Australia likely to avoid Jew Hate Fest,Durban 2

UN Anti-racism conference likely to be avoided by Australia

April 14, 2009
The Australian

FOREIGN Minister Stephen Smith has given the strongest indication yet that Australia is unlikely to attend a controversial UN anti-racism conference.

There are fears the Durban Review Conference, to be held in Geneva from Monday to Friday next week could become a repeat of the original South African event in 2001, which was marred by claims of anti-Semitism.

Mr Smith expects to make a decision on whether Australia will attend possibly days before the main session of the conference on April 24.

Delegates from the US and Israel walked out of the 2001 meeting because much of the discussion focused on Israel being a racist state.

The Opposition has been urging the Rudd Government to withdraw from the conference, known as Durban II.

Australia has been delaying a decision so it could give organisers an opportunity to improve the draft text but the Rudd Government remains dissatisfied with the work done to date.

"I continue to have very grave concerns about the text," Mr Smith said yesterday.

"I continue to have very grave concerns about the prospect of Australia attending (the conference)."

The last opportunity for change appears to be as the group working on the text moves into a preparatory review conference this week.

"I will see how developments unfold in the course of the preparatory review conference before making a judgment," Mr Smith said.

"As things stand, I remain very gravely concerned about the state of the text. I remain very gravely concerned about the prospects of the Durban Review conference being a repeat of the earlier conference, and I expect in the next week or so to be able to make a final judgment about Australia's attendance or not.

"Frankly, unless something qualitatively changes or something qualitatively different occurs, it is most unlikely that Australia will attend the Durban Review Conference in Geneva."