While some groups continued a high volume shouting match over the controversial 78-page final NGO document and how it was written, others filtered into the International Conference Center (ICC) to lobby for parts of it, by whispering in the ears of the official delegates. Early Thursday morning Pauline Muchina of Kenya received a loud round of approving applause as she angrily demanded to know why WCAR secretary general Mary Robinson had "rejected" the document, which she said, was "the voice of the victims of racism throughout the world."

Frej Fenniche of Robinson's office told her that Robinson had not "rejected" the document and that it had been presented to the WCAR.

Robinson had in fact said she could not recommend the entire document to the plenary because it contained what she called "vitriolic" and "hurtful" language, especially in the paragraphs that accused Israel of "genocide."

While unhappy NGO members were giving their own steering committee a tough time in room three of the Durban Exhibition Center, their colleagues, the ones lucky enough to get passes, were mingling with the government delegates in a rare access to document drafting within the United Nations.

In rooms 2 and 3 of the ICC no barriers separated the NGOs from the official government delegations. Grey suits mixed with jeans, full-dress military uniforms--with medals--mixed with T-shirts, and at least one guy had a baseball hat on backwards.

In the room 1 discussion on the final declaration, Chris Keating of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council said, "When we see an Australian delegate make a contribution that we don't think is helpful, we walk up to them and let them know."

For example?

"We didn't like their contribution on 'administrative detention,' and we told them," he said.

Did it work?

"Well, they agreed with a revision from Uruguay, and the problem went away. But we do meet with our delegates often to discuss texts."

As if on cue, a tie-wearing Australian diplomat came back to remind Keating of a 3 PM government-NGO meeting.

In the Plan of Action meeting Behshid Najafi of Germany, who is fighting against trafficking in women, said she was lucky enough to get a permanent pass and has been watching the drafting since the first day.

She said she was concerned with the specific interpretation of "sexual exploitation" in the plan, since "we support commercial sex if it s freely entered into."

"Commercial sex is not trafficking," she said.

Najafi, who was born in Iran and is also monitoring the plan of action's references to migrant peoples, said she met with the German delegates every second day in the Hilton hotel, but freely colored them in the drafting meeting room.

But NGOs aren't delegates?

"We wanted some working on the definition of smuggling, but Germany is dealing with the EU on that, and the EU is taking a different position. Germany doesn't want a confrontation with the EU on that one. We may lose that one."