[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5847 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5847

 To prohibit United States funding for the 2009 United Nations Durban 
  Review Conference (``Durban II Conference'') or any other activity 
relating to the planning, preparation, or implementation of a follow-up 
  meeting to the 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism, 
 Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (``Durban I 
                 Conference'') in Durban, South Africa.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 17, 2008

  Mr. Garrett of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. Poe, Mr. McCotter, Mr. 
   McHenry, Mr. King of Iowa, Mr. Broun of Georgia, Mr. Bartlett of 
 Maryland, Mr. Pence, Mr. Feeney, Mr. Shadegg, Mr. Weldon of Florida, 
Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Daniel E. Lungren of California, Mr. Kuhl of New York, 
Mr. Lamborn, Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Goode, and Mr. Bishop of Utah) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To prohibit United States funding for the 2009 United Nations Durban 
  Review Conference (``Durban II Conference'') or any other activity 
relating to the planning, preparation, or implementation of a follow-up 
  meeting to the 2001 United Nations World Conference Against Racism, 
 Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (``Durban I 
                 Conference'') in Durban, South Africa.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``United Nations Durban Review 
Conference (Durban II) Funding Prohibition Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds as follows:
            (1) On December 22, 2007, the United States and 45 other 
        member states of the United Nations voted not to support the 
        2009 United Nations Durban Review Conference (``Durban II 
        Conference''), a follow-up meeting to the 2001 United Nations 
        World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, 
        Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (``Durban I Conference'') in 
        Durban, South Africa;
            (2) The Durban I Conference was used as a platform to 
        advance anti-Semitism and, consequently, the United States and 
        Israeli delegates walked out.
            (3) The United States has taken strong steps to avoid 
        giving support to the Durban II Conference, including 
        implementing a policy of voting against the Durban II 
        Conference in the United Nations (including voting against 
        funding for the Durban II Conference) and forgoing 
        participation in preparatory meetings for the Durban II 
        Conference.
            (4) The United States has pledged to boycott the Durban II 
        Conference if it appears to be a repeat of the Durban I 
        Conference.
            (5) Canada's Multiculturalism Secretary of State, Jason 
        Kennedy, announced in January 2008 that Canada will not 
        participate in the Durban II Conference.
            (6) Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni announced 
        that Israel will boycott the Durban II Conference unless it is 
        proven that it will not be used as a platform of further anti-
        Israeli and anti-Semitic behavior.
            (7) Pre-conference drafts for the Durban I Conference 
        condemned Israel for allegedly pursing a racist Zionist agenda 
        and committing crimes against humanity.
            (8) An African-led effort at the Durban I Conference sought 
        to include a demand for reparations from the West for slavery.
            (9) Conferees at the Durban I Conference tried to condemn 
        the United States for refusing to adopt certain United Nations 
        treaties.
            (10) The United States cannot accept treaty requirements 
        that are incompatible with the United States Constitution.
            (11) Former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell 
        gave the following statement after the Durban I Conference: ``I 
        know that you do not combat racism by conferences that produce 
        declarations containing hateful language, some of which is a 
        throwback to the days of `Zionism equals racism;' or support 
        the idea that we have made too much of the Holocaust; or 
        suggest that apartheid exists in Israel; or that single out 
        only one country in the world--Israel--for censure and 
        abuse.''.
            (12) The United Nations Human Rights Council is responsible 
        for organizing the Durban II Conference.
            (13) The United Nations Human Rights Council has ignored 
        ongoing repression in Belarus, the People's Republic of China, 
        Cuba, North Korea, Zimbabwe, and other countries.
            (14) The United Nations Human Rights Council has condemned 
        Israel 15 times in two years.
            (15) The Preparatory Committee for the Durban II Conference 
        includes Libya, Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, and South Africa, 
        none of which has demonstrated consistent equality or respect 
        for human rights.
            (16) Libya is the chair and Iran is the co-chair of the 
        Preparatory Committee for the Durban II Conference.
            (17) Both Libya and Iran are strong supporters of the 
        Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in the United 
        Nations Human Rights Council, which has historically been 
        hostile to Israel.
            (18) Libya is a member of the League of Arab States, whose 
        Arab Charter on Human Rights calls for the elimination of 
        ``Zionism''.
            (19) United Nations General Assembly Resolution 46/86 
        rejects the position that Zionism is racism or a form of racial 
        discrimination.
            (20) In December 2007, the United States delegation to the 
        United Nations rejected the United Nations biennial budget for 
        2008-2009 due, in part, because of proposals to fund the Durban 
        II Conference.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON UNITED STATES FUNDING FOR THE 2009 UNITED 
              NATIONS DURBAN REVIEW CONFERENCE AND RELATED ACTIVITIES.

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law--
            (1) no funds appropriated or otherwise made available by 
        any Act may be made available to support the 2009 United 
        Nations Durban Review Conference (``Durban II Conference'') or 
        any other activity relating to the planning, preparation, or 
        implementation of a follow-up meeting to the 2001 United 
        Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, 
        Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (``Durban I Conference'') in 
        Durban, South Africa; and
            (2) the United States shall withhold from its assessed 
        contributions to the United Nations regular budget, in 
        proportion to the United States assessment for the United 
        Nations regular budget, the amount allocated for the Durban II 
        Conference and any other activity relating to the planning, 
        preparation, or implementation of a follow-up meeting to the 
        Durban I Conference.
                                 <all>