Maher slams US withdrawal from WCAR
Egypt-Regional, Politics, 9/5/2001

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher considered the walkout by the US from the World Conference against Racism (WCAR) as an insult to the UN, South Africa and representatives of all participating countries.

In statements on Tuesday, Maher also regarded this withdrawal a blow to the noble principles for which this conference was convened to cement them.

"The walkout proved that there was no intention to render this conference successful," he said.

Conferences usually start with consultations, contacts and exchange of formal papers till the last minute, and having the US represented in this conference by a low-profile delegation, that later walked out, is a matter which has a certain meaning, he added.

Referring to the communique issued by the Presidency in S. Africa and statements made by its Foreign Minister, the President of the conference, Maher asserted that this mirrored an insistence on going ahead with the conference's activities till its goals were achieved.

The conference will never collapse because two participating countries walked out, he added.

Asked about the reasons behind the US withdrawal from the conference, Maher, voicing regret at the move, said apparently because efforts to prevent the conference from hurting the feelings of the Israelis by mentioning their name and describing the policies carried out against the Palestinians have flopped.

"And so the US decided to walk out, committing a big gaffe, involving the conference and itself," Maher said.

Asked whether the U.S. withdrawal would help eliminate differences over the item listed in the conference final communique, Maher said consultations are going on to reach results, as it is usual in any conference.

About the EU- backed initiative put forth by south African to bring viewpoints closer as regards the disputed items by drafting new formulas, he said South Africa will present its document to the various groups and consultations will continue, especially as regards the paper on the effects of slavery and colonialism.

"The conference is now moving in a much more flexible way as the US and Israeli delegations were trying all the time to hinder reaching an agreement that would reflect the real situation,' Maher said.

It is completely illogical that such a conference should convene without referring to the racist practices in the Palestinian lands as if such practices were happening on another planet," Maher said.

Asked whether the American and Israeli withdrawal from the conference could be viewed as a victory for the Third World trends, Maher said that the issue is not about the victory of one group over another, but it is about the continuation of this conference that is considered a victory for the principles for which the conference was held.

On whether he expected the conference to come out with effective results in the human rights field, Maher said all the participating delegations hope so.

Maher Tuesday met with his South African counterparts Nkosazana Zuma.

They discussed the situation in the World Conference against Racism (WCAR) after the walkout by the US and Israel and in the light of consultations underway to come up with positive results.

He said,"Egypt exerts every possible effort to make this conference a success."

All must prove that the absence of two states, regardless of their weight, should not block work in support of human rights and elimination of racism, xenophobia, bigotry and racial discrimination.

"The success of the conference means that all participants reach agreement in views on the basis of international legitimacy, the international law and on the ground."

"This means that Israel's aggressive practices against the Palestinian people should not be overlooked and the countries that failed to use the veto inside the conference should not be allowed to use it outside it," he added.

Previous Stories:
  US walkout meaningless   (9/4/2001)
  Egypt keen to rescue Mideast peace process   (9/3/2001)
  Durban Conference beset by Africa, Middle East problem   (9/1/2001)

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