[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 151 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 151

 Expressing the sense of the Senate that the World Conference Against 
  Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance 
    presents a unique opportunity to address global discrimination.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 3, 2001

Mr. Dodd (for himself, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Smith of Oregon, Mrs. Clinton, 
Mr. Lugar, Mr. Santorum, Mr. Wellstone, and Mr. Corzine) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate that the World Conference Against 
  Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance 
    presents a unique opportunity to address global discrimination.

Whereas racial discrimination, ethnic conflict, and xenophobia persist in 
        various parts of the world despite continuing efforts by the 
        international community to address these problems;
Whereas in recent years the world has witnessed campaigns of ethnic cleansing;
Whereas racial minorities, migrants, asylum seekers, and indigenous peoples are 
        persistent targets of intolerance and violence;
Whereas millions of human beings continue to encounter discrimination solely due 
        to their race, skin color, or ethnicity;
Whereas early action is required to prevent the growth of ethnic hatred and to 
        diffuse potential violent conflicts;
Whereas the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial 
        Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance (in this resolution 
        referred to as ``WCAR''), to be held in Durban, South Africa, from 
        August 31 through September 7, 2001, aims to create a new world vision 
        for the fight against racism and other forms of intolerance in the 
        twenty-first century, urge participants to adopt anti-discrimination 
        policies and practices, and establish a mechanism for monitoring future 
        progress toward a discrimination-free world;
Whereas the WCAR will review progress made in the fight against racism and 
        consider ways to better ensure the application of existing standards to 
        combat racism;
Whereas participants of the WCAR currently plan to discuss remedies, redress, 
        and other mechanisms to provide recourse at national, regional, and 
        international levels for victims of racism, xenophobia, sexism, 
        religious intolerance, slavery, and other forms of discrimination;
Whereas the WCAR is charged with reviewing the political, historical, economic, 
        social, cultural, and other factors leading to racism and racial 
        discrimination and formulating concrete recommendations to further 
        action-oriented national, regional, and international measures to combat 
        racism;
Whereas some preparatory materials for the WCAR take positions on current crises 
        which, if adopted in the final WCAR Declaration and Program of Action, 
        could exacerbate existing tensions, such as language which takes sides 
        in the current crisis between Israelis and Palestinians;
Whereas the attempt by some to use the WCAR as a platform to resuscitate the 
        divisive and discredited notion equating Zionism with racism, a notion 
        that was overwhelmingly rejected in 1991 by a subsequent United Nations 
        Resolution, would undermine the goals and objectives of the WCAR;
Whereas the WCAR is expected to propose concrete recommendations to ensure that 
        the United Nations has the resources to actively combat racism and 
        racial discrimination; and
Whereas the United States encourages respect for an individual's human rights 
        and fundamental freedoms without distinction of any kind, such as race, 
        color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or 
        social origin, property, birth, or other status: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) encourages all participants in the WCAR to seize this 
        singular opportunity to tackle the scourges of racism, 
        xenophobia, sexism, religious intolerance, slavery, and other 
        forms of discrimination which have divided people and wreaked 
        immeasurable suffering;
            (2) recognizes that, since racism, racial discrimination, 
        xenophobia, and other forms of intolerance exist to some extent 
        in every region and country around the world, efforts to 
        address these prejudices should occur within a global framework 
        and without reference to specific regions, countries, or 
        present-day conflicts;
            (3) exhorts the participants to utilize the WCAR to 
        mitigate, rather than aggravate, racial, ethnic, and regional 
        tensions;
            (4) urges the WCAR to focus on concrete steps that may be 
        taken to address gross human rights violations that were 
        motivated by racially and ethnically based animus and on 
        devising strategies to help eradicate such intolerance;
            (5) hopes that objectionable language concerning Israel and 
        Zionism will be removed so that the United States will be able 
        to send a delegation and participate fully in the WCAR; and
            (6) commends the efforts of the Government of the Republic 
        of South Africa in hosting the WCAR.
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