Durban Review Conference 2009 Outcome Statement Adopted!

On Tuesday afternoon at 4:30pm, the US Human Rights Network and Urban Justice Center held a press conference to speak on issues around US decision to not participate in the conference, as well as speaking about the various priority issues of US groups participating in this conference, including reparations (and clarifying how this is defined) as well as the TransAtlantic slave trade. 

Just as this press conference was about to commence, the room received the news that the Durban Review Conference 2009 Outcome Statement (the link is to an earlier version…will update)had been adopted.  To explain, the Outcome Statement is the very document around which this conference was organized. The idea is that the Outcome Statement would affirm the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and add any updates or emphases that are relevant and pressing as determined through the multiple sessions during the course of the conference, as well as through lobbying of civil society for inclusion of key language. The adoption of the Outcome Statement so early in the conference basically cut short the opportunity for civil society to bring its hard work and preparation to bear on influencing the language of the Outcome Statement, thus leaving folks with a sense of bemusement, disillusionment, and wasted time and money.

In spite of the malaise caused by that announcement, the group pressed on with the press conference. Speakers were Ejim Dike, Adamu Baraka, Jaribu Hill, and Khali Akuno. I videotaped the entire press conference, but my connection speed is so slow that I haven’t been able to upload any of my footage yet. However, I will do so ASAP.

Speaking of footage, I signed off abruptly earlier on Tuesday because I heard noises of a protest in the hallway. That turned out to be a rather large group of people continuing to protest the speech by President Ahmadinejad, as well as what is perceived by this group as an anti-Zionist, anti-Israel, and anti-Semitic emphasis in this conference.  I did get a bit of footage of this protest, which I’ll post, but it was pretty chaotic, so one can hardly make out what’s going on.

Tuesday evening there was also a very large event in front of the UN of at least 200-300 people who seemed to be holding a Jewish service with prayers and singing…it felt almost like a vigil. I did not film this event.