Source: http://www.ajcongress.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7015 http://www.ajcongress.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7015
Date: February 27, 2009

AJCongress Hails Obama Administration Decision to Boycott Durban II Conference
The AJCongress was greatly pleased to learn in a briefing with White House officials earlier today that the Obama Administration intends to boycott the ill-conceived and clearly anti-Israel Durban II Conference.  The AJCongress has worked for months with other leading Jewish Organizations first with the Bush Administration, and now with President Obama’s, on this issue of vital importance to not only American Jews, but to all those who oppose racism and racial discrimination.
The Obama Administration has now demonstrated that the failings of the Durban II Anti-racism Conference are beyond all repair. It is no secret that the Jewish community has thought that for some time, much as it regrets not being able to endorse a conference against racism. 
The Obama Administration did our nation a signal service by demonstrating that the problem with the Conference was caused not by the absence of participation by the United States.  Having made a good faith effort to fix what was wrong with the Conference, and having unsurprisingly been rebuffed by those whose agenda is not combating racism, but attacking Israel and the Western values of freedom of speech and thought, the Administration has wisely decided that U.S. attendance at this Conference will not contribute in any way to the battle against racism.  
The blame for the Conference’s failures lies squarely on the shoulders of those who have hijacked the world’s determination to be rid of racism for their own narrow purposes.
We applaud both the Administration’s decision not to attend the Durban Conference and its effort to make it possible for the United States to demonstrate its desire to join in a world wide conference ending the scourge of racism.  We hope that other nations will now follow suit and announce that they, too, will not attend.
The Administration, in keeping with its commitment to multi-lateralism, will send an observer to the UN Human Rights Coalition meeting in March. Acknowledging that the Human Rights Council is a poster child for what is broken with UN mechanisms, the Administration’s limited cautious effort is understandable, though unlikely to produce much.