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Australia to shun UN racism talks

Daniel Flitton

20 April 2009 - AUSTRALIA will boycott a United Nations forum on racism in Geneva starting today over fears that the meeting could be used as a platform to air anti-Semitic views.

After weeks of negotiation on the wording of a draft text to be presented at the conference, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said yesterday Australia had decided "with regret" to pull out of the meeting.

The Obama Administration had announced a few hours earlier that the United States would not be attending the forum  also using the phrase "with regret".

The lead-up to the meeting has been dogged by claims that some countries will use the summit to criticise Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and mount anti- Semitic tirades.

The Netherlands, Canada, Israel and Italy have also pulled-out of the Geneva meeting.

The first World Conference Against Racism in South Africa in 2001 was also tarnished by angry scenes over alleged anti-Semitism, and Israel has urged countries to boycott the talks.

Australia's late withdrawal drew fire yesterday from Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop, who said the Government had shown a lack of "moral leadership" by pulling out on the eve of the conference.

"It's a pity the Rudd Government was so reluctant and had to be dragged to this position," Ms Bishop said.

She said there was a view that Australia had compromised its principles in foreign affairs by not earlier withdrawing from the proceedings.

But human rights groups were disappointed by Australia's decision to pull out.

The National director of Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation, David Cooper, said that while he deplored racism of any kind, Australia stood to gain from the forum.

"It's a great disappointment that countries like Australia, the US and Canada that have got significant indigenous populations are not going to be participating," he said, adding that the forum offered the first chance to discuss the international declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples.

The president of the United Nations Association of Australia, John Langmore, said Australia's failure to attend the racism forum was inconsistent with its support for the indigenous rights declaration, signed earlier this month.

"The majority of countries will judge us as acquiescing too readily to a US decision and accepting an ill-judged Israeli campaign," Professor Langmore said.

But Colin Rubenstein of the Australia-Israel Jewish Affairs Council said Australia had made a "principled decision" not to attend the summit.

Source: The Age

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