IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 879 

Objecting to United Nations funding of the Durban Review Conference using 

the United Nations regular budget, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 17, 2007 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. 

ROHRABACHER, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. 

POE, Mr. PENCE, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. FORTUN ̃O, and Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Objecting to United Nations funding of the Durban Review 

Conference using the United Nations regular budget, 

and for other purposes. 

Whereas the United States is opposed to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance, and has 

long been a party to the Convention on the Elimination 

of Racial Discrimination; 

Whereas expensive and politically skewed international conferences can disserve and undermine the worthy goals 

that they are ostensibly convened to support; 

Whereas the goals of the 2001 United Nations (‘‘UN’’) 

World Conference Against Racism held in Durban, South 


hmoore on PRODPC68 with HMBILLS
2 

•HRES 879 IH 

Africa, were undermined by hateful, anti-Jewish rhetoric 

and anti-Israel political agendas, prompting both Israel 

and the United States to withdraw their delegations from 

the Conference; 

Whereas on September 3, 2001, Secretary of State Colin 

Powell explained the withdrawal of the United States delegation by stating that ‘‘you do not combat racism by 

conferences that produce declarations containing hateful 

language, some of which is a throwback to the days of 

‘Zionism equals racism’; or supports the idea that we 

have made too much of the Holocaust; or suggests that 

apartheid exists in Israel; or that singles out only one 

country in the world—Israel—for censure and abuse’’; 

Whereas the UN General Assembly has initiated preparations 

for a ‘‘Durban Review Conference’’ (commonly referred 

to as ‘‘Durban II’’) and has requested funding for those 

activities from the UN regular budget, over the objections 

of the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia, and other prominent Member States; 

Whereas the United States is the largest contributor to the 

UN system, and is assessed for a full 22 percent of the 

UN regular budget, which is funded by assessed contributions from Member States; 

Whereas funding Durban Review Conference activities 

through the UN regular budget could result in millions 

of dollars from United States taxpayers being used for 

those purposes; 

Whereas the preparation and management of the Durban Review Conference has been committed to the UN Human 

Rights Council; and 


hmoore on PRODPC68 with HMBILLS
3 

•HRES 879 IH 

Whereas during the 110th Congress the House of Representatives has passed a prohibition on United States funding 

for the UN Human Rights Council, and has strongly condemned the Council for ignoring severe human rights 

issues in other countries, while choosing to unfairly target the State of Israel: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) strongly objects to any United Nations pro3 posal to fund the Durban Review Conference and 

4 preparatory activities through the UN regular budg5 et, which is itself funded by assessed contributions 

6 of Member States, including the United States; 

7 (2) urges that any proposal to fund the Durban 

8 Review Conference through the UN regular budget 

9 should be subject to a vote in the UN Fifth Com10 mittee on administrative and budgetary matters; and 

11 (3) urges the United States to use its voice and 

12 vote in the Fifth Committee to oppose any proposal 

13 for funding Durban Review Conference activities 

14 through the UN regular budget. 

Æ 


hmoore on PRODPC68 with HMBILLS