World Conference against Racism facts for kids

The World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) is a series of big international meetings. These meetings are put together by UNESCO. UNESCO is a part of the United Nations. Its main goal is to help fight against racist ideas and actions. So far, five of these conferences have happened. They took place in 1978, 1983, 2001, 2009, and 2021.

UNESCO was started after World War II and the Holocaust. It began working right away to study different ethnic groups. It also wanted to share scientific facts to show that racist ideas were wrong. One of its first books was The Race Question in 1950. Many famous experts wrote for this book.

The 1978 Conference

The first World Conference Against Racism was held in Geneva, Switzerland. A big part of this meeting focused on South Africa's apartheid policies. Apartheid was a system of racial segregation and unfair treatment.

The 1983 Conference

The 1983 World Conference Against Racism also took place in Geneva, Switzerland.

The 2001 Conference

The 2001 conference was held in Durban, South Africa. It was organized by the UN. The meeting ran from August 31 to September 8, 2001. Mary Robinson, who used to be the president of Ireland, led the conference.

The conference was called "World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance." It talked about how different groups of people are treated unfairly. A lot of time was spent discussing how Israelis treated Palestinians. Other human rights issues around the world were discussed less.

This 2001 meeting had some disagreements. There were arguments about the Middle East and the history of slavery. Some countries, like Canada, the U.S., and Israel, left the conference early. They felt that a proposed statement unfairly criticized Israel. The European Union also did not agree to demands from Arab countries to criticize Israel for "racist practices."

Also at the conference, African countries and groups wanted apologies for slavery. They wanted it to be called a "crime against humanity." They also asked for payments to make up for the past. European countries did not agree to these payments. Instead, they offered support for African development and help with debt.

The 2009 Conference

The 2009 World Conference Against Racism was held in Geneva, Switzerland. Several countries decided not to attend this conference. These included Canada, Israel, the United States, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Poland. Australia also decided not to participate after some thought.

Some leaders felt it was a mistake for Europe not to agree on a common plan. They worried the conference might still unfairly criticize Israel. New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Murray McCully, was also concerned. He worried the meeting might turn into angry debates, like in 2001. He also feared it could be used to limit free speech.

On the first day, France warned that European countries would leave if Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, made hateful comments about Jewish people. Germany had already decided not to attend. They were worried the event might have anti-Jewish ideas.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke at the start of the conference. He noted that some countries were not there. He also mentioned that different groups outside were arguing loudly.

Later that day, about 40 delegates walked out during Ahmadinejad's speech. He called Israel a "racist government." France said his speech was "hate speech." This walkout was seen as a problem for the United Nations. The UN had hoped the conference would show how it could unite people to fight unfairness.

President Ahmadinejad was the only major leader at the conference. He said Jewish people from Europe and the U.S. were sent to the Middle East after World War II. He claimed this was "to establish a racist government in the occupied Palestine." He added that it was "in compensation for the dire consequences of racism in Europe."

The French Ambassador, Jean-Baptiste Mattei, explained why they left. He said, "As soon as he started to address the question of the Jewish people and Israel, we had no reason to stay in the room." The British ambassador, Peter Gooderham, also left. He called Ahmadinejad's comments "offensive and inflammatory." He stated that "Such outrageous anti-Semitic remarks should have no place in a UN anti-racism forum."

A webcast of Ahmadinejad's speech was available online. A news publisher, Foreign Policy Journal, quickly shared a written copy of it.

The 2021 Conference

In September 2021, the UN General Assembly marked 20 years since its 2001 conference. They promised to work even harder against racism. Many countries did not attend this event. These included Albania, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, and Uruguay. The European Union also did not take part or speak at this event.

See also

In Spanish: Conferencia Mundial contra el Racismo para niños

• Durban III
• Israel and apartheid
• International Day for Tolerance
• United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379