Mr. Chairman,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The following countries align themselves with this statement:
The candidate Countries Croatia*, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and the EFTA Countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia.
As this draft comes to action, the European Union would like to reiterate its strong commitment to the global fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
We believe that Neo-Nazism is a particularly abhorrent manifestation of racism and xenophobia that must be combated firmly by all of us. It still exists, unfortunately, in many of our societies, including within the EU and in some of the main sponsors of this resolution. The threat of neo-Nazism needs to be tackled within comprehensive efforts to eliminate all forms of racism and xenophobia by effective measures at the national, regional and international level, including through the full implementation of the ICERD and of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.
The ideas that neo-Nazism tries to undermine, namely that all men and women are born free and equal in dignity and in rights, are in the core of what the United Nations stands for. The EU therefore remains convinced that the combat against neo-Nazism, as well as other manifestations of racism and xenophobia to be found all over the globe, must be a common and consensual priority for all of us. It should not be used for extraneous purposes, thereby diluting the significance of these issues, but, quite the opposite. It should serve to unite us all in our common goal of eliminating racism from our societies.
For these reasons, the EU expressed its strong readiness to participate actively in the informal consultations with the main sponsors of this draft resolution in order to find ways to ensure it would present a real and serious response to contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
The EU takes note of the reflection of few of our proposals in the draft resolution. The new language in OP 8 which, by stating that insufficient action by states vis-à-vis such practices might be incompatible with their status as UN members, underlines that the main thrust of the resolution is directed against practices of individuals or groups rather than of states themselves as implied in previous resolutions. The EU finds all such practices abhorrent and is actively engaged to combat those wherever they occur. The addition in OP 8 has in our view improved the clarity of the text.
However given the importance of the issue, EU regrets the lack of a more comprehensive and in-depth examination of ALL the proposals submitted from different delegations, which, we believe, would help to arrive at a better text. The EU further regrets that again, like in previous years, some of the most serious concerns expressed by the EU and by other delegations, have not been taken into account.
- As in previous years the draft resolution instead of comprehensively addressing the human rights concerns related to racism and racial discrimination, one of the most serious of which is the resurgence of racist and xenophobic violence, continues to be selective, disregarding these serious concerns and in effect deflecting attention from them. In this years resolution new paragraphs were introduced, which contribute to a further dilution of the focus of the text.
- The EU would have liked to seen the inaccurate citations of the Judgement of the Nuremberg Tribunal in this text rectified. Expressing this concern repeatedly, the EU has some difficulties to understand the reluctance to address this issue, especially considering that we are proposing a precise quote from the Judgement
- Therefore, we have proposed that this draft resolution adopted a more comprehensive, objective and legally appropriate approach that can provide real added value to the global fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
- Another matter of concern relates to the view taken in this resolution for addressing such practices. The EU fully agrees on the need to combat manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. But, to be effective, this combat must be in line with the provisions of art. 4 and 5 of the ICERD and cannot undermine human rights and fundamental freedoms as defined by international human rights law. This fundamental principle should, in our view, be better reflected in the draft that has been presented to us.
- Furthermore, we note that the Special Rapporteur has already been requested by the Human Rights Council to regularly report to the Council and the General Assembly. These reports should enable the Special Rapporteur to comprehensively address the contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia. The request contained in this year's resolution would, in the view of the EU, strongly undermine this comprehensive approach. In the view of the EU, this issue is sufficiently covered within the existing mandate and reporting of the SR.
We are increasingly concerned about the approach taken in this resolution. The concerns that the EU has on previous occasions expressed regarding this resolution remain, while the main sponsors have also refused to take into account most of the concerns relating to this year's text.
The EU remains strongly committed to combating contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and remains ready to work on a text which would make a strong contribution to combating these serious problems.
For these reasons, Mr. Chairman, the European Union will abstain on the draft resolution on the "Inadmissibility of certain practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance".
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Все воюете в своих воображаемых мирах?