UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly pledged Wednesday to redouble efforts to combat racism around the world, commemorating a landmark but contentious 2001 anti-racism conference by holding an anniversary meeting once again riven with divisions.
Looking back on the two decades since the conference in Durban, South Africa, the assembly adopted a resolution that acknowledged some progress but deplored what it called a rise in discrimination, violence and intolerance directed at people of African heritage and many other groups — from the Roma to refugees, the young to the old, people with disabilities to people who have been displaced.
Vowing “to accelerate momentum to make the fight against racism … a high priority for our countries,” the measure pointed to the effects of slavery, colonialism and genocide and called for ensuring that people of African descent can seek “adequate reparation or satisfaction” through national institutions. It also noted ills caused by religious prejudices, specifically including anti-Muslim, antisemitic and anti-Christian bias.
But Israel, the United States and some other countries — at least 19 nations in all, by Israel’s count — boycotted the meeting because of continued grievances about the Durban meeting 20 years ago, where the U.S. and Israel walked out because participants drafted a conference declaration that denounced Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.