Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United Nations Dur-
ban Review Conference (Durban II) Funding Prohibition 
Act of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds as follows: 
(1) On December 22, 2007, the United States 
and 45 other member states of the United Nations 
voted not to support the 2009 United Nations Dur-
ban Review Conference (‘‘Durban II Conference’’), a 
follow-up meeting to the 2001 United Nations World 
Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, 
Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (‘‘Durban I 
Conference’’) in Durban, South Africa; 
(2) The Durban I Conference was used as a 
platform to advance anti-Semitism and, con-
sequently, the United States and Israeli delegates 
walked out. 
(3) The United States has taken strong steps 
to avoid giving support to the Durban II Conference, 
including implementing a policy of voting against the 
Durban II Conference in the United Nations (in-
cluding voting against funding for the Durban II 
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Conference) and forgoing participation in pre-
paratory meetings for the Durban II Conference. 
(4) The United States has pledged to boycott 
the Durban II Conference if it appears to be a re-
peat of the Durban I Conference. 
(5) Canada’s Multiculturalism Secretary of 
State, Jason Kennedy, announced in January 2008 
that Canada will not participate in the Durban II 
Conference. 
(6) Israel’s Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni 
announced that Israel will boycott the Durban II 
Conference unless it is proven that it will not be 
used as a platform of further anti-Israeli and anti- 
Semitic behavior. 
(7) Pre-conference drafts for the Durban I Con-
ference condemned Israel for allegedly pursing a rac-
ist Zionist agenda and committing crimes against 
humanity. 
(8) An African-led effort at the Durban I Con-
ference sought to include a demand for reparations 
from the West for slavery. 
(9) Conferees at the Durban I Conference tried 
to condemn the United States for refusing to adopt 
certain United Nations treaties. 
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(10) The United States cannot accept treaty re-
quirements that are incompatible with the United 
States Constitution. 
(11) Former United States Secretary of State 
Colin Powell gave the following statement after the 
Durban I Conference: ‘‘I know that you do not com-
bat racism by conferences that produce declarations 
containing hateful language, some of which is a 
throwback to the days of ‘Zionism equals racism;’ or 
support the idea that we have made too much of the 
Holocaust; or suggest that apartheid exists in Israel; 
or that single out only one country in the world— 
Israel—for censure and abuse.’’. 
(12) The United Nations Human Rights Coun-
cil is responsible for organizing the Durban II Con-
ference. 
(13) The United Nations Human Rights Coun-
cil has ignored ongoing repression in Belarus, the 
People’s Republic of China, Cuba, North Korea, 
Zimbabwe, and other countries. 
(14) The United Nations Human Rights Coun-
cil has condemned Israel 15 times in two years. 
(15) The Preparatory Committee for the Dur-
ban II Conference includes Libya, Cuba, Iran, Paki-
stan, Russia, and South Africa, none of which has 
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demonstrated consistent equality or respect for 
human rights. 
(16) Libya is the chair and Iran is the co-chair 
of the Preparatory Committee for the Durban II 
Conference. 
(17) Both Libya and Iran are strong supporters 
of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) 
in the United Nations Human Rights Council, which 
has historically been hostile to Israel. 
(18) Libya is a member of the League of Arab 
States, whose Arab Charter on Human Rights calls 
for the elimination of ‘‘Zionism’’. 
(19) United Nations General Assembly Resolu-
tion 46/86 rejects the position that Zionism is rac-
ism or a form of racial discrimination. 
(20) In December 2007, the United States dele-
gation to the United Nations rejected the United 
Nations biennial budget for 2008–2009 due, in part, 
because of proposals to fund the Durban II Con-
ference. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON UNITED STATES FUNDING FOR 
THE 2009 UNITED NATIONS DURBAN REVIEW 
CONFERENCE AND RELATED ACTIVITIES. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law— 
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(1) no funds appropriated or otherwise made 
available by any Act may be made available to sup-
port the 2009 United Nations Durban Review Con-
ference (‘‘Durban II Conference’’) or any other ac-
tivity relating to the planning, preparation, or imple-
mentation of a follow-up meeting to the 2001 United 
Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial 
Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance 
(‘‘Durban I Conference’’) in Durban, South Africa; 
and 
(2) the United States shall withhold from its 
assessed contributions to the United Nations regular 
budget, in proportion to the United States assess-
ment for the United Nations regular budget, the 
amount allocated for the Durban II Conference and 
any other activity relating to the planning, prepara-
tion, or implementation of a follow-up meeting to the 
Durban I Conference. 
Æ 
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