March 5, 2009

Italy pulls out of UN racism conference

Soon after Israel, Canada and the United States, Italy decided today to withdraw its delegation from the preparatory negotiations ahead of the upcoming United Nations World Conference Against Racism known as the Durban Review Conference, which is a follow-up to the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.

The conference is due to take place in Geneva on April 20-24. Italian Foreign minister Franco Frattini said that the decision is due to “aggressive and anti-Semitic statements” in the draft of the event’s final document, which he described as “totally unacceptable.” Ministry spokesman Maurizio Massari confirmed Frattini’s statements and said Rome would not participate in the conference unless the document was changed.

5 comments:

  1. I like the attitude of Franco Frattini and the Italian government. I wish more countries had the guts to tell it like it is and stay away from these UN exercises in bigotry.

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  2. I don't know what the Italian for 'Long live Italy!' is, but I'd like to bet it resembles Franco Frattini in some way.

    Thank yo for supporting my blog: I hope to make you smile a time or two before the Umma is imposed.

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  3. Let's hope so, Tom. Meanwhile,

    "I have spoken personally with the Netherlands, France and Denmark: everyone has major doubts and I hope they will follow our example," Frattini said.

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  4. You are very welcome North Northwester.
    'Long live Italy!' is "Viva l'Italia" in Italian ... ;-)

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  5. Ha ha!

    I thought so, but we English are notorious for not learning (living) foreign languages.

    Viva Italia indeed!

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