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CNN Live At Daybreak

United Nations Racism Conference Degenerated Into Battle

Aired September 04, 2001 - 07:18   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The United Nations Conference on Racism was supposed to map out an international strategy to combat hatred around the world. Instead, it has degenerated into an internal battle over a draft document singling out Israel for racism and abuse against Palestinians.

Israel and the United States angrily pulled out of the conference yesterday and just minutes ago, Mary Robinson, the U.N.'s commissioner on refugees and the U.N.'s voice on human rights, gave a briefing, though she joins us live right now from Durban, South Africa.

Good day, Madam Commissioner. Thank you very much for joining us.

I want to read back the statement that Secretary of State Colin Powell issued yesterday. He said that, "this declaration is a throwback, singling out Israel for censure and abuse." Are you accepting this draft document?

MARY ROBINSON, U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: I think I should clarify that I learned a short time ago from the leader of the United States delegation, Ambassador Michael Southwick, that although he is returning to Washington, the United States is not withdrawing from the conference, that the United States will be represented with, in their delegation by the consul general here in Durban, Craig Kuehl. They will remain in their seat. They will remain on the credentials committee. And Craig Kuehl, as consul general in Durban, will participate and look after United States' interests in the conference.

LIN: But certainly not the presence...

ROBINSON: And I think that that...

LIN: Go ahead. I'm sorry, Madam Commissioner.

ROBINSON: I was going to say that that actually, I think, indicates that the conference itself is going to continue. The delegates really have a very constructive spirit, as reflected in the bureau of the conference this morning. And I think we are going to see a very serious addressing, without vitriolic language, of the enormously important challenges of reaching agreement at this conference.

LIN: Are you saying that there has been agreement to reword this draft document that some of the delegates have submitted?

ROBINSON: I haven't yet received the NGO declaration, but I've already expressed my deep dismay that it contains completely inappropriate language in part of it, for example, reference to genocide, and very hurtful and inappropriate language. And I've said that really for the first time ever as high commissioner for human rights, I won't be recommending this document to the official delegates.

Normally, as high commissioner I say this is the voice of civil society. You must take this on board in your official considerations. I won't do that even though there actually are some very good recommendations in the NGO text. But because of the inappropriate language, they have diminished the impact for all of the NGOs that they could have had at this conference.

LIN: And for our audience, Madam Commissioner, I want to explain that NGOs are organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, organizations that typically work hand in hand with the United Nations in areas around the world.

But do you feel, though, as high commissioner and in part and parcel of all the preparatory meetings that took place prior to this conference, do you feel like your conference has been hijacked by these NGOs?

ROBINSON: Well, in fact, the NGOs you mentioned, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty, Lawyers for Human Rights and others, had a special press conference yesterday to distance themselves. They explained that they had not been able to participate in the way that they would have wished and they could not be associated with the language.

So it's not as if there's a unified position. It was just one of those things that happened. It's a very large gathering. It began by being very democratic with an international steering committee and I think the NGOs lost their way a little bit on this. Passions were very high and there was a kind of, it seems, an undue influence in certain quarters and certainly the international NGOs have distanced themselves while still pointing out the very positive and necessary proposals for change that the NGOs have put forward in so many other areas about refugees, migrants, trafficking people, discrimination against the Roma community in Europe, against those of African descent in the Americas.

LIN: So, Madam Commissioner, the bottom line then, it seems to be that what you're saying is that the language will be changed in this draft document, that Israel will not be singled out for racism and for abuse against the Palestinians.

ROBINSON: I'm not sure of the precise position of Israel. I haven't had a chance to clarify that. I am, as I say, able to clarify that the United States has not withdrawn and that its counsel general will be a delegate and will continue here. And I can certainly confirm that under the leadership of the foreign minister of South Africa, who made an eloquent speech this morning, this conference is back on track. Everybody knows the time is short and everybody is committed to reaching agreement.

All the text that existed in relation to the Middle East in brackets, not agreed but there in brackets, all of it has been withdrawn...

LIN: Understood.

ROBINSON: ... and the South African foreign minister is coming up with new text.

LIN: Understood. And certainly you have had your influence there.

Mary Robinson, thank you very much, U.N. high commissioner on refugees.

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