 Tuesday, August 7, seventh day'Onward!'
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EditorialSince we have been working until 3.00 AM last night we decided to leave the Palais des Nations at a normal time for a change. Well, what is normal. The governmental delegations are working until late at night to get their draft and PoA ready. I wonder if they are gonna make it. I wonder if any ministers will go to Durban if they don't. I wonder about a lot of things right now. Lets talk about our process. The ISC, well, finally the ISC is taking charge. They are under a lot of pressure, that's what we forget most of the time. That's no excuse, but it makes a few things more understandable. I CARE is also stressing out a bit since we need also to do a whole lot of things before Durban to get our office and network and connections and newsteam and transport and accommodation and systems etcetera etcetera ready. So we can relate. Slowly it looks like things are going right, or, more right. There's still a bucket full of problems but the process is on track (again). There are still worries about the drafting situation, not everybody is Yesterday we had a highlight of the kindergarten level to which the relationship between two caucuses has sunk. In yesterdays news we already mentioned an open letter by Palestinian NGOs, a number of people asked me what was in it, so here it is, as an image. Let's be positive huh! I'm glad there is an enormous positive feeling about the governments of the African countries and the Europeans, who held a meeting to talk about slavery and reparations. Onwards! Ronald Eissens Videobites of the day:'What do you think of this PrepCom up til now?'
 If you don´t have RealPlayer: Today´s happeningsNGO Briefing Laurie explained once again the situation concerning the passes for the governmental conference in Durban. The way it looks now, if more than a 1000 NGOs show up, they are gonna give one pass to each NGO with a big delegation but small NGOs with only one or two delegates will have to share a pass. If it is possible to give extra passes to caucuses will be looked into. The informal governmental working groups shut the NGOs out. Laurie asked the chairs of both governmental processes but the outcome was negative since the chairs feel that the delicate negotiations which are going on during these meetings would be hampered by the presence of 'outsiders'. Once again Laurie Wiseberg will bring up the question if one NGO rep. can sit in. The US is still threatening to not attend Durban at all if they don't get their way by the end of the week. The U.S. responded on the African document on slavery, colonialism and reparation, a non-official paper (it is called a non-paper because it is not formally brought into negotiations). The Americans responded by changing it as little as possible as they want to resolve that issue by the end of this week. As a result the African group, having read the U.S response said that they feel that it is a good basis for negotiation, however they do not feel that the issue will be resolved by the end of the week. |
Again the issue was raised about discussing political issues among the NGOs and not wait till Durban. It will be taken into consideration.
 Caucus and other meetings The European Caucus agreed on the text of the joint statement they are going to make together with the African and African descendants caucus. They have requested an intervention in the Governmental Draft declaration group during which the text of the statement will be read. Possibly it will also been read in the PoA group.Tidbits The ISC met this afternoon with a representation of the Religious and Spiritual caucus. This caucus asked the ISC for a plenary meeting tomorrow in which the subject of their Thematic Commission with regard to the NGO Draft declaration will have to be discussed. The caucus is of the opinion that since the ISC is not handling things very transparent and democratic a meeting like that will be a good example and a way to create more transparency. Their opinion is that up till now the ISC have laid the onus of the problematic process with the caucuses and NGOs and the Religious and Spiritual caucus wants to change that view. Two members of the ISC are in South Africa right now to talk and negotiate with Sangoco. They will be back tonight and give a report in the NGO briefing Wednesday morning. Article - Refugee Rights Dropped From Race SummitHuman Rights Watch today condemned a decision by states participating in a preparatory meeting of the UN World Conference Against Racism to delete all reference to the 1951 Refugee Convention from the conference program of action. "Refugees and asylum seekers are often double victims of racism," said Rachael Reilly, Refugee Policy Director at Human Rights Watch. "They flee their countries to escape racism and ethnic intolerance, then many of them are again subject to racist and xenophobic treatment in their countries of refuge."  The decision by the anti-racism summit to drop any reference to the Refugee Convention came less than a week after countries around the world marked the 50th anniversary of the international refugee instrument on July 28. "It is deeply ironic that less than one week after the UN marked the 50th anniversary of the international refugee convention, states should choose to ignore its importance for the World Conference Against Racism," said Reilly. Human Rights Watch urged governments participating in the anti-racism meeting to recognize the alarming growth in racism and xenophobia towards refugees and asylum seekers world wide and to take immediate steps to reinsert a commitment to the 1951 Refugee Convention into the conference platform. In December 2001, state parties to the Convention are due, for the first time ever, to formally reaffirm their commitment to the Refugee Convention and Protocol on the occasion of its 50th anniversary in Switzerland. "It makes a mockery of this meeting if the same states are willing to drop all commitment to the Refugee Convention in the World Conference Against Racism," said Reilly. 
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News from the subcommission SUBCOMMISSION ADOPTS RESOLUTION ON RESPONSIBILITY,REPARATION FOR VIOLATIONS DURING SLAVERY ANDCOLONIAL PERIOD Carries on with Debate on Administration of Justice The Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights adopted unanimously this morning a resolution on recognition of responsibility and reparation for massive and flagrant violations of human rights which constituted crimes against humanity and took place during slavery and the colonial period. Through the measure, the Subcommission requested all the countries concerned to take initiatives which would assist, notably through debate and the provision of truthful information, in the raising of public awareness of the disastrous consequences of the periods of slavery and colonialism; requested that a process of reflection be initiated in a concerted fashion on the appropriate procedures which would enable the guarantee of the implementation of this resolution; and decided to continue consideration of this question at its fifty-fourth session. |
Subcommission Expert Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the panel's representative to the Preparatory Committee for the upcoming World Conference against Racism, is expected to present the resolution to the Preparatory Committee which is meeting concurrently at the Palais des Nations. Quotes of the day:
Didn't we decide on this already in the past? I think we did. Ah well, lets decide on it again. |
Contributions by others:
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