Adoption in the Third Committee of the 61st Session of the UN General Assembly of the Resolution on the Inadmissibility of Certain Practices Which Contribute to Fuelling Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance

Unofficial translation from Russian

PRESS RELEASE

On November 16, in New York, a meeting of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly at the Russian Federation's initiative adopted a resolution on the inadmissibility of certain practices which contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Our draft was cosponsored by Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Benin, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Nigeria, the Republic of South Africa, Sudan, the Central African Republic, and Ethiopia. 107 states voted in favor of the resolution; 3 delegations voted against; and 53 countries abstained.

The resolution, citing the Nuremberg Tribunal Judgment and the outcome documents of the World Conference against Racism (South Africa, 2001), expresses serious concern at the rise of extremist movements and political parties advocating racism, ethnocentrism and xenophobia and engaging in the spread of the ideology of fascism and racial superiority.

The resolution condemns the glorification of the Nazi movement and former members of the Waffen-SS organization, particularly by opening monuments and memorials and by holding public demonstrations to glorify the Nazi past, the Nazi movement and neo-Nazism. In the document adopted by the Third Committee, it is especially stressed that the erection of monuments in honor of SS men, the holding of their marches and other such actions desecrate the memory of the innumerable victims of fascism, have a negative impact on the growing generation and are absolutely incompatible with the obligations of UN member states.

In addition, the resolution points out that such actions are not the exercise, but a clear and obvious abuse of the right of free peaceful assembly and association as well as the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Moreover, in the opinion of the General Assembly, such acts may fall under Article 4 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination requiring that states parties to the Convention recognize them as offenses punishable by law.

It is stressed that this kind of practice feeds the present-day forms of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia and contributes to the spread and increase in the number of various extremist parties, movements and groups, including neofascists and skinheads.

Regrettably, certain countries (the US, Japan, Micronesia) voted against this document, and a number of states, including all the European Union members, abstained from voting on the draft resolution, supported by an overwhelming majority of UN member states.

No theme unfolds in a vacuum, but in specific countries, which have to take appropriate action. It seems that true solidarity at the international, regional and bilateral levels ought to consist in joint efforts to eliminate such manifestations, not in attempts to hush them up. The resolution orients states towards cooperation and dialogue. Democratically mature countries should be ready for such cooperation and dialogue.

November 17, 2006