NZ wrong in joining boycott of UN anti-racism meeting

Green MP Keith Locke has condemned Foreign Minister Murray McCully’s decision to boycott a UN anti-racism meeting which opens in New York this week.

The meeting is being held in New York on the 10th anniversary of an anti-racism conference in Durban, South Africa. Mr McCully issued a press statement on Friday saying New Zealand didn’t agree with the draft text of the conference declaration and that ‘the commemoration of the 2001 Durban Declaration could re-open the offensive and anti-Semitic debates which undermined the original World Conference.’

Green Party foreign affairs spokesperson Keith Locke said “Joining this Israeli-inspired boycott will blacken New Zealand’s good name among UN member nations, particularly in the developing world.

“The boycotters represent only a handful of Western nations, who refuse to accept even a hint of criticism of Israel in a UN declaration.

“In fact, there is no reference to Israel in the draft statement to be endorsed at the New York conference. It simply calls upon nations to oppose ‘racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.’

“What the boycotters object to is the New York declaration ‘reaffirming’ the 2001 Durban Declaration. However the Durban Declaration was earlier endorsed by our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).

“A 17 February 2009 MFAT document explains that ‘only six of 341 paragraphs contain references to the Middle East, anti-Semitism and Israel. One of them states that the Holocaust “must never be forgotten”. Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia are equally condemned. The plight of the Palestinian people and the rights of all states in the Middle East (including Israel) to security are mentioned, and the importance of the peace process receives due emphasis. These balanced references were secured through the efforts of Western countries, in the absence of the US and Israel.’

“It is also not valid to shun the conference simply because some of the speeches at it may be ‘offensive’. The essence of the United Nations is that it is all inclusive, and at any of its gatherings some of the speeches could be ‘offensive’.

“For Mr McCully to put loyalty to Israel ahead of New Zealand joining a major world anti-racism conference is truly shocking,” said Mr Locke.

For the draft declaration for this coming week’s UN anti-racism meeting in New York meeting go to:

http://www.un.org/en/ga/durbanmeeting2011/pdf/draft%20poldeclaration.pdf

For the text of the 2001 Durban Declaration go to:

http://www.un.org/en/ga/durbanmeeting2011/pdf/DDPA_full_text.pdf