| The
second meeting of the Preparatory Committee of
the World Conference Against Racism opened in Geneva
on 21 May 2001 with a call on the international
community, by Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights and Secretary General of the World
Conference, to look for common ground without losing
sight of victims of discrimination. She said victims
would be looking to the Durban Conference to help
bring about a real change in their lives.
Wali
claimed the decision was in accordance with Islamic
The High Commissioner compared the preparatory process of the World Conference,
scheduled to take place in Durban, South Africa
31 August to 7 September 2001, to the task that
was faced by the drafters of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights -- crafting a shared vision of
the future. In this context she expressed her firm
belief that Durban gives the international community,
at the start of the new century, the opportunity
to help bring about a "world made new".
The Preparatory Committee has before it the
text of various proposals regarding the Declaration
and Program of Action submitted at two sessions
of the inter-sessional working group meetings.
The Preparatory Committee Meeting of the World
Conference is currently expected to wind up
on June 1, 2001.
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