Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should lead a high-level diplomatic effort to ensure that the Durban Review Conference serves as a forum to review implementation of commitments made at the 2001 Durban Conference to combat all forms of racism by defeating the campaign by some members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to divert the United Nation's Durban Review Conference from a review of problems in their own and other countries by attacking Israel, promoting anti-Semitism, and undermining the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Bill: 110-hres-1361
Sponsor: Rep. Berman, Howard L. [D-CA-28]
Introduced: 2008-07-22 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Africa
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Human rights
International organizations and cooperation
Racial and ethnic relations
Religion
South Africa
United Nations

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-22
text: 
Acknowledges that the 2001 World Conference Against Racism marked an important recognition of the historic wounds caused by slavery, colonialism, and racial discrimination.
 
Calls on the President to urge other heads of state to condition participation in the 2009 Durban Review Conference process on concrete action by the United Nations and member states to ensure that it and they will reject any effort to inject anti-Semitism, hatred, and discrimination onto the Conference agenda.

action_date: 2008-09-23
text: 
Acknowledges that the 2001 World Conference Against Racism marked an important recognition of the historic wounds caused by racism, slavery, and colonialism. 
 
Calls on the President and the Secretary of State to lead a diplomatic effort to ensure that the Durban Review Conference focuses on the implementation of state commitments to combat racism, xenophobia and related intolerance, and to defeat any effort by states to use the forum to promote anti-Semitism or hatred against members of any group or to call into question the legitimacy of any state.
 
Commends all governments that have declared their intentions not to participate in any United Nations Durban Review Conference that sidesteps such commitments and promotes hate, undermines human rights standards, and damages U.N. credibility. 
 
Urges all member states not to support such a Conference.
 
Commends civil society organizations that have joined together to learn from the shortcomings of the 2001 World Conference Against Racism and to work toward a 2009 Durban Review Conference that rejects hatred.
 
Recognizes the attempts of some countries to prevent a focus on ongoing racism by utilizing inflammatory language, employing divisive tactics and strategies, fostering an atmosphere of anti-Semitism and otherwise deviating from the commitments made at the 2001 World Conference Against Racism in order to divert the 2009 Durban Review Conference from the important goal of eradicating global racism.
 
Calls on U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to urge the Human Rights Council to adhere to its mandate and asks him to refocus the 2009 Durban Review Conference efforts on the review of what U.N. member states have done to fulfill their commitments to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and on concrete action to fight racism, anti-Semitism, and all forms of hatred and violence.
 
Calls on the High Commissioner for Human Rights to urge U.N. member states to adhere to the agreed framework of the 2009 Durban Review Conference. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H8647-8648)
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H8647-8648)
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H. Res. 1361.
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H8647-8652)
action_date: 2008-09-23
text: Mr. Berman moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended.
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Ordered to be Reported by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2008-07-24
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2008-07-22
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
action_date: 2008-07-22
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2008-07-22
text: Introduced in House