 2007
Mr. President							
The United States reiterates its opposition to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Our record of domestic legislation and policies to combat vigorously such activities and attitudes demonstrates our commitment. The United States has long been a party to the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). 
Although we supported the stated objectives of the World Conference held in Durban in 2001 – and we continue to support these objectives -- the conference itself was deeply flawed and divisive. The resolution now before us endorses a continuation of that flawed outcome and is therefore itself seriously problematic, even aside from the inadequacy of the budget submissions for these post-Durban activities, which we have discussed in the Fifth Committee. 
We believe that Durban follow-up activities being carried out by the Preparatory Committee in Geneva, an organ of the Human Rights Council, are duplicative of the work done by the CERD committee, as well as of the Human Rights Committee for the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and of the work related to the ILO conventions that addresses workers’ rights. In a time of limited resources and many great needs, we do not support the continuation of such duplicative work. 
For these reasons, and as we have stated before, we do not believe it would be appropriate to spend UN resources on preparatory activities for a Durban Review Conference. And we believe the Human Rights Council should dedicate itself to the role for which it was created: addressing human rights situations around the world, particularly emerging situations. With so many pressing issues before us, the Secretary General should not be asked to fund regional preparatory meetings that duplicate work already underway. We also believe that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights should provide more substantial programming and cooperative assistance in countries around the world to combat the scourge of racism, rather than put its valuable resources toward more conferences. 
Each country must have a legal framework in place to protect people from discrimination and to preserve other individual rights and fundamental freedoms including freedom of expression, freedom of association, and freedom of religion.
At this time States should be focusing on implementation of existing commitments, rather than on the follow-up of a flawed process or the creation of new processes and instruments. The essential elements in multilateral efforts to combat contemporary forms of racism are universal ratification and effective implementation of the existing Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
For these reasons, the United States will vote against the resolution.
Thank you, Mr. President.