The document prepared by the Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) on Saturday, while supporting "the existence of the State of Israel", also described the country as "Israel as a racist, apartheid state in which Israel's brand of apartheid as a crime against humanity has been characterized by separation and segregation, dispossession, restricted land access, denationalization, 'Bantustanization' and inhumane acts."

Should the conference be unable to produce guidelines on tackling racism by the end of next week, Annan told a news conference, the world would know who was responsible.

Annan who opened the conference of 15 heads of state and delegates, representing a total of 153 nations on Friday, said he had spent the day in Durban in talks with a number of world leaders on what he described as the two most controversial issues. He said he also spoken with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, and met at length in Durban with Ambassador E. Michael Southwick, the leader of the US government delegation at the conference.

Asked bluntly by an Israeli correspondent whether "offensive" references to Israel would be removed from the text being prepared, Annan who addressed reporters in English and French, responded: "I think the documents should be fair. I would hope the text will be cleaned up by the end of next week. The issue of Zionism being equated with racism is dead. I think the delegations understand that we are getting the message through very clearly. At this conference we have to focus on the victims. We have to get governments to protect people against racism. The situation in the Middle East is only one issue. So I hope we will have language in the generic."

Annan said Southwick had also raised concerns about references to Israel in the draft text, and added, "we will get a document which is credible." On reparations for slavery sought by African leaders, and some members of the African American community in the United States, Annan said: "The issue of reparations is very complicated. It will not disappear, but this is not the place to resolve that issue."

He said he sensed "a mood and the willingness" among delegations in meeting Durban to find common language. He said he had spoken also with senior Italian and German officials and African heads of government in Durban, but declined to discuss the substance of his talks with any of them.

"There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes. A lot of effort is being made to move the conference forward," Annan said. "We should not allow one issue or another to derail this conference. Those who do should be held responsible if that happens."

Annan, who was due to travel to Kinshasa Congo, and Kigali, Rwanda in central Africa once he leaves Durban at the weekend, was also asked about the civil war in Angola and the land crisis in Zimbabwe. He described Angola's 30-year civil war as one of the "most painful" conflicts in Africa. "The only way to resolve it is to apply the (UN-brokered) Lusaka Accords," he said.

On Zimbabwe, and the invasion of white-owned farms by supporters of the government of President Robert Mugabe, he said the issue had to be resolved legally as part of a "credible" land reform program under which adequate compensation was paid.

Earlier, Annan met with business leaders in South Africa and told them it was vital that they do not tolerate discrimination in hiring or promotion practices, and that their companies uphold human rights in their operations. His remarks were made at a Global Compact panel where the issue was, "Discrimination is everybody's business".

Annan launched the Global Compact more than two years ago to improve corporate citizenship in the areas of human rights, labor and environment. Annan said a company with a reputation as an enlightened equal opportunity employer would always find it easier to attract high quality employees. It would also reap dividends in the eyes of increasingly rights-conscious consumers.