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February 05, 2006

An Inside Look at a U.N. Meeting on Racism (And How the U.N. Supports Dictatorships)

On January 23rd, Mr. David Littman, Representative of the Association for World Education, addressed a U.N. Work group on Racism.

Littman first spoke about the mass murder of citizens in the Darfur region of Sudan. He was interrupted by the representative of Sudan -- and the interruption was supported by the Chairman of the meeting, Ambassador Juan Martabit, of Chile. Littman was told he was not permitted to reference Sudan.

Littman then discussed the recent statements by the President of Iran that the U.N. member nation of Israel should be destroyed. This time he was interrupted by the representative of Iran. And again the interrupted by the Chairman of the meeting, and Littman was told he was not to mention any country in that room.

Imagine a work group on racism at which the participants are forbidden to discuss the racist practices of specific nations. This is an example of how the U.N. is often an obstacle to free nations, and a supporter of murderous dictatorships.

It's as if the foxes were in the henhouse, and the farmers were told not to offend the foxes.

The text of the meeting was provided to this site by Mr. Littman. Excerpts (with boldfacing as in the original document):

Mr. Littman: Our 1st question, Sir, relates to this ghastly, racist tragedy - qualified as 'genocide' by a 566 to 6 vote in September 2004 by the Parliament of the European Union, and by others. Sir, have you received a reply from the Government of Sudan, and - in view of recent UN reports to which we have referred - will you now recommend that article 2 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide be invoked for Darfur? [1^st 'point of order': Sudan]

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Chairman:

Mr. Littman, there is a point of order. Sudan has the floor on a 'point of order'.

Sudan (Minister Counsellor O. Omer Dahar F. Mohamed or Counsellor El Mubarar Salah):

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I would ask the assistance and the help on this debate. This meeting is to last from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. In accordance with the agenda, the debate is globalization and racism. Mr. Chairman, could I ask you whether a statement like the one which is being made by a distinguished speaker - is that statement a part of the debate of globalization and racism, Mr. Chairman?

Chairman:

Yes, delegate of Sudan. Thank you for that 'point of order' and the way that you formulated it. I will say to Mr. Littman that he should confine his remarks to the subject of our debate and I would go a bit further. Mr. Littman, are you listening? [Speaking in English] Listen to me. I will speak slowly because I am thinking word by word what I will say to you. [Speaking Spanish again, interpreted into English]: It is not a debate on Sudan here. The debate that we are engaged in right now is general in nature. Please do not focus specifically on Sudan. If you wish to speak specifically about Sudan, than the NGO that you are representing could make a statement along the lines that you have been making in the General Assembly or in the Security Council of the United Nations [NGOs don't speak at either the GA ,or the SC], or in the Commission on Human Rights under the appropriate item of the agenda. [It was then not certain whether there would be a final 62^nd 6-week session of the CHR from mid-March.] Right now we are meeting in a Working Group. I'm trying to be extremely constructive and I hope that all the delegates feel comfortable with this debate as it is. You - and we are also referring to the delegate of Sudan as well - you may be right in what you are saying. I am not saying, Mr. Littman, that you are not right, but I'm saying that this is not the right occasion to make this statement. We are in a working group, Mr. Littman, and I would like to extend……...[incoherent 5 words interpretation]. A Working Group has a different type of atmosphere. [This WG is under the auspices of the 62^nd session of the Commission on Human Rights.] This is a Working Group, not a place for confrontational dialogue. If we were to engage in such confrontation, we would never achieve any of our goals. The objective on working group is to engage in a debate, not to have a confrontation of debate, even if the delegates in that confrontation may be right in some of their comments. In every part of the world now there are problems, in some areas of the world the problems are more serious than they are elsewhere but, at any rate, these are all delicate issues, because we're speaking about problems of human beings and violations of human rights. These violations occur everywhere in the world. In some cases these violations are worse than elsewhere. There are places in the world where there are real risks of genocide and true genocide. I'm not prejudging where this is happening or where there are serious threats or not, but the Working Group's task is not to discuss these issues. I would invite your NGO, with all due respect - and I have all due respect for you as well - you have other bodies: the UN General Assembly, the Security Council, the Commission on Human Rights [the Chairman here repeats himself], and here I am trying with the delegates seated here to do something different. None of the participants except for a few exceptions are ambassadors - no one can react in the appropriate way. We're talking about high-level officials, who have come together in a Working Group and have a very good understanding of the issues and have come, with a spirit of cooperation, to move forward on crucial issues. Have I made myself understood, Mr. Littman?

Mr. Littman: Yes, Mr. Chairman, may I continue.

Chairman (speaking in English):

Yes, please, you can continue, but please don't mention Sudan any more - it's clear? (laughter)

Mr. Littman:

Sir, I have only finished my first point to the Special Rapporteur.

Chairman:

Only the first point - I though you had finished.

Mr. Littman:

I did refer to the remarks of the Special Rapporteur on Sudan.

Chairman:

Please do not refer to Sudan and any particular country, please.

Mr. Littman:

Well, the 2^nd point refers to a specific case, but I did refer to the racial discrimination remark of the Special Rapporteur on racism in reference to the country which you just named, which I will not. (general laughter)

II. Sir, on a second issue, and regarding your Report to the General Assembly of 19 August 2005 [A/60/283], we were struck by your analysis [§B 19] of a thematic discussion on genocide, which is quoted fully in our text.

Mr Chairman, at a Teheran conference on 26 October, the Iranian president called for Israel to be "wiped off the map". He predicted: "very soon the stain of this disgrace will be purged from the centre of the Islamic world." He warned peacemakers: "Anyone who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation's fury. (*)

[2^nd 'point of order: Iran]

Chairman:

Mr. Littman, I think again your points are related specifically to countries where you may [incoherent words by interpretor], that you have every right to consider that there are problems of human rights, but please do not cite those countries in this room. I'm going to be as frank as possible because we're not going to get anywhere. The delegate of Iran is making a 'point of order.' She is right because she is going to respond, then you are going to respond and we're not going to get anywhere. Mr. Littman, listen to me, and all delegates. I'm here to contribute in my humble way, with my time and my competence, to build bridges, to deal with extremely complex issues. I don't think that anyone…everyone has the right to deal with problems, but please do not cite specific countries. You have mentioned Professor Doudou Diène and I will ask Doudou Diène to respond to the questions you have raised. Your problems with Sudan and Iran please raise them in a different meeting, not here. I'm going to be very blunt with you, and with everyone - if we're going to get into a country situation debate here at this Working Group, we will not make any progress. This doesn't mean that I am excluding or turning a blind eye to the problems that exist in different countries. If you have any positive examples to cite, you could mention those, but please do not create an atmosphere that would create tension and which will send us into a deadlock. I hope that you've finished Mr. Littman. Thank you very much. I will like to ask Prof. Doudou Diène…

Mr. Littman(microphone button not pressed, but his voice is just audible on the tape):

You have cut me, Sir. I am taking part in a debate next month in Holland regarding what is happening at the United Nations. To be stopped on such an issue, when I have not yet begun, is such that - after 20 years experience at the UN - I find incredible! Sir, if you allow me to continue, I shall be careful not to name another State.

Chairman:

OK, continue, please, but please don't mention any crucial issues of the international agenda of today by the name of the country. Continue, please.

[This is the most extraordinary - and noteworthy - remark made by the Chairman.]

The U.N. needs to be supplemented by a parallel organization open only to the world's free and democratic nations.

The complete document provided to this site by Mr. Littman is available here.